Thank you, friends, for your patience and understanding. I have been absent. I have excuses, of course. Blah blah blah. But maybe the excuses aren’t really for you. They are for me.

Because I owe it to myself to write more frequently.

Because I like writing.

As a small child, my career goal was “gas station man.” I liked the smell of gasoline. I still do.

As I got a bit older, I wanted to be the President of the US. I actually told the senior George Bush this when I met him at a local community college. I was in the 3rd grade, perhaps. And he leaned down toward me and pressed his forehead against mine. Yes, I rubbed foreheads with George Bush. But now I can’t think of a worse job than being President of our country.

Somewhere in there, I wanted to be a writer. As a kid, I was all about writing fiction. I created characters. Short stories. Long stories. And I enjoyed it.

I am not into writing fiction anymore. I don’t read much fiction either. I am a non-fiction girl through and through.

But I still love writing. And yet I put it last on my list of priorities. I have a lot going on, and sometimes I don’t have time to write. But I find that I do have time for other things, like spending an hour before work scrolling on Instagram.

Which brings me to my question…why don’t I make more of an effort to structure my life so I have an opportunity to do something that I find invigorating, energizing, and freeing? If I love it and it’s so beneficial to me, why don’t I do it more?

I am talking about writing this blog but other forms of writing as well. I happened to come across some writing workshops this summer at the University of Iowa. A few intrigued me. But they won’t fit into my schedule. (Could I force them to fit into my schedule? Maybe. It’s still in the back of my mind.)

Writing, for me, could help to prevent dementia. That may or may not be true for you. You see, doing something that is enjoyable and engages your brain can helpful in lowering dementia risk. Do you enjoy writing? When you write, do you lose track of time because you are so engaged? Does the rest of the world disappear when you write?

If you feel that way about writing, keep doing it. Whatever you enjoy and keeps your brain engrossed…do that. THAT is what might help to prevent or delay dementia.

For some reason, puzzles have been held up as an ultimate way to ward off dementia. And then there are those “special” puzzles that you can buy that are proven to ward off dementia. Ugh. (I hate it when people sell stuff by preying on fears of dementia.)

Puzzles are great.

If you like puzzles.

Once I met a gentleman who was concerned about his wife who was starting to show early signs of mild cognitive impairment. He read something online and made a plan. They would work on a puzzle for two hours in the morning and another hour in the afternoon. If he could keep her doing these puzzles, he was convinced her symptoms would not progress.

“Does she enjoy puzzles?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never thought about it.”

If puzzles aren’t her thing, they aren’t doing any good.

So what is your thing? What do you do that makes the importance of the rest of the world fade away? What do you do that makes your family wonder where you’ve disappeared to? What are you doing when you can’t be bothered to answer texts and phone calls?

Is it building model airplanes? Sewing? Reading? Playing a musical instrument?

Is it bird watching? Detailing cars? Gardening? Cuddling kittens at the local animal shelter? Pickleball?

Think about what it is. And do more of it. Stop doing so much of other things and do more of this thing. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t apologize for it.

Don’t wait until you show symptoms of cognitive decline. Do it now. You like it. It makes you a better person.

I like writing and it makes me a better person. Perhaps the way it occupies my brain will lead to a reduced risk of dementia. Even if it doesn’t, it’s still a good investment of my time.

I write research articles and university reports. I write this blog. I participate in other forms of writing. I like to think that, in a small way, my childhood dream of being a writer has come true.

Elaine Eshbaugh. Spouse. Cat/dog mom. Professor. Dementia Simulation House Director. NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. Indoor cycling instructor. Writer?

It’s way better than being President. But I would still love to pump gas for a living.

So, my friends, do your thing. And if you don’t know what your thing is, be assured you have one. Go look for it.