Wednesday 15 September 2010

I is for Involved


Every which way we turn as we age, we are slapped in the face with that hoarey old chestnut, 'Use it, or lose it'. I guess this refers to three basic aspects of life: physical, emotional and mental.

Get out of the house, get involved in activities, get involved with other people, confront new ideas and challenge ingrained responses to issues. It is no good just doing more of the same old thing, though. The neural pathways in the brain need to be furrowed deep, but new furrows need to be ploughed in lesser used areas of the frontal lobe. Take up boules. Learn a language. Join a book club. Join a bush-walking club. Join Get-up. Become a 'greenie'. Volunteer to lead the singing at an old-folks home.

Or, like these folk that I steamed the harbour with last weekend, restore an old steam-tug and potter about the harbour for the sheer hell of it!

A member of the ABC Wednesday community.

26 comments:

Unknown said...

Neat! I bet that it was a really amazing experience! Gorgeous photos. I really admire the colours and your perspectives.

Kay L. Davies said...

Thanks, Julie. You're right, involvement with other people is essential. And you've just reminded me I have to stop blogging long enough to finish the CD and song-sheets I'm making for an oldies singalong at church. The time-consuming part is making sure the words on the song-sheets match the words on the CD.
Gotta get busy. Have to make posters, too. Thanks for the nudge.

Kay
Alberta, Canada

Cheryl said...

What a beautiful reminder for folks like me who spend far too much time in front of this wee screen. Great use of your I.

EG CameraGirl said...

Involved is a great I-word and one I totally agree with: be involved!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

involved in blogging,
beautiful i thoughts.

Jim said...

Great i-post.

brattcat said...

This collection is intriguing and in-a-class-of-its-own. Impressive, indeed!!!!

photowannabe said...

A great reminder to use it or loose it. Love the photo of the hands.

Ann said...

Great series of shots. To get myself out of the doldrums I've just enrolled in a couple of courses and am starting seriously to plan next year's o/s trip.

Don't know if you'll be back but on the Art and About website I came across a link to the Foto Reisel Foto Rally on Saturday 16 October which looks like fun. Its a photo challenge where you don't find out the route or the challenge until the start. $10 registration.

http://www.fotoriesel.com.au/News/News/foto-rally-faq.php

Dimple said...

Wonderful shots! I really like the hand portrait...
Restoring an old tug would be interesting!

Julie said...

Ann, yep I will be back and that does sound of interest. The only hassle is that the wooden boat show is on that weekend down at the Maritime Museum AND the island hopping festival is on too. So much to do, so little time. I would find the task of interest, but the competition does not interest me. Let me think it through in the next 24 hours. I leave on Saturday and return on Friday 8 October.

Ann said...

Oooh wooden boat show. I love wooden boats. Not so interested in that particular island hopping festival as from the look of it its all very foodie. I'm still thinking about the foto challenge, not so much the competitive aspect but the creative experience. I've booked the next level SCC photo course - Shooting Skills - for this term.

Looking at doing a 24 day Lebanon/Syria/Jordan trip with Explore late next year, still trying to work out the weather - think it will be October or November, still waiting for them to put up the dates for the other trip I was looking at (Tunisia to Cairo).

Jayne said...

So very true!

Unknown said...

A spectacular post and amazing photographs. Thank you!

My ABC Wednesday

Bruce Caspersonn said...

I agree Julie, I'll start, first thing in the morning. A great post to-day.

Gigi Ann said...

I agree, we all need to get involved in something that brings us satisfaction.

Hildred said...

What great advice, - lots of wisdom in your post and great portrait photos.

Francisca said...

I simply couldn't agree more... My version of the "hoary chestnut" has been, "the day one stops learning is the day one starts dying." I live it. Wise and wonderful post.

[Julie, you will surely have noticed that I have been inspired by your blog in more ways than the obvious. Yes, hands indeed are so expressive. Eyes, too. I've not yet figured out how to lay out my photos as nicely as you do. I tried widening my blog, but that played havoc with all earlier posts. Thank you for honoring me with your visits to my blog. You must now be getting very excited about your upcoming trip. Enjoy every second.]

Roger Owen Green said...

involving post, and well stated and photographed
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Joan Elizabeth said...

I enlarged the photo at the top right and it is breathtaking, a fab study of rust, ropes and abstraction.

VioletSky said...

they certainly look like they are enjoying theirm involvement!

diane b said...

True! True! True! My sentiments exactly....I just have ti live up to them. Does tutoring at U3A count?

Anonymous said...

Word of wisdom ;-)

mrsnesbitt said...

Love the vibrant colours summing up this fantastic activity!

Denise
ABC Wednesday Team

S said...

Hi there Julie,

This is a terrific "I" post. I LOVE the collage showing people active and involved. Learning and engaging in new experiences should be a lifetime adventure. Sounds like you had one yourself on the harbour!

My blog account is not linked to Google so here is my ABC Wed Incredible Island

Christine said...

Thank you for the inspiring post. A good reminder to us all. I loved the photos!