The Wonder Years And Kevin Arnold: Do We Really Have To Stop Wandering? Can It Keep Us Young?
Posted: Monday, June 14, 2010
by Fran Larson
http://www.franniesquotes.com/
As most of you know, I usually do my thinking while looking out at the golf course and my delightful Chinaberry Trees. While staring at the trees and my gorgeous Florida view, I am amazed and sometimes in awe of the thoughts that drift through my mind. I just let my mind drift and go where it wants to go.
I may wonder how the Chinaberry Tree even survives. It is very fragile and the limbs are always breaking. I may wonder how our GPS works (I know, technically) but it seems like magic to me. I may wonder about the laws of nature and how magical it is when a garden grows. Then I will go to the Internet and look something up that I was wondering about.
Children and even babies delight us because they are new to the universe and are wondering about so many things. They question us and are always learning something new. Somewhere along the way, as we become adults, we may lose some of that "wondering" and begin to accept what others say is true. (What if Columbus had done that?)
Remember Kevin, who was in the television program, The Wonder Years? Here are some quotes from him in regard to "wondering."
Things in life can get lost without any certainty of finding them again.
All our young lives we search for someone to love, someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope all the while wondering if somewhere and somehow there is someone searching for us . ~Kevin (The Wonder Years).
Here are a couple of quotes from the show:
In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do.
Sometimes to keep growing together, you have to grow apart.
Aristotle thought that wondering was about something began what we call philosophy.
I think being curious and learning something new will act as an anti-aging factor both physically and mentally.
Research has shown that those who remain flexible, curious, and open to new experiences age better than those who don't. Challenging our own assumptions-which, just like our joints, tend to stiffen with age-is good for us. Embrace the new, whether that means new technology, "youthful" music, or an unfamiliar point of view. (Healthmsn.com)
Michelle Carlson, Ph.D., the associate director of the Center on Aging and Health at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, in Baltimore, agrees: "It's about the activity; it's about being engaged and being out there."
The second thing that is important for keeping a healthy brain as you age is to remain intellectually curious," he says. "That is, don't be afraid to learn new things. Pursue things that you find interesting and try to search out new and novel avenues for your mind and brain to work on." (CNN.com)
Wondering seems to be a favorite past time for me. I like to wonder about people, about how things work and why things are the way they are (politics, morals, etc.) I guess I'm not the only one that wonders.
Dave Matthews said, we look at each other wondering what the other is thinking but we never say a thing.
I think wondering must teach us to be ourselves, as exemplified in this quote : I would much rather have regrets about not doing what people said, than regretting not doing what my heart led me to and wondering what life had been like if I'd just been myself.
So what I am saying is wonder all your want to. It will keep you young and "in the game."
I am just wondering if you wonder, too.
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Fran, very good article. Wondering can get you into all kinds of situations. Some even call you crazy if you wonder loudly enough. I though march to the beat of that great philosopher Waylan Jennings who said, "I've always been crazy but its kept me from going insane."I think that you must subcribe to theory a little.
I love your article, Fran, and your quotes, especially the last one. I spend a lot of time wondering, too, and I also don't like to accept what other people tell me if it goes against my heart. Thanks for this. It made me smile!!
Wondering keeps me up at night and I find it exhausting. I don't think it's keeping me young. I do love the quotes you used in your article Fran.
Hey Fran,lovely article. The show used to be telecast in my growing up years. it did not make so much sense then, as it does now. But i guess all learning is done "in retrospect".Abhy
Wonderful write, Fran. Somehow, you make me jealous of your creativity in writing. You see things and you wonder and you compose that's great. If I could visualize like you do, great !Now, I begin to wonder whether I can !
hi fran,nice article-thank you.i wonder all day long, all night long.so much so that sometimes i wish i could just stop for a while.i definitely am a wonderer who wonders within my own mind!my best regards,sue
I think you are right, Fran. We so stop wondering and that is tragic. Think how many more of our dreams would be realized if we kept wondering and questioning. Good article.
Great article! Research on the psychology of aging also shows that "wondering" and keeping the brain active helps to aide in reduction of certain mental issues, such as depression.
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