An inspiring 2024 book by Stephen Petrow titled The Joy You Make: Find the silver linings – even on your darkest days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Meridian Library I got, via interlibrary loan, an inspiring 2024 book by Stephen Petrow titled The Joy You Make: Find the silver linings – even on your darkest days. There is a Google Books preview up to page 24. It has twenty-eight brief, unnumbered chapters that are titled as follows:

 

01] The Joy of Gratitude                           1  

02] The Joy of Authenticity                      11

03] The Joy of Memory                           22

04] The Joy of Freudenfreude                 31

05] The Joy of Taking a Pause                38

06] The Joy of Solitude                           45

07] The Joy of Cooking                           59

08] The Joy of Getting Lost                     71

09] The Joy of Your Name                      79

10] The Joy of Solidarity                         88

11] The Joy of Blue                               102

12] The Joy of Writing by Hand            110

13] The Joy of Perspective                   118

14] The Joy of the Cancer Ward          127

15] The Joy of Play                              137

16] The Joy of Doing Nothing              146

17] The Joy of Imperfection                 155

18] The Joy of a Christmas Miracle     164

19] The Joy of Being Single                 175

20] The Joy of a Dance Party              184

21] The Joy of the Mundane                191

22] The Joy of Reading                        198

23] The Joy of Sex                                208

24] The Joy of Aging                             219

25] The Joy of Uncertainty                    229

26] The Joy of the Dark                         238

27] The Joy of Julie                               248

28] Epilogue                                          259

 

At the end of Chapter 17 about The Joy of Imperfection, starting on Page 161 he discusses:

 

“Learning to Embrace Your Imperfections

 

It’s so easy, so natural, and so unhelpful to focus on our own flaws. We make mistakes, we don’t have magazine-cover bodies, we haven’t had the career successes that we wanted. Other people’s lives seem perfect, and ours don’t measure up. Just spend five minutes on Instagram, where vacations, parties, pets, homes, and even our friends’ kids appear perfect. Anne Lamott has given this conundrum much thought, writing. ‘Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.

 

What can we do so we don’t hate what makes us who we are? Even better, to accept and embrace our true selves? And best of all, to learn how to love ourselves the way we are? For sure, there are a lot of New Agey philosophy types out there saying things like ‘You are special just as you are,’ and ‘Your flaws are your strengths in disguise.’ I just don’t know how helpful these mantras are in changing attitudes. Here’s where I chose to start:

 

Make a list of people and things you believe are perfect. Do your neighbors have a neat and well-kept house? Put them on the list. How about your boss and their well-behaved and well-dressed kids? Ditto. What about that Instagram friend who waxes to the moon about a recent vacation? List them all. Rhen, in a second column, write the mirror image of that supposed perfection. That tidy house – with a huge mortgage – maybe it takes hours of cleaning and neatening every week. Guess what? Maybe you don’t want to do that. Your apartment is a little more cluttered, but you have more time to spend on what you want. Stop making comparisons. Understand that your imperfect home may be just right for how you want to live. Do the same for everything and everyone you think of as perfect. What are you learning? Jot it down.

 

Now make a list of things you worry are imperfect about yourself. What are the mirror images of those? Your nose is too small, your ears too large? They are the genetic remnants of your ancestors, handed down to you as reminders that they once lived. You goofed up at work? With any luck, you went through an educational experience, free of charge. Yelled at the kids instead of being a perfect TV sitcom parent? Perhaps you taught them the lesson that even parents have limits (and yourself a lesson in when to take a breath and walk away).    

 

Try to offset a perceived flaw with something that’s positive. For the longest time, I avoided looking at the scar that runs from my breastbone to below my navel (thank you, metastatic cancer). ‘A scar is a physical deformity, it’s a physical difference,’ Jeffrey Marcus, the chief of pediatric plastic surgery at Duke University, explained to me. People too often draw conclusions or make assumptions about attractiveness, intelligence, even capability based on something they see. In my case, I hated that scar so much I’d get dressed in the dark. Over time, as the scar faded along with those frightening memories, what had once been a stark reminder of my illness became something else altogether: a testament to my survival. Reading Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses one afternoon, I stopped in recognition when I came upon this line: ‘Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.’ Or, as Duke’s Jeff Marcus told me, ‘Some differences can be positive, too.’

 

The fact is that life is full of trade-offs, a mix of our own choices and the hand genetics dealt us. We are all creatures of this moment in history, a marvelous soup of traits both good and bad, and we make of it what we can. I hope that once you see your lists, it will become more obvious to you that nobody is perfect. From there, it’s a step or two to realize you’re good enough. And maybe that’s just fine – for now.”

 

The silver-lined cloud image by Christine Matthews came from Wikimedia Commons.

 

What the heck is a Sword of Domiciles? And where in the heck is the Straight of Hormuz?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happens when you dictate a blog post and then do not bother to proofread it? You have nonsense that just confuses your readers! There is a post by Bob ‘Nugie’ Neugebauer at the Gem State Patriot News blog on August 30, 2026 titled You Think Affordability is Trump’s Fault? Think Again.

 

His twelfth paragraph says:

 

“The War with Iran has been the most contentious of Trump’s Decisions: We are 6 months into this war and the cost is approximately $200 Billion and is surely going to be higher when u [sic] include the cost of rehabilitation and hospital stays for those who have been injured. The real question was and still is “Were we going to allow Iran to have a Nuke and hold it over not only our heads but that of any country they decided to threaten. Allowing Iran to have a nuclear device and deliver system was like the sword of Domiciles being held over every one’s head. Was President Trumps decision the right one.  Only time will tell but he removed the immediate threat of Iran being a nuclear power and the oil from the Middle East is once again flowing through the Straight of Hormuz.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A domicile is a residence, so a sword of a domicile might be on the mantel above a fireplace, as shown above. Bob meant to instead refer to a Sword of Damocles, hanging overhead by a thread, also shown above via a painting and described by Evan Andrews at History.com in an article on May 27, 2025  titled What was the Sword of Damocles?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Straight of Hormuz, shown above, is what you get when you chop off the top of Oman and straighten out the Strait of Hormuz.

 

The fireplace and sword came from Wikimedia Commons, as did the painting of the Sword of Damocles and map of the Strait of Hormuz.

 

 

An article in Toastmaster magazine briefly discusses using mind mapping in speechwriting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is an article by Lauren Parsons on pages 19 and 20 in the August 2026 issue of Toastmaster magazine titled Before You Write a Word. It has the following section titles:

 

Start With Your Audience, Not Yourself

From Information to Inspiration

Build Your Foundation with Research

Create a Story Bank

Map Your Speech First

Let It Percolate

 

The section on Map Your Speech First says:

 

“Before drafting a single line, understand your speech at a high level. Past International President Dilip Abayasekara, DTM, AS, of Conestoga Toastmasters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and four other clubs, has used mind mapping (a technique where you visually organize your ideas, words, or topics, linking them around a central subject or message) to prepare every speech since 1994, including both rounds of his Accredited Speaker presentations. ‘I rarely write out a speech word for word,’ he says. ‘I mind map it.’ ”

 

On December 14, 2025 I blogged about More about mind mapping for presentations and in education. And back on July 5, 2009 I blogged about Two types of speech outlines: speaking and preparation. I pointed out that:

 

“A speaking outline is just a brief outline used to jog a speaker’s memory during the presentation of a speech. It uses phrases or key words to state main points and sub points.”

 

A mind map also can be used for a speaking outline.

 

The American Culture mind map image by Vmarss came from Wikimedia Commons.

 

 

Actor Henry Winkler Delivered the Commencement Address to Emerson College Graduates in Boston on May 10, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henry Winkler graduated from Boston’s Emerson College in 1967. On May 10, 2026 he delivered a nine-minute commencement address there. The YouTube video is titled Henry Winkler Delivers Commencement Address to Emerson College 2026 Graduates.

 

At 4:16 he said that:

 

“I live by two words: tenacity and gratitude. Tenacity will get you where you want to go, and gratitude will make you enjoy the journey, no matter how bumpy.”

 

And at 7:10 he concluded:

 

“It was said in Washington not too long ago, America. The problem with America, we have too much empathy. Well, you can live a life, you can accomplish, you can accumulate a lot of stuff. You can fill your house and then fill your garage and fill your basement. But you cannot live a rich life if you don’t have empathy.

 

I will end with this. Every one of you is powerful. Some of you know your power. Some of you are scared of your power. Some of you haven’t touched it yet. You’re not aware it’s even there yet. And I want to tell you, you are powerful and in you is a great gift. And your job is to figure out what your gift is, because the world needs every single one of you, and your job is to find that gift and give it to the world. It doesn’t matter what it is, we need it. Go!”  

 

There is an article by Scott Stump at TODAY on May 19, 2026 titled The 2 Words Henry Winkler Lives By, According to the Heartfelt Commencement Speech He Just Gave.

 

A 2024 image came from Wikimedia Commons.

 

Why did Donald Trump rename Lake Ontario, whose area is the smallest of the five Great Lakes, to Lake America?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order titled Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America. Section 2 says (paragraph breaks added by me):

 

“Sec. 2.  Lake America.  (a)  The body of water currently known as Lake Ontario is a tremendous asset to the United States and part of our Nation’s heritage.  With the deepest parts of the Lake’s waters lying within United States territory, the United States claims most of the Lake’s volume.  

 

The Lake has long been an integral asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense.  From the colonial period through the early republic, the Lake served as a critical artery for American trade, commerce, and military logistics, including the establishment in Oswego of a historic fort and the first United States port of call from the St. Lawrence Seaway, shipbuilding and naval operations during the War of 1812 at Sackets Harbor and other New York posts, and the movement of goods, settlers, and later industrial cargoes that linked the interior of the United States to eastern markets and the Atlantic.  

 

Maritime commerce on the broader Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system — of which the Lake is the easternmost and gateway segment — continues to generate substantial economic activity for the United States, supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic output, cargo value, and related business revenue, with our  ports, carriers, and States deriving a significant share of the system’s benefits in iron ore, limestone, coal, agricultural products, and other bulk commodities.  

 

Water from the Lake is used to supply nuclear, natural gas, and oil-fired power plants and to supply municipal drinking water to nearby communities.  United States domestic and cross-border shipping activity on the Great Lakes system has historically underpinned regional manufacturing, steel production, agriculture, and energy supply chains in several States, reflecting the strategic and economic importance of these waters to the United States that continues to this day.  The Lake will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy.  

 

In recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people, I am directing that the Lake officially be renamed as Lake America.”

 

There an article by Deepa Shivaram at npr on August 27, 2026 titled Trump directs federal government to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. Another article by Louis Casiano at Fox News on August 27, 2026 is titled Trump renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ amid intensifying US-Canada trade dispute. Still another article by Madison E. Goldberg at People on August 27, 2026 is titled New York Governor Slams Trump’s ‘Lake America’ Stunt, Noting Great Lakes Acronym Went From ‘HOMES’ to ‘SHAME.’

 

And there is a three-minute YouTube video at the New York Post on August 27, 2026 titled ‘It’s official’: Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario ‘Lake of America’[sic]. When he was asked what message are you sending, he bizarrely answered ‘no message.’ He should have just briefly quoted from Section 2 of his Executive Order.

 

There is a Wikipedia page titled List of lakes by area with the following information showing Lake Ontario is the smallest and least impressive (as also can be seen above in a satellite view):

 

Areas for the Great Lakes (in square miles)

Lake Superior   31,700

Lake Huron       23,000

Lake Michigan  22,300

Lake Erie             9,910

Lake Ontario       7,340

 

And there is another Wikipedia page titled List of Lakes by volume:

 

Volumes for the Great Lakes (in cubic miles)

Lake Superior   2,900

Lake Michigan  1,180

Lake Huron          840

Lake Ontario        391

Lake Erie              117

 

There is a third Wikipedia page titled List of Lakes by depth with a table of Lakes ranked by maximum depth (maximums above 1300 feet) that only shows Lake Superior as 1,332 feet and #39 in the world. Another table with Lakes ranked by mean depth only shows Lake Superior as 482 feet and #66 in the world.

 

When we look at web pages for the individual Great Lakes we can find the following:

 

Maximum Depths for the Great Lakes (in feet)

Lake Superior   1333

Lake Michigan    923

Lake Ontario       802

Lake Huron         750    

Lake Erie             210

 

Average Depths for the Great Lakes (in feet)

Lake Superior    483

Lake Ontario      283

Lake Michigan   279

Lake Huron        195

Lake Erie             63

 

Lake Ontario doesn’t come in first based on Area, Volume, Maximum Depth, or Average Depth. Lake Superior comes first in all four of those rankings! It is what we rather should have chosen to call Lake America.

 

The only reason for choosing to rename Lake Ontario is to antagonize Canada by eliminating the lake with the same name as one of their provinces. (We already have Lake Michigan which has the same name as a U.S. state).

 

 

Marlee Matlin gave the 2026 commencement address at the University of Oregon in sign language - with simultaneous translation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On June 15, 2026 the deaf actress Marlee Matlin gave the commencement address at the University of Oregon in sign language - with simultaneous translation. There is a sixteen-minute YouTube video from the University of Oregon on June 30, 2026 titled Marlee Matlin’s 2026 Commencement Address at the University of Oregon.

 

And there is an article by Annie Aguiar at Lookout Eugene Springfield on June 15, 2026 titled Actress Marlee Matlin urged UO grads (including her daughter) to ‘be yourself’ which has a full transcript.

 

At 8:45 she says:

 

“Courage plus dreams equals success. It’s not certainty plus dreams. It’s not perfection plus dreams, it’s courage plus dreams. It is true that dreams are great, but they don’t mean much if you’re too afraid to go after them, and adding some courage is what gets you to take the chance. Courage is applying for the job you’re not sure you’re going to get. Courage is starting over when something isn’t working anymore. Courage is asking for help. Courage is accepting that sometimes you are wrong, and courage is getting back up after you fail, or when life knocks you down.”

 

And at 14:20 she says:

 

“So, as you leave here today, I hope you can remember a few things. One, be yourself when it’s hard. Two, don’t let the world tell your story for you. And three, as I said before make your bed and make sure to pay your taxes.”

 

The PBS American Masters TV series has a documentary about her titled Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore. It includes a minute and a half section you can watch on YouTube titled Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler reminisce about their long friendship. Another six-minute video at Page Six on June 19, 2025 is titled Marlee Matlin reveals the famous TV star who let her live with his family for two years.  

 

Her portrait was retouched from this 2025 one at Wikimedia Commons.  

 

 

Little Pieces of Hope is a 2021 book about happy-making things in a difficult world

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Todd Doughty’s joyous book from 2021 is titled Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World. There is a preview at Google Books. Most of his one-page lists are of Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World.

 

One on page 7 (with links added) is:

 

“Happy-making things in a difficult world:

 

Making friends with strangers while waiting in a long line. Dolly Parton in general, but specifically her bluegrass version of ‘I Get a Kick Out of You.’ A very small bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley. The grace of Simone Biles. Your favorite old T-shirt. Le Creuset. The Meryl Streep parts of the film Julie & Julia. A really good mixtape (or playlist, for you young ones) made for you by someone else. Vintage photos of 1940s NYC.

 

Driving north on the Pacific Coast Highway on a cloudless day when the view is astounding. The smell of a cut lemon. The entire score of Guys and Dolls. That day when you realize you’re finally over someone who dumped you. Grandmothers. Plaid shirts on a crisp fall day. Red velvet cake. Adriana Trigiani’s novel Lucia, Lucia. Someone who says, ‘You were great!’ Someone who says, ‘You look great!’ Someone who says, ‘Don’t do it!’

 

A vividly bright yellow parakeet. The Chrysler Building on a rainy night. David Sedaris’s audio recording of Santaland Diaries. A good run, physically or metaphorically, Leaving a party at precisely the moment when you are having the most fun. Inge Morath’s 1957 photo of that llama in a cab (Google it), A Llama in Times Square. 

 

Four jigsaw puzzle pieces came from OpenClipArt.