Quiz nights are a rescue remedy. Photo / Supplied
Seventeen years ago my mental health was rescued by something that was self prescribed, addictive and completely healthy.
It began a once a week addiction, that has only been interrupted by the birth of a child or my honeymoon. This salve that I speak of is of course the humble pub quiz.
I happened upon this phenomenon as an escape from an unhappy relationship breakdown and as I have spoken on the bodily effects of the sad, the negative, the catastrophic as contributors to increasing neural sensitivity (the pathway to a worsening picture), it is then hopeful to us all to espouse and celebrate the flip side. These then would be the laughter, the come from behind victory and the shiny $50 bar tab.
I would venture that at least those three would lead to a more healthy, juicy and bouncy nervous system. The studies are just not quite out there yet for the more quantitative reader.
From the physiotherapy perspective, I will be making the connection between learning and fun, and arguing that when these two variables intersect, learning is at least more likely.
Trivia from the Latin meaning "three ways" described the kiosks set up at three road intersections in ancient Roman times for the dispensing of information for travellers. Perhaps that this was commonly ignored lends to the current meaning of petty details, trifles, and nonessential details.
At the pub quiz, these trivialities resemble more the general knowledge question rather than the obvious frippery in knowing all eight verses of Robert Burns' address to the haggis - "and then, O what glorious sight, warm, reekin, rich ..."
Interestingly the ode was made familiar to me recently as my sons and I have rediscovered The Wombles and we watched The MacWomble, or Cairngorm the Terrible recite it to the Wimbledon burrow. I am now waiting for the MacWomble question to appear, as I am always on the lookout for quizzable facts. Thank you Elisabeth Beresford!
My motive for participating in this is primarily not scientific, but enjoyment, camaraderie and competition, but in exercising my brain I am hoping to lengthen that time of sanity and memory beyond the expected norm.
Margaret Gatz states that according to epidemiological studies, having more years of education has been shown to be related to a lower prevalence of Alzheimer's disease.
I would argue that the 17 years postgrad study I have put in at Stellar Wanganui must have surely qualified as educational.
If Stellar starts dishing out postgrad qualifications, I shall lay claim to the honorary doctorate they surely will be offering. Furthermore, "those who engage in more leisure activities that are mentally stimulating have a lower prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer's disease".
Our brains are hungry for stimulation life long. In the tender years of childhood, the brain lays down trillions of cells and connections. Could it be that our strategy for Alzheimers prevention starts with teaching the babies and toddlers a lifelong love of mental gymnastics?
Surely learning and fun are hand in hand in these years, and the greatest amount of learning occurs in these times. Think about what you have to do in the first five years of your life: master at least one language, learn complex motor skills practising them daily, develop and master social skills and bring all of this together as part of every day living. What is key is that loving, caring and fun environment.
The Brainwaves Trust is an organisation set up in New Zealand to facilitate exceptional learning and to take advantage of the crucial brain development in the first three years. Happiness, acceptance and fun are key components in this early learning.
Where these are absent, adverse effects on brain development are notable, and sadly, where children grow up amidst family violence and negative environs, the brain development is drastically affected.
Learning, I believe, needs to be fun and delivered in a way that encourages the learner, and creates the environment of acceptance, where even the perceived dumbest question can be asked without fear of reprisal or criticism.
I encountered two amazing educators within my field of physiotherapy three years ago, and having "laughed out loud" and "rolled on the floor laughing" in their presentations, I went away amazingly able to access their teachings from my brain, because I stored the learning in some cerebral warm happy place.
Not lecture theatre SSLB 2 at Massey where intro calculus was beaten into me with a Newton Raphson iterative method. Yes you may think calculus and fun are mutually exclusive concepts. But are they? Calculus for the utterly confused is a book that nearly turned me to their cause.
The physiotherapist is one professional who has the time to heal, teach and coach. We are fortunate to have, in my case, 20 to 40 minutes one to one with our clients.
Amidst the relationship building conversation and healing touch is the opportunity to spin the amazing yarn that encapsulates the message you want to soak into the recipient's psyche.
It is my intention to equip the client with a better knowledge of the workings of their body. Analogy is just as important as anatomy. There's always room for the judicious dispensing of trivia as well.
For your next cocktail party, smoko break or water cooler catch up, here are several trivia relating to your own soul container - the human body:
If you are Galactophagous, you like milk. Most likely you will be galactophagous with the beverage brewed from the fruit of the Rubiaceae plant (coffee). When you imbibe this you will likely be resting on the two largest muscles in the body - Gluteus Maximus. Your sciatic nerve passes beneath, and was once known as the Ishiadic nerve. Under Jewish Law it is forbidden to eat an animal's sciatic nerve. I've heard they are pretty chewy so yihyeh ma sheyihyeh (what will be, will be).
Trivia nights to my great relief, have transcended fashion, and at least in this town, have been kept alive by great people. Come on down and see for yourself.
- Greg Bell is a physiotherapist practising at Bell Physiotherapy. www.bellphysio.co.nz
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