I found an article on Dr. Mercola’s website titled: 12 Surprising Signs You’ll Live To 100

One of the “surprising signs” is:

You embrace techie trends

Learn to Twitter, Facebook, or Skype to help keep brain cells young and healthy. Stay connected to friends, family, and current events, and you feel vital and relevant.

I like the part where he says, “you feel vital and relevant”. That’s important in everyone’s life.

Today’s Lesson

Speaking of using our brains, according to an article on the University of Connecticut Health Center site,

“The old adage of ‘use it or lose it’ is very important. For cognitive activity, which affects everything from memory to how we think, there is increasing evidence that the more we use our brain, the better we age….”

Some of you who are young may not take this into consideration, but for bloggers from the baby boomer generation and beyond, it’s important we think of how we’re using our brains. How we’re exercising them.

Fortunately blogging does that.

1. It keeps us connected.
2. It gives us something to look forward to
3. We read more
4. We write more
5. We think more
6. We learn more.

Another plus to blogging; age is not a factor.

Take for example, the following three women who held the title as “The World’s Oldest Blogger”; women who were in their 90′s and 100′s.

The one I remember best, because I had visited her blog, is Olive Riley (1899-2008). Although her blog is no longer online, you can see video clips of her on YouTube.

María Amelia López Soliño (1911-2009) was another blogger who held the title and was written about in this article; Spanish granny dubbed ‘world’s oldest blogger’ dies.

In one of her last postings in February [2009] she said: “When I’m on the Internet, I forget about my illness. The distraction is good for you — being able to communicate with people. It wakes up the brain, and gives you great strength.”

According to Wikipedia, Ruth Hamilton (1898-2008) was also named “the world’s oldest blogger”.

Unfortunately the above three bloggers have died, but others are following in their footsteps. We have,

1. Life Begins At 80

A blog written by a 91 year old retired journalist.

2. Bisher Unleashed

Written by Furman Bisher, a well-regarded sportswriter and editor who was born in 1918.

3. Granny To The Rescue,

A blog written by Eleanor McCallum, a woman in her early eighties.

These elderly folks probably aren’t worried about being included with A-List bloggers, but their commitment to blogging shows us it’s never too late to go online, share our knowledge and in the process continue to use our brains.

Today’s Assignment:

How has blogging improved your mental processes?

Are you following the writings of any elderly bloggers?

Care to share?