cheerfulmonk.com

Another Reminder

Jean — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:00:57 +0000

That we can’t always believe everything we think.

Drabble

June 10, 2026

Attention Spans

Jean — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:00:18 +0000

Betty was in a bookstore looking for a title in large print for easier reading. The seller suggested this:

Betty

Hmm. I had read that college professors have been having trouble getting students to read long assignments, so I asked ChatGPT about it.

For college students, professors across many disciplines report increasing difficulty getting students to complete long reading assignments. Researchers have documented declines in recreational reading and increases in time spent with digital media. Reading a 300-page book requires a different kind of attention than consuming information in short online bursts. Many educators argue that the issue is often less about an inability to focus and more about habits, expectations, and competing demands on attention.

For seniors, the picture is mixed. Aging can bring slower processing speed and sometimes more difficulty keeping track of complex information. At the same time, many older adults remain avid readers and can focus deeply for long periods, especially on subjects they enjoy. In fact, some studies find older adults mind-wander less than younger adults during certain tasks.

The Betty comic’s joke works because it plays on a familiar cultural anxiety: everyone seems to think somebody else’s generation has an attention-span problem. Younger people are said to be unable to read novels because of smartphones; older people are said to need everything simplified because of aging.

What’s interesting is that the market now offers:
• “Micro-fiction” and short-form content for younger readers.
• Large-print, short-chapter, or short-story collections for older readers.
• Audiobooks for all ages.
Those formats may reflect convenience and preference as much as cognitive limitations.

A question worth asking is: Can people still focus for a long time on something they care about? If the answer is yes—and for most people it is—then the issue may be less about attention span itself and more about what captures and sustains attention.

In other words, many college students who struggle to finish a novel can spend hours on a game, a hobby, or a social cause. Many seniors who enjoy short stories can also spend an afternoon quilting, gardening, researching family history, or reading about a favorite topic. Attention is often highly dependent on interest, motivation, and habit.

Well said!

May 9, 2026

There’s a Lot of Truth in That

Jean — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:00:08 +0000

Ziggy

May 8, 2026

Learning to Steer

Jean — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 06:00:42 +0000

I cheerfully admit, I can’t always do that — but I’m working on it!

May 7, 2026

Patient Pup!

Jean — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 06:00:05 +0000

May 6, 2026

Do You Agree with Him?

Jean — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:08 +0000

Do you think there is any truth at all to this?

I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do…

We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.
–Roger Ebert

May 5, 2026

Treat Yourself Like a Toddler

Jean — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:00:01 +0000

Take a nap, dress comfortably, make sure you stay fed and hydrated, don’t let yourself get too bored or too overstimulated. We all know what happens if you don’t make sure to manage the physical condition of a toddler! Well, we adults are very much the same.
—Gretchen Rubin

That sounds like great advice to me!

May 4, 2026

Changes

Jean — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:00:58 +0000

Glasbergen

Andy and I gave up looking at mirrors ages ago. If I happen to see my reflection now, I just laugh and say hi. It has nothing to do with the real me.

An interesting thing happened yesterday morning. I made a quick trip to Natural Grocers to replenish my yogurt supply, and the gal there looked delighted as I was leaving. She said,

You still have pep in your step. That’s great!

That made my day.

Andy no longer has pep in his step, but he still goes up to the land almost every day. A lot of guys up there regard him as a sign of hope.

Still doing the best we can with what we have left, and enjoying the process.

June 3, 2026

Not a Bad Idea

Jean — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:00:29 +0000

Shoe

As I’ve said, I spend a lot of time reading about what is going on in the world, but I only talk politics with close friends.

June 1, 2026

Dogs and Sticks

Jean — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:00:29 +0000

June 1, 2026