- in humans, hearing is inextricably linked to memory. thus, a decline in hearing understandingly leads to a decline in memory function. i find this to be true in relation to my grandmother. it's sort of sad, since it does not have to be. she has a hearing aid that she had made for her many moons ago. but because of her stubborness to not wear it, she has resigned herself to the fate of a rapid decline in memory function
- i guess this sort of giving up is a common thing among older population. without a bright future ahead or any particular goal in mind, it is easy to fall prey to thoughts of 'who cares' or 'it won't matter anyway.' such is that of my grandfather who refuses to cut back on his intake of sugar despite being a diabetic. he figures he'll just continue eating as much as he can for as long as he can. meanwhile, all the medicine that he is taking for his ailments only serves to weaken his body further.
- my grandfather, however, does not suffer from impaired hearing. in fact, his memory is quite strong, only declining some in his later years. even now, he remembers poems and other things he had learned back in school over 7 decades ago. i would say that his memory borders on photographic memory. but alas, he never really found an application for it. he's lived a full life, but i still feel somewhat sad that he was not able to apply his talent in other more wonderous ways. as someone who does not have a great memory, i wish i had even a fraction of his prowess at memorization. they say the gift that is wasted is one of the greatest tragedies.
- i hope that i will not become jaded and refuse to apply myself when i am older
- setting goals and accomplishing them is something i need to work on
and on a side note, sorry for the lj-cut, sora, but i'd rather not clog people's pages with my ramblings :P