The MomSpeak

Gurus in various guises urge us to feed our spirits, firm up our muscles, nourish our bodies. “Relax,” we’re told. “Light an aromatherapy candle, take a bubble bath,” take time “for ourselves.” Yeah, right. But have you noticed how seldom we’re advised to nurture our minds? I guess it’s assumed that if we’re home with our kids, our minds are totally occupied with family-centered stuff; and that if we have jobs outside, the combination takes up every bit of brain space we possess. We know better. If it’s true that the more we have to do the more we get done, it’s also true that the more we use our minds, the more flexible and penetrating they become.

SO

Think of something you’ve been curious to know more about. In those rare spare moments, research the topic. It could be Renaissance painting; the life of Coco Chanel; how to grow orchids - whatever. There’s no time limit and you can do this in as little as ten minute spurts. If you’ve picked the right subject, the more you learn, the more you’ll want to find out.

If you’ve already made time for a book group, suggest that the next selection be something totally different. Make sure it’s a book no one in the group has read. If the group typically chooses to read fiction, opt for a biography or history or work of popular science. If you don’t already have a leader, either consider getting one (try calling the local community college English department for a recommendation or posting a sign in the nearest independent bookstore) or appoint one of your members to lead the discussion, doing background research and formulating some questions to focus your conversation. The point is to up the ante, change the format, deepen the discussions. If you don’t belong to a book group, consider starting one. If your book group won’t cooperate, do this on your own. At the very least, make time to read.

Can you even imagine go to the library for yourself these days? Yes, the internet delivers all the information in the world to our laps, but if you’ve only visited your branch library for story hour, sneak an hour of your own to poke around. You’ll be amazed at the resources of even the smallest community library, another place, by the way, to post a request for a leader for that book group.

Or what about starting an informal investment club. Really. Especially if you have little or no interest in or knowledge of the stock market, this is a terrific (and very sociable) way to become familiar with something we all should know a little about. The group only needs to meet once every month or two - with one or two people researching a company and its stock to see whether it would be a wise investment for the group. The obvious payoff here is that if the group picks well, there’s money to be earned. But watching these stocks over time takes only five minutes with the morning paper and pays its own dividends.

And these last few ideas are really do-able even for the most hectic of lives. Start a journal in which you focus on ideas that intrigue you and write for only five minutes each day. Attend a lecture or book reading. Go to a museum exhibit and read the catalogue that goes with it. Find even a little time to cultivate an intellectual life. You deserve it.