Today's Math Lesson: The Inverted Bell-Shaped Curve

age:fear ratio
x=age, y=fear

My brother wrote the other day to pass along a piece of family related information of interest. He was also happy to report (with a palpable sigh of relief) he had recently completed his annual check-up and received a clean bill of health.

That got me thinking about how things progress through life. Think about stairs, for instance: Stairs are nothing more than a death trap to the toddler. Big brother and big sister, mom and dad, everyone navigates the stairs up, down, and out of sight. But, for the toddler, the stairs are nothing more than the opportunity to fall and break something, or worse. If you live long enough you return to that point where stairs represent little more than another opportunity to fall and break a wrist, hip, or worse. Lord knows my house is one level for good reason.

Doctor visits are the same. At two and three and four and five, a visit to the doctor is filled with the terror of possibly getting a shot. Did mom promise a treat if you're good?  Is there the promise of something special after the visit? Fast forward 60 years. Now you worry about the doctor telling you something you don't want to hear. Will you get that call to come in to talk about test results? Did the doctor suggest you bring your spouse along for the follow-up?

Funny the inverse bell-shaped curves we navigate. High anxiety in our preschool youth almost drops out of sight for 40 or 50 years before it slowly starts to climb again. As for me, I try to always concentrate on making each day the best. I've pretty much eliminated risk-taking behaviors-- with the possible exception of buying the wrong car. I try to find a happy medium between what's good for me and what tastes best. I'm still deficient in my exercise routine but stay with it daily.

In all of it I hope to find enough pleasure and good health in life to allow me to leave my thoughts and fears of bell shaped curves far behind-- in the math and science building at Willamette University where the damn things belong!