Learning 3

Learning experiences have been coming frequently this semester. Sometimes they are so frequent that I do not have time write on my blog…;) I have learned over the past week about aging and living both in the classroom and in real life.

First a quick background on my family. My dad was completely planned child when my grandparents were at the ripe age of 43. This was in the sixties, not today when many people were waiting till they were older. This decision my grandparents made 1. Gave me the chance to be born (which I will be eternally grateful to them for that) and 2. Some really interesting age breakdowns. Most of my cousins are 20+ years older than me and I have uncles that are in or approaching their seventies. This also means my “Meme” is 92.

Meme fell on Thursday and has not been doing well since. Intriguingly enough we learned about aging and when life stops in Evolutionary Medicine this week. I have now seen the drastic effects that old age can have on recover and responses to accidents in person like I had just learned about previously.  I have came to the somber realization that life isn’t as black and white as a heart’s beat and a lung’s breath. It is much more, the ability to interact and participate in what is going around you in imperative to life in my opinion. The ability to learn and grow is also important.

So what I’ve learned is that the biological definition of life and my definition of life differ on many levels.  However while Meme is not participating in life as she once did, she is still having an effect on those around her. There was more of my family in one place than there has been in a long time and I know she would have enjoyed seeing that.