Table of contents for May 2018 in Reader's Digest

IT’S NO SECRET that Reader’s Digest aspires to be both relevant and timeless. As DeWitt Wallace put it on the first cover, “Each article of enduring value and interest.” Recently, we watched with pride and astonishment as an article from our archive reaffirmed the value of that goal in the social media age. In June 2014, we reprinted a beautiful essay by writer Glennon Doyle Melton that described how her son’s math teacher reached out to isolated kids. Every Friday, the teacher asked her students to write the names of the four kids they wanted to sit with the following week. Then she studied the patterns in those “safe, private little sheets of paper.” Who was being excluded or, perhaps worse, who couldn’t think of anyone to request? “Then she…

IN 2011, Nancy Ballard went for a routine checkup that turned into something extraordinary. At 60, the recently retired entrepreneur had just completed her master’s in botanical illustration. In fact, she was carrying a painting of a plant she’d done when she arrived at her doctor’s San Francisco office. “It would be great if we had artwork like that for our chemotherapy rooms,” the nurse said. Ballard asked to see one. She was shocked by what she found. The walls were drab and bare, and the paint was chipping. She could tell where old artwork had hung because of the naked nails. It was a depressing room for a depressing routine—patients tethered to chemo drips for perhaps several hours, often with nothing to look at other than those sad walls.…

IN MY HOMETOWN, there is a bell … The city of London, Ohio, in the early 1970s was an enclave of tranquility amid the turbulent sea of American despair. Isolated from the protests and riots revolving around Vietnam, our eternal summer rituals continued unaffected. Umpires called balls and strikes at Little League games. The public pool drenched us in chlorine water as the music of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Three Dog Night, and the Grass Roots blared from a jukebox. In a word, all was “normal”—except the bell. It was the sole link between our haven and the upheaval across the country: our bronzed reality, as large as the Liberty Bell. It initially resided atop the old Central School building. Later the bell was moved to a more…

As many as 440,000 Americans die every year from medical errors and infections contracted in the hospital. Combined, they are the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Your best defense? Take charge of your care as much as possible. Ask lots of questions, take tons of notes, and have a family member or friend there to advocate on your behalf. “You are part of the care team,” says Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, former senior vice president for patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. “This is your body, and you have wisdom.” While some risks are beyond your control, these lifesaving tips will help protect against some of the biggest perils you face in the hospital. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLACE FOR YOUR PROCEDURE • Don’t…

FROM PSYCHOLOGY TODAY SIMON LOVELL WAS 31 and a professional con man who had spun the gambling tricks he’d learned from his grandfather into a lucrative business fleecing strangers. Without hesitation or remorse, he left his marks broken in hotels all over the world. Nothing suggested that this day in 1988 would be any different. Lovell was in Europe when he spotted his next victim in a bar, plied him with drinks, and drew him into a “cross”—a classic con in which the victim is made to believe he or she is part of a foolproof get-rich scheme. The con went perfectly. “I took him for an extremely large amount of money,” Lovell says. After he was done, Lovell hustled the drunk man out of the hotel room where the…

A Pennsylvania man plagued by opossums in his yard set fire to a pile of leaves, hoping to scare off the marsupials. We don’t know whether it worked, but he did succeed in nearly burning down his home, causing $50,000 worth of damage. Source: cbsnews.com A woman won $25,000 after entering a sweepstakes at an Illinois gambling parlor. Good for her, except that she happens to be a prominent anti-gambling crusader, having gone after casinos, a VFW raffle, and even the parent company of the gambling parlor where she won. Still, she insists she’s not a hypocrite: Her winnings are a result of her crusade. “It’s God showing his grace on me.” Source: Chicago Tribune A man was arrested after Florida police mistook the glaze on his Krispy Kreme doughnut…

1. biosphere ('by-uh-sfeer) n.— A: gases around Earth. B: parts of Earth that support life. C: planet’s outer crust. 2. strata ('stray-tuh) n.— A: rock layers. B: low clouds. C: seabed. 3. bayou ('by-oo) n.—A: tropical island. B: deep cavern. C: marshy waterway. 4. arroyo (uh-'roy-oh) n.— A: gully. B: grassland. C: coral island. 5. cartography (kar-'tah-gruh-fee) n.—A: study of glaciers. B: art of mapmaking. C: science of erosion. 6. seismic ('siyz-mihk) adj.— A: prone to floods. B: related to earthquakes. C: covered in lava. 7. scree (skree) n.—A: loose rocks. B: peninsula. C: magma flow. 8. ecology (ih-'kah-luh-jee) n.— A: relationship of organisms to their environment. B: cycle of ocean currents. C: composting. 9. terra firma ('ter-uh 'fur-muh) n.—A: natural dam. B: sandbar. C: dry land. 10. aquifer ('a-kwuh-fur)…

40 Smart Ways to Save at the Supermarket Your caution not to fall for fake sales reminded me of when I was a stock boy at my neighborhood grocery in the 1950s. One time, we got a delivery of off-brand vegetables. I priced them at ten cents a can. I don’t think we sold more than six cans—until I put up a sign that said “Special: Nine for $1.” I set them out Thursday evening, and by noon on Saturday they were gone. EDWARD DECKERD, Perryville, Missouri Great ideas, but you forgot one of the most important: Never go to the supermarket when you’re hungry! This stops a lot of impulse buying. We’ve saved a bunch of money over the years following that advice. RICHARD D. STEVENS, Palm Coast, Florida Bill’s Last,…

ENJOYING THE QUIET Parasailing had been on my husband’s bucket list, and he finally decided to try it. I agreed to go along and watch. I stood on the pier and held his belongings while he was harnessed in over his swimsuit and T-shirt. Sitting in the back of the speedboat, I saw him lift off and soar 400 feet above the ocean. When he returned, he told me about the incredible view. The thing that surprised him most was how quiet it was up there. We laughed as he remembered that I had been holding his hearing aids. KAREN AUTENRIETH, San Antonio, Texas UP TO SNUFF One day when I was seven, I saw my grandmother open a drawer in the big desk at the back of the living room,…

Yes, it does. The Federal Circuit court ruled that the disparagement clause was unconstitutional and that the patent office could no longer reject a trademark because it disapproves of it. “Many of the marks rejected as disparaging convey hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities,” wrote Judge Kimberly Moore. “But the First Amendment protects even hurtful speech.” In response, the patent office petitioned the Supreme Court to weigh in, and on June 19, 2017, it did, agreeing with the lower court: “Speech may not be banned on the ground that it expresses ideas that offend.” Some saw the ruling as a loss for political correctness; others saw it as a win for free speech. For the band’s part, the Slants celebrated the victory by giving its next album a…

In the good old days, a mother might utter something a little, well, wacky, and only the kids would know. Now they can blab on Twitter using #momquotes. ▪ Growing up, my mom would often say, “If you kids didn’t cost so much, I could drink wine that comes out of a bottle.” @THELORDHASSPOKE ▪ Instead of LOL, my mom will text OTAH … for Oh That’s a Hoot. @RACHELLE110 ▪ I told my mom that I did a report on Mary, Queen of Scots, and she said, “She ruled Ireland, right?” @JJBID20 ▪ My mom said, “You know what I need? A selfie stick. So whenever I see someone taking a selfie, I can hit them with the stick.” @MANIKIVANAS ▪ Mom: I keep my cell phone turned off…

Sleeping with the Fishes Doctors have long touted the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish for better heart health. Now researchers from the University of Pennsylvania who studied more than 500 Chinese children have found that those who ate fish at least once weekly slept more soundly than those who seldom or never ate fish. One likely explanation is that omega-3 fatty acids help boost the production of prostaglandins, the body’s own sleep-promoting substances. The subjects who ate fish also scored 4.8 points higher on IQ exams, perhaps because better sleep helps improve brain function. Processed Meat and Breast Cancer The risk of developing breast cancer increases by 20 percent for women whose diets include even small amounts of processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, and pepperoni, according…

“We’ve traced the call. It’s coming from INSIDE THE HORSE!” —Trojan 911 dispatcher @EWFEEZ They call the Kentucky Derby the fastest two minutes in sports. But they haven’t seen me start, then quit, a 5K. @BOBTHESUIT You can lead a horse to water, but you need a seahorse to continue your journey. @SHARKJELLY If I ever got a horse, I would name her Grace, just in case I ever fell from her. @3SUNZZZ Between the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo, drunk people in big hats are about to take up a lot of real estate on your Instagram feed. @MARINARACHAEL I bet on a great horse yesterday! It took seven horses to beat him. @BRYCEEGIBBS…

WHEN TYRA DAMM lost her husband, Steve Damm, to brain cancer in 2009 after 15 years of marriage, her heart broke for herself and her kids, then ages four and eight. And in the opaque blur of that first year, one day stood out: his birthday. It was the hardest day of them all, full of unbelievable grief. Almost out of desperation, she hatched a plan for Steve’s next birthday. She would use it to help people she’d never met. On November 4, 2011, Tyra asked friends in her Texas community to perform random acts of kindness in Steve’s honor. Hundreds of people responded. A movement—and the hashtag #dammkind—was born. In the years since, #dammkind has been passed along and expanded, moving people Tyra has never met to do good…

In response to “Will Your House Kill You?” we heard from a few electricians and others who wanted to clarify our cautions. With regard to electrical outlets, saying “The left slot is connected to the neutral wire” is correct— when the ground hole is installed to be at the bottom. But in the National Electrical Code, there is no official right or wrong way to orient an outlet. M. T., Imperial, California While Teflon pans will not kill your readers, they may kill pet birds. Parrots have died of respiratory failure because of fumes released when people cook with them on high flames. As for the safety of cooking with Teflon, the canaries were right about the coal mines… MARGARET MARIAM ROSENTHAL, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE IT! Miracles don’t…

Tom Markle and Doria Radlan request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter, Rachel Meghan Markle, to Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor on the nineteenth of May, two thousand and eighteen. PIP-PIP, Old Bean, the royal wedding is nigh, and you can’t wait to attend! In preparation, you’ve caught up on the first two seasons of The Crown, boned up on your P. G. Wodehouse, and suffered through a dish of blood pudding. Yes, you are ready! All you need now is an invitation. Hmm, it’s no doubt on your dining room table, buried beneath that mountain of Bed Bath & Beyond coupons. While you sift through, let’s review a checklist of everything you’ll need to know. 1 GIFTS Even under normal circumstances, buying a wedding…

The number one thing that keeps me motivated is operating like my back’s against the wall. When my back is against the wall, there’s only one way to go: forward. DWAYNE JOHNSON, actor, in Entertainment Weekly AGING IS a continuous process … The best advice I can give is: Take care of your body as though you were going to need it for 100 years, because you might. ROBERT WALDINGER, psychiatrist, in the Harvard Gazette WE MUST LEARN to talk to people we disagree with because you can’t unfriend everyone in real life. CELESTE HEADLEE, radio host, in her book We Need to Talk YOU CAN’T THINK about tomorrow or next week or even this afternoon. You just have to be the best version of yourself right now. JAMES CORDEN, television host, in Fast…

1 CONTACT LENSES It’s not wearing contacts per se that causes wrinkles; it’s the habit of raising your brows to put them in that’s the problem. Over time, that repetitive motion can cause the skin on your forehead to wrinkle. 2 LACK OF SLEEP Your skin is repairing itself during those hours when you are conked out, so depriving yourself of a good night’s rest will lead to a dull complexion. That said, don’t sleep on your stomach. Your pillow can cause wrinkles, and sleeping on your stomach prevents fluid from draining away from your face, which can increase puffiness around the eyes. 3 AIR POLLUTION Daily exposure to smog, cigarette smoke, and car exhaust damages the skin’s barrier—the outermost layer—leading to oxidative stress and premature skin aging. Look for…

A WHILE BACK, my boss discovered the motivational quote “Only in the dictionary does success come before work.” He ordered a large banner for our work area with his “improved” version of the quote. The banner, which I can see from my desk, reads: “Only in the dictionary does success come before hard work.” Source: inc.com SCENE: With a patient in my medical exam room Me: How old are your kids? Patient: Forty-four and 39 from my wife who passed away, and from my second wife, 15 and 13. Me: That’s quite the age difference! Patient: Well, the older ones didn’t give me any grandkids, so I made my own. MARIA MURILLO, Tustin, California MY DAUGHTER received this e-mail from a prospective student prior to the start of the semester: “Dear…

▪ As Lewiston Creol plummeted down the sheer icy cliff, he pondered on the word plummet, but his pondering was interrupted by the surface of the water, at which point he ceased to plummet and began to plunge. JASON CHANDLER ▪ Baking under the blazing New Mexico sun as he stood in the dusty street outside the saloon, Old West certified public accountant Arthur W. Fetterman Jr. hovered his sweaty hand over the butt of his borrowed six-gun, advanced another reluctant step toward famed gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, and wondered for the hundredth time what had possessed him to correct the man’s use of “supposably” during their poker game. BILL WHITE ▪ She was the most desired object in the room, not unlike the last deviled egg at an Easter…

I HAD BEEN watching TV coverage of Hurricane Harvey pummeling the Texas coast for four days when the storm finally turned on my city, Houston. I’m a 47-year-old high school journalism teacher who lives alone. Luckily, my house was spared. But with floodwaters reaching 20 feet, many others were not. On that day, August 29, 2017, I turned off the TV around 11 p.m., lay in bed, and picked up my phone to do a quick check of e-mail and Facebook. I read an article about the Cajun Navy—the thousands of selfless volunteers, most from Louisiana, who pilot their boats into flooded areas, helping overwhelmed emergency responders. They were now in Houston en masse, plucking stranded residents from rooftops and flooded cars. The article explained that they were using a…

FROM WIRED ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, how would you rate your pain? Would you say it aches or stabs? Does it burn, or does it pinch? Steven Pete has no idea how you feel. Sitting in a café in Longview, Washington, he tells me he cannot fathom aches or pinches, much less the searing scourge of peripheral neuropathy that keeps millions of people awake at night or hooked on pills. He was born with a rare neurological condition called congenital insensitivity to pain, and for 37 years, no matter the wound, he has hovered at or near a one on the pain scale. Because he never learned to avoid injury, which is the one thing pain is really good for, he gets hurt a lot. When I…

Many of the entries in our 2017 Nicest Places in America search were built on kindness. In Ottawa, Illinois, strangers in a grocery store line paid the bill of an older woman ahead of them who had lost her wallet. In Pittsfield, Maine, residents sometimes found their lawns mowed by a mystery neighbor. If you find selflessness to be both uplifting and entertaining, check out Random Acts. It’s a TV show where the producers set up a hidden camera, create a moral dilemma (such as finding a wallet on the sidewalk), and then record what happens. The April 3 season premiere on BYUtv includes a segment filmed in Gallatin, Tennessee—a place where people are so nice, the town won our 2017 Nicest Places in America search. You can also watch…

I WAS IN A RESTAURANT having lunch when I noticed four men dressed in camouflage uniforms seated nearby. I’m proud of the men and women who serve our country, so I walked over to the group and said, “I just want to thank you for your service, and it would be an honor to buy your lunch.” One man put down his fork, looked up, and said, “We appreciate that, ma’am; thank you. But we’re not in the military. We’re on a hunting trip.” RENEE SETTLEMIRES, Enid, Oklahoma MY FAMILY went to a minor-league baseball game while I was stationed at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. My mother decided it would be a great idea to mail me a baseball cap signed by the team. “It’s for my daughter who…

I do the best I can. Everything else is everybody else’s problem. ALLISON JANNEY, actor HUMAN BEINGS ARE THE ONLY SPECIES THAT DELIBERATELY DEPRIVES THEMSELVES OF SLEEP FOR NO APPARENT GAIN. MATTHEW WALKER, sleep scientist Being a dad isn’t just about eating gummy bears as your wife gives birth. It means being comfortable with the word hero. RYAN REYNOLDS, actor A LAWN IS NATURE UNDER TOTALITARIAN RULE. MICHAEL POLLAN, writer NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF ECONOMICS IS COMMON SENSE MADE COMPLICATED. HA-JOON CHANG, South Korean economist Parenting has no guidebook; we come to it with what came at us. KATEY SAGAL, actor…