Lifelong Learning (or Learn till you DROP)

by Jerry Kranitz (January 28, 2026)

My mother passed away in early 2023 at the age of 89. A lifelong reader, her eyesight was failing in her declining years, and she didn’t like the audio book experience. I forget the details, but one thing led to another, and I agreed to read to her. And for the last three or so years of her life we read nearly 40 non-fiction books together.

One evening we were halfway through a book and mom surprised me by abruptly saying she didn’t want to read it anymore. I said, “Mom, this book is really interesting. I’m surprised you don’t think so.” Her response: “It is interesting. But I already know all this. I don’t have much time left, and I need to learn NEW things.”

Exercise your brain

I was taken aback by mom’s comment. But the urgency with which she sought to maximize her remaining ‘learning’ time inspired thought and reflection. The brain (an organ) shares similarities with muscles in that it requires stimulation to stay healthy. Per the Ohio Department of Aging, “As human beings, we never stop learning. Studies have shown that continuing education, even well beyond the traditional retirement age, can help maintain or buffer our physical and mental well-being.”

I understand the physical + mental. On the physical side, my wife and I visit the local community center every morning. A few miles on the walking track, rowing machine, and some basic weight workouts. If I miss more than a couple days, I start feeling less than 100% – my legs ache, and my back is sensitive to ‘wrong’ movement. Yes, I feel these symptoms after missing my routine for only a couple days.

But I also fulfill personal needs with lots of brain work that I equate to learning. Prior to retirement in late 2024, I was blessed with a 28-year career that required massive amounts of mental energy. I spent these years working through projects, problems, and solutions. It was stimulating and rewarding.

I’m a very project-oriented person. I’ve used my retirement time to complete, publish and promote a book, write music reviews for two publications, and I’m the admin for a music themed book club at the library. And I write these blog articles, just because I love to think about and expound on topics that interest me.

Health AND personal satisfaction

Google ‘lifelong learning’ and countless options for study at universities and miscellaneous institutions will pop up. The community I live in publishes a quarterly activity guide with classes for youth, adults and seniors. The variety is stunning, offering everything from ‘Filmmaking 101’ to ‘The Battle of Fort Sumter – First Shots of the Civil War’.

A study reported by Scientific American “proposes that the benefits of learning and mentally growing outweigh those of maintaining.” Given her concern about learning NEW things, I believe my mom would agree with this.

It makes sense. But I would argue – notwithstanding my lack of medical credentials – that exercising our brains in any capacity, or what the Scientific American team calls ‘maintenance’, is a huge benefit. Activities as simple as reading regularly stimulate, and often challenge, the brain. I prefer non-fiction, though I also have a soft spot for vintage science fiction and potboiler crime novels.

It’s not just about health. It’s the personal satisfaction. Reading a book – fiction, non-fiction, any genre – inspires thought. And I love both the deep thought and outlined process of writing. I love music. And I love writing music reviews because it requires immersive listening and consideration of what I’m hearing.

Life is short – LEARN

The older I get, the more of a whirlwind the passage of time becomes. One moment it’s Monday, and before I know it the weekend is here. I greet the new year on January 1, and Christmas is here again in a flash. I’m keenly aware of the passage of time and… mortality. Mom certainly was. My personal priority is to keep on exercising my brain and learning as much as I can.

Just for fun, I’ll conclude by listing all the books my mother and I read together. All are non-fiction. But first, here’s a photo of mom and I at our combined 50th and 75th birthday party in 2009.