14 • August 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


Proud to Serve LDER


ISDOM by Eloise Tweeten


Eloise@TweetenEldercare.com


Santa Rosa, CA. ~ Even as a young boy, Donald (Don) McCla- nahan of Santa Rosa was playing with soldiers and ultimately felt called to serve a 32 year career in the U.S. Armed Forces, so it was no surprise that, after joining the Junior ROTC at age 16, he was en- thusiastically drafted into the U.S. Army at the age of 18.


Born on May 29, 1926 in Dixon IL, where Ronald Reagan was also raised, Don remembers a “cow town” of 2400 residents growing up. Reagan’s father managed the local shoe store, and Don fondly remembers being fi tted there for a


TM


Chicago. But once she had chil- dren, her dream faded with the re- ality of one-worker households in the 1930s. Opportunity knocked and the McClana- han family of four moved to


very special (and expensive) pair of Florsheim shoes because his feet were narrow. Ronald Reagan was a town “hero” because he was a good swimmer, and was credited with saving a number of adventur- ous residents from drowning in the nearby river who ventured into deep water without knowing how to swim! His grandmother owned a farm; a wonderful place to play, but Don decided early on that he would not become a farmer be- cause it was hard work with little pay.


His father was a carpenter, while his mother dreamed of be- coming an executive secretary in


Pasadena, California in 1936. Don loved Cali- fornia! The kids were smart


and


fun, schools were excel- lent, and as an eager student,


par-


ticularly in science, Don had


many


learning op- portunities. It seemed to him that the farm kids back in Illinois didn’t have high scholastic aspirations, as they could learn on the job without the need for higher education or even a high school education.


The most signifi cant turning point in Don’s life was when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944 at the age of 18. He spent 16 years in the Army and 16 in the U.S. Na- tional Guard, ending his career as a Brigadier General. He served in World War II, the Kore- an War, and volunteered for active duty during the Vietnam War, where he


worked


for the Pen- tagon. Don’s only


combat injury despite many com- bat missions was a gunshot wound to the leg in the Philippines, which felt like he was “hit in the leg by a two by four”! Fortunately, the bul- ... continued on page 16


Prep YOUR Memory Systems


by Chance Massaro, M.A. powcom@sonic.net


Santa Rosa., CA. ~ Humans use our prefrontal cortex, right in back of our foreheads, to think about the future. So it’s no surprise that we prepare for everything we do. It is surprising though to realize that we don’t generally prepare ourselves to remember. In fact, when I ask people how to prepare to remember something they are often stumped. An excellent way to prepare to re- member is to review the systems which have worked well for you in the past. So, like a dancer, gymnast or football player we can warm up before entering an event or situa- tion where remembering will prove valuable and satisfying.


Reviewing and previewing sys- tems and approaches which have worked in the past is easy and simple and can make any potential learning situation entertaining as well as successful. Memory is very simple: repetition of associations yields memory.


Our game is to


notice when we have remembered easily and replicate whatever sys- tems were used in those instances. People say, “I’m a Visual Learner,” or “I learn easily when I hear in- formation.” That’s exactly the start we are looking for! If you are a vi- sual learner, imagine getting ready to take a picture of what you want to remember, to see what you want to remember in a visual context. If you are an auditory learner get ready to pay particular attention to the sound environment you inhabit when you wish to remember some- thing. Get ready to take note of vol-


... continued on page 19 14 • August 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. “I like the night. Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.” ~ Stephenie Meyer


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