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By Susan Merivirta, Chief Financial OfficerCorporate News

It is exciting to see Martin Mars C-FLYL working in California so early in the season.  It is very unfortunate the northern California is under such duress.  The fires are severe, and many people are being forced to evaluate their homes.  We can only imagine how horrific that would be.  I would however like to take a moment to recognize CAL’s Martin Mars team who have been tirelessly working since the San Diego fire mission to get all the necessary logistics in place so we could be positioned to work again (maybe with some long-term contracting in place) in the southern US.  As residents of Port Alberni, we should be proud of our Martin Mars team.  They are working hard to give these aircraft a new working life as a viable commercial business that will provide relief to people and forests impacted by fires anywhere in the world.  Good job, boys!!

I recently read an article in CGA magazine – Outlook – that I wanted to summarize and share with you.  It is about memory and entitled “Need a Memory Boost?  How to upgrade your brain power” and is written by Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly, Clinical Psychologist.

As each day unfolds, we are challenged to remember a multitude of things, such as phone numbers, driving directions, names, tasks and moment-to moment requests.  So, why do we forget and what can we do about this, especially if our once perfect memory has now become faulty and unpredictable?

There are two types of memory that we use daily:  short-term memory and long-term memory.  Both of these are important for our everyday functioning. 

We learn new information (a name, a date, directions, all things) with the use of short-term memory.  That’s why it’s hard to remember a person’s name when we’ve just been introduced.  If we want to remember his or her name, we must mentally practice it, by saying it out loud or spelling it out, writing it down and repeating it.  People who have remarkable memories for names, etc are no more talented than you or me.  The difference with these people’s memories is they spent time practicing and taking steps to encode and move this information from short-term to long-term memory.

Long-term memory is what we need to survive and function.  It allows us to go through our day almost effortlessly when we brush our teeth, comb our hair and eat our breakfast.  What happens when we forget how to do something?  Unless we can find something to associate with new information, and then encode it into our long-term memory banks, we forget.  To recall this information takes the action of making memory a task and a function to execute.  We also learn information in what are called “chunks” of memory.  If we take learning a new action in pieces and learn one piece at a time, we can put them all together and repeat the action.

All forms of memory are affected by several factors.  Stress is a big destroyer of memory chunks and affects every aspect of our performance.  Good memory occurs when the flow of healthy oxygen nourishes the brain and creates overall health and well-being.  When we feel rushed and pushed by time constraints, our performance ability to remember is affected.  Memory is also affected by trauma and any tragedy we may have experienced.  We know that a person who has been in a serious accident or has been a victim of crime may experience memory difficulties.

Fortunately, with good health and exercise, reduced stress levels and mental challenges, you can retain your memory and even boost your brainpower!  Here are some helpful hints:

1. Memories begin as short-term memories and when they are encoded and practiced, they are place in the long-term memory banks.  The memory process occurs as chunks of memory are placed in storage for retrieval at a later time, so practice storing and retrieving information you want for later use.  Memory chunks need time to solidify and this is accomplished with practice, repetition and making memory a conscious action.
2. Memory can be impaired by illness, accidents, trauma, stress and time limits.  Obviously, it is important to do what you can to protect yourself from serious injury, such as wearing the right gear when involved with sports or recreational activities, and reducing stress when you can by cutting unhealthy habits, situations and even relationships.
3. Use your brain and keep it pumped up.  Having good blood flow to the brain occurs with regular exercise, a healthy diet and reduced stress levels, which all help to ensure we have good memory.  Look for foods that are rich in vitamins, and low in sugar and caffeine.
4. Memory is important for all of us, especially as we grow older.  To retain the memory functions that we have, we must try to stay active, social and look for the plethora of books, games and websites that can improve or help retain memory function.  Keep learning things on a daily basis, and challenge your memory. 

More people are experiencing memory problems due to poor health conditions.  Make sure to get regular check-ups, eat right and reduce your stress levels.