Oops! Am I Clumsy or is it Just My Aging Brain?

I was sitting at the table chatting with our friends and when I reached for my water, whoosh;  the wine glass tipped spilling wine over the table and me (fortunately my friend escaped the winefall). Everyone tossed their napkins at me as I dabbed the wine off the table. The servers dashed over to help.

Clumsy or Aging Brain?

I haven’t knocked things over often enough (yet) for people to call me clumsy. But I wonder, am I clumsy or is it my aging brain? The Aging Brain course (see previous blog) reassured me that while some brain functions decline with age, others actually improve. Still, I find myself asking: is something going on that's making me clumsy?

Experts say we can lose some sense of touch due to reduced blood flow in our hands, arthritis, Parkinson’s, or mini-strokes. And that loss of touch can affect both physical and emotional well-being. You betcha. I could burn my tongue if I didn’t realize the soup was that hot. And I’d be really sad if a once blissful scalp massage may no longer gave me chills. Thankfully, I’m not there yet.

Created by AI 6/22/2025

Proprioceptive System

But here’s the thing: in recent spilling incidents, I didn’t actually touch the glass. My hand simply misjudged where it was and bam, over it went. As it turns out, that’s not about touch at all—it’s about something called the proprioceptive system [proh-pree-uh-sep-tiv]. (Let’s just call it P. from now on. Poprioceptive is brain workout and a typing workout.)

The P. sense is different from touch. It comes from our muscles and joints, not our skin, and helps us know where our limbs are in space. Like stepping up at a curb or accurately slapping a pesky mosquito And possibly lowering our butt to the toilet. Have you ever gone somewhere where the toilet was lower than yours and had a crash landing?  

The P. system also helps us keep our balance. Try standing on one foot and closing your eyes. Your ankle quivers. That’s your P. system letting your brain know what’s going on.

Every time we move this P. feedback keeps us coordinated. It even tells you how much pressure to apply. So you pet the dog and don’t push it over, or squeeze a flimsy water bottle too hard and it explodes in your face. Or push buttons with the right pressure.

Created with AI 7/5/2025

Improving the Proprioceptive System

The good news? We can improve our P. sense with balance training, weight-bearing exercise, and activities that engage multiple senses,  such as yoga.The bad news? I hate yoga.

There are other ways to sharpen your P. skills, like paying closer attention to body movements or doing tasks with your eyes closed. One recommendation: brushing your teeth on one foot, eyes closed.

That just feels... creepy. I picture myself falling over like Arte Johnson on his tricycle on Laugh-In. Plus, how do you check for spinach in your teeth?

No one-legged stuff for me. I’d rather sharpen my P. sense in the dark. I don’t turn on the light during my middle-of-the-night pee breaks. I know health professionals would tell me that’s a fall risk, but isn’t navigating in the dark sort of the same as closing my eyes? Maybe I’m just sharpening my P. powers, and preparing for any future vision loss at the same time.

Plus, I don’t want to wake up my husband. Unless, of course, I misjudge and slam my foot into the toilet base and yelp. Oops.

If I’m not sleeping well after my midnight excursion, I’ll reach for a Tylenol in the dark. Most of the time, I remember whether I left it in the cabinet or on the counter. And most of the time, my hand reaches out and touches the right spot. When it doesn’t, I tap around gently, like I’m trying to read Braille on the bathroom counter.

created by AI 7/5/2025

This morning at breakfast, I noticed the syrup bottle was sitting a little too close to my left hand. Not in the path of my coffee, exactly, but close enough that a misjudged reach could have spelled disaster. My attention was already focused on a game app in my right hand (those bonus points were about to expire!). For a split second, the mom voice in my head said, “Put down that silly game and pay attention to your breakfast.” Naw. I just moved the syrup instead.

If I have another near miss, maybe I’d better sign up for the dreaded yoga and start brushing my teeth with my eyes closed. And check in the mirror when I’m done to make sure no excess particles are stuck in my teeth or on my lips.

Epilogue

My primary editor, hubby, warns me it’s dangerous taking pills in the dark. I might take the wrong one. True. That’s why the only pill bottle in my medicine cabinet is Tylenol – it’s the only thing I take in the middle of the night. That being said, it could be a dangerous habit.