Table of contents for March 2022 in Reader's Digest (2024)

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Reader's Digest|March 2022LETTERSAngels in ActionYour story about the kindness of strangers around the holidays (December/January) struck a chord. We’ve been to nearly every state in our RV. People often ask about our favorite thing from our travels. We’ve seen so many beautiful things in this country but are always awed by the many friendly people willing to help. There’s so much more than the negativity on the news. The good always outweighs the bad.—JANEY HATHco*ck Lenoir, North CarolinaNew Rules of LaundryFor years, our clothes had a sour smell. Laundry was an all-day event. Thanks to the Laundry Guy’s advice (December/January), no more sour smell (thanks, warm water), and laundry takes a fraction of the time (the joys of the express cycle). Much better!—EILEEN OSGOOD Lebanon, TennesseeStretch YourselfReading about the benefits of stretching…3 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Chipping Away at PovertyERADAJERE OLEITA THINKS she may have a partial solution for two of our country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than toss your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.Chip eaters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lay’s, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they sanitize the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding and liners from old coats to line the insides.It takes about…2 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022LIFE IN THESE United StatesAging: What’s the Alternative?✦ I’ve never felt older than when my 9-year-old son said, “It must have been interesting to have been alive in the late 1900s.”—DWIGHT DUNWOODYRochester, Indiana✦ I stopped referring to my parents as elderly after someone told me, “Well, they’d have to be now, wouldn’t they?”—SHARON SOLLARSSedona, Arizona✦ I was complaining to my father about the horrors of turning 50. He replied, “Know what’s worse than turning 50? Having your kid turn 50.” That shut me up.—M.G.Fair Oaks, CaliforniaI was very pregnant when my husband and I visited our ob-gyn for a routine appointment. When the doctor noticed that the baby’s heart rate was slow, he decided that I should be induced. Or, as my husband, for whom English is a second language, explained to my mother,…2 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022HUMOR in UNIFORMMy third grader’s teacher assigned the following prompt: “Veterans Day honors the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Do you think you would like to serve in the military one day? Explain.”Here is Justin’s response: “Yes, I would like to serve in the military someday. I would like to serve chocolate chip ice cream, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream. I would ask, ‘What kind of flavor would you like?’ I’d also ask, ‘What kind of cone do you like?’ That’s what I would like to serve in the military.”-ADEL DIORIOPortland, MichiganAt the Marine CorpsOfficer Candidates School, an instructor told us how all the physical training they would put us through would come in handy once we left the service. “When we get through with you,”…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022All in a Day’sWORKNegotiations were at a standstill, so we took a break to let tempers simmer down. As my team and I stepped outside, I tripped and fell face-first down concrete steps, ripping my blouse and bloodying my arm and chin.When we returned to our client’s office, he looked alarmed. “What happened to you?”My coworker answered, “She recommended we accept your last offer.”—June Rainbow Robins, IowaA woman approached me at the bank wanting to buy a savings bond for her granddaughter who was being baptized. Not sure how much she wanted to spend, I asked, “What denomination?” She replied, “Protestant.”—BARBARA CONAGE Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania“What’s this I hear about large quantities of ice, fish, and small sea creatures being purchased by your department?”The journal Annals of Improbable Research awards the annual Ig Nobel…3 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Ways to Build ResilienceBEING RESILIENT ISN’T about avoiding misfortune, but rather how we respond to it. Resilience means “doing well in the face of risk or adversity,” says Suniya Luthar, PhD, cofounder of Authentic Connections, a company that helps teach resilience and well-being.Recently we’ve all needed to draw on our resilience. “We all get depleted from time to time, and the pandemic has drained the resilience capacity of nearly everyone, at one time or another,” says Ann Masten, PhD, a professor of child development at the University of Minnesota.Even if you consider yourself resilient, you may need a booster dose in especially hard times. To build resilience, the experts suggest the following:Nurture relationshipsSet up and maintain a support network before you need it, says Michael Ungar, PhD, author of Change Your World: The…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022WHERE, OH WHERE?SPRING HAS SPRUNG! The arrival of March means the blooming of cherry blossoms, and for 40 years, this city-with its more than 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees-has celebrated the season with an annual festival the locals call “the pinkest party on earth.” The park pictured here plays host to many of the main events and now shares its name with the festival’s founder, Carolyn Crayton, who also organized the planting of many of the trees around this area, referred to by congressional records as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World. Where is it? (Answer on page 119.)A Washington, DCB Macon, GeorgiaC Aiea, HawaiiD St. Louis, Missouri…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Where Have All the NURSES GONE?Sometimes Karla Theilen just wishes she could explain. That she could plop herself down by her patient’s bedside, look him in the eye, and explain that she does care and is not ignoring him.That she just had to intubate a guy down the hall, and the woman next door fell on the way to the bathroom. That she has four missed calls on her cell phone from another patient’s daughter who just learned her dad is dying. That she hasn’t eaten all day or had time to use the bathroom.But Theilen, who as a traveling or contract nurse has worked in more than 30 hospitals across the American West over the past decade, knows she can’t do that. It wouldn’t be professional or compassionate to walk into a room and…10 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022THE 14 OTHER MOST TRUSTED BRANDSWe teamed up with global market research firm Ipsos to find out which wellness companies Americans trust most. This year’s survey included new categories: Fitness Trackers, Workout Apparel, and Hair Care. At least three in four consumers consider trust an important factor in their buying decisions, especially for over-the-counter medicines.Nutritional Drink/Meal ReplacementEnsureMultivitaminCentrumHerbal SupplementNature MadeFitness TrackersFitbitWorkout ApparelNikeHair CarePanteneAllergy ReliefBenadrylCBD (cannabidiol)Charlotte’s WebCold/Flu RemedyNyquilCough RemedyRobitussinHeadache/Pain RelieverTylenolHealthy CerealCheeriosHealth InsuranceBlue Cross Blue ShieldNational Pharmacy/DrugstoreCVS Pharmacy…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022QUOTABLE QUOTESGenerosity can take so many forms—it doesn’t just have to do with money—so I’m always shocked when people can’t muster any at all.—Alice Waters, CHEF IN Vanity FairVisibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear for a while and see what comes to you in the silence.–Michaela Coel, SCREENWRITER AT THE EMMY AWARDSJust as you think you know someone, it turns out you actually have no idea who a person really is until you’ve traveled with them.–Gabrielle Union, ACTOR IN THE BOOK You Got Anything Stronger?Always eat before a meeting. Even a lunch meeting. Because hungry people say things they regret.–Chris Rock, COMEDIAN IN EsquireSome people feel confusion and uncertainty (which are often things that arrive right before possibility), and do nothing. Don’t…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022ANSWERSWHERE, OH WHERE?(page 56)B. Macon, GeorgiaBRAIN GAMES(pages 114-115)Quick CrosswordACROSS3. BISON5. PRONGHORN8. CANYON9. OSPREY10. LYNXDOWN1. PIKA2. WOLVERINE4. FUMAROLE6. GEYSER7. EAGLEWheel of ProfitYour friend, although this is not guaranteed. You will both wager $60 to spin six times. Your friend can expect to win once a fter six spins (for $100) and you can expect to win three times (for $90).SymbolismA. The symbols on the top line occur in reverse order on the bottom line; the symbols on the second line from the top occur in reverse order on the second line from the bottom; and so on.…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Dial a RhymeIN BISBEE, ARIZONA, stands an old phone booth. Open the bifold doors and use the rotary dial to call a number from the booth’s directory. You’ll be connected to a lyrical voice, one of around 100 local and famous poets reading their work, like the evocative “Waiting” by Jesse Sensibar: “I know what it feels like to wait so long you forget over the years you were even waiting. Except that every once in a while you catch yourself looking out the window to see if they have finally returned.”Like the verse you may hear when you call, entry is free. The Telepoem Booth is the brainchild of artist Elizabeth Hellstern, 46, who has also set up booths in Dubuque, Iowa; Santa Fe, New Mexico; at New Mexico Highlands University;…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022YOUR TRUE STORIES IN 100 WordsIt’s a LockI owned an auto repair shop in a small town in Wisconsin. People would drop off their cars for repairs outside of business hours and then pick them up later in the day. One morning I came to work to find a customer’s car with a note sitting on the driver’s seat. The note read, “Lloyd, I hid the keys under the seat.” Sure enough, there they were, “hidden” for anyone who read the note to find.—Lloyd Chase, SCHROEDER, MINNESOTAWords on the StreetI have a friend from Germany, but we both now live in Oregon. When my friend was a newcomer, she did a lot of shopping downtown. She had a habit of writing down the name of the street where she parked. One day she called me,…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Pass the Peas, PleaseTHE SLEEPLESS PRINCESS in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale was far from the only aristocrat to fuss over a pea. In 16th- and 17th- century France, the vogue vegetable sent the nobility into a tizzy. So great was the craze around eating these bright green mini-treats in the springtime that Madame de Maintenon, the second wife of King Louis XIV, wrote one season:“The question of peas continues. The anticipation of eating them, the pleasure of having eaten them, and the joy of eating them again are the three subjects that our princes have been discussing for four days... It has become a fashion-indeed, a passion.”Peas are among the oldest crops in human history, though exactly what constitutes a pea is a little hard to pin down. Just about anything we…3 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022What Do Your Stomach Pains Mean?WELLNESS FROM THEHEALTHY.COMWHAT A LOT of us refer to as stomachaches or tummy troubles can indicate many different things that are happening in the abdomen, not all of which actually affect the stomach. Usually the discomfort we’re feeling is due to a bit of indigestion or gas, or an uncomfortable but fairly harmless intestinal virus (the “stomach flu”). But certain symptoms may signal something more serious. If you experience any of these pains-or any abdominal pain that’s severe or persists beyond a few days—see a doctor so you can get your digestive tract running smoothly again:Heartburn: Burning pain in the center of the abdomenThis feeling is all too common after a big greasy meal. The key word is “burning,” says Lawrence J. Brandt, MD, a gastroenterologist at Montefiore Medical Center…4 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022News FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINESPENDING TIME OUTDOORS IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAINWe know that getting some fresh air can be a mood lifter, but now a German study gives us insight into why. When researchers scanned city dwellers’ brains, they discovered that those who spent more time outside had a larger volume of gray matter in the right prefrontal cortex-the area involved in planning thoughts and actions. Of course, the stakes for getting outside could be even higher than a mood shift: Earlier studies have found that less prefrontal gray matter is linked to depression. If you’re not naturally inclined to leave the coziness of your home, make it a goal to spend at least two hours outside every week.A Nature-Inspired Wound GlueResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were searching for a…2 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022SURVIVED!I SURVIVED BEING SWALLOWED BY A WHALEJULIE McSORLEY, 56, PHYSICAL THERAPISTI live with my husband, Tyrone Mc-Sorley, in San Luis Obispo, California, about three miles from the beach. Every few years, the humpback whales come into the bay for a few days while they’re migrating. November 2020 was one of those times, so we took out our yellow double kayak to watch the wildlife. We paddled out the length of the pier and saw seals, dolphins, and about 20 whales feeding on silverfish. We were in awe watching these graceful behemoths—each one about 50 feet long—breach and spray through their blowholes. We laughed when they turned their side fins so that it looked as if they were waving at us.OUR KAYAK LIFTED OUT OF THE WATER, AND LIZ AND I…15 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022PANDEMIC SILVER LININGSWalking BuddiesMy husband and I walk in our neighborhood every day. Early in the pandemic, we often passed a dog that would bark in greeting and bounce alongside us from inside an invisible fence. One day, the dog’s owner was outside, and we told him we would be happy to take his dog along with us sometimes.And just like that, we had a new companion on our miles-long jaunts. Marlie, a goldendoodle, trots down the road with her tail wagging and her head high. She knows “heel” very well-luckily for us-and will stop and point when she sees a squirrel or rabbit.Nearly two years later, we still walk with Marlie almost daily, even through Wisconsin winters. She sits in the bay window facing our house each day around walk time,…6 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022LIGHTING UP THE NIGHTFROM THE WASHINGTON POSTI’VE BEEN IN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINSNational Park for less than an hour when I’m mistaken for a woodland fairy. Even though I’m here to witness the ethereal phenomenon of synchronous fireflies—Photinus carolinus, a species famed for its ability to flash in unison—the association is surprising. After a pandemic period of virtual living, I’m feeling more like a haggard dweller of the modern world than an enchanted being. In fact, when I hear a stranger calling out from across the forest glen I’m wandering, it takes me a second to realize that she’s addressing me. She waves me over and asks again: “Are you a magical creature?”The woman gestures toward the two young children with her and says, “We saw you walk down to the river, and then…16 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022WORD POWER1. exposé n.(ek-spoh-’zay)A low necklineB camera lensC public disclosure2. pied-à-terre n.(pee-ay-duh-’tayr)A second homeB leisurely walkC small garden3. doppelgänger n.(‘dah-pull-gang-er)A mobsterB cycloneC double4. née adj.(nay)A unmarriedB formerly known asC born-again5. soupçon n.(soop-’sawn)A small amountB folk songC large kettle6. piñata n.(peen-’yah-tuh)A birthday partyB decorated containerC green salsa7. coup de grâce n.(koo-dih-’grahss)A rebellionB ballet stepC final blow8. flambé v.(flahm-’bay)A drench and igniteB top with custardC bring to a boil9. tête-à-tête n.(tet-uh-’tet)A fistfightB private talkC drum solo10. mañana adv.(mun-’yah-nuh)A immediatelyB long pastC in the future11. maître d’ n.(may-truh-’dee)A dinner jacketB serving trayC headwaiter12. risqué adj.(ris-’kay)A suggestiveB dangerousC strategic13. curaçao n.(‘kyur-uh-so)A gunpowderB citrus liqueurC tropical bird14. vis-à-vis prep.(veez-uh-’vee)A in relation toB despiteC on top of15. séance n.(‘say-ahnts)A afternoon napB long speechC meeting with spirits…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022The Alligator WrestlerDONNIE WISEMAN almost didn’t go to his niece’s fifth birthday party last August. He was worn out after working long hours at his construction job. But the party was being held at Scales and Tails Utah, a reptile and bird center in suburban Salt Lake City. Ever since childhood, Wiseman has been infatuated with reptiles. “They’re now the closest thing we have to a dinosaur,” he says. So, he skipped a nap and went with his wife and six-year-old stepson.When they arrived at Scales and Tails, they were led to a small indoor area with a pool of water surrounded by nine-foot-tall viewing windows. Inside was the center’s star attraction, an 8-foot-long, 150-pound alligator named Darthgator. He swam around the pool before resting his head on a two-foot-wide platform. It…3 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Bella and Her ButterfliesONE SUMMER DAY, the bushes in our backyard began whimpering and whining and making all sorts of commotion. Or rather, our pit bull mix, Bella, was in the bushes whimpering and whining and making all sorts of commotion. Our 11-year-old daughter, Kaitlin, discovered her sniffing and pawing at a branch, where several caterpillars munched away.My husband and I worried that our backyard-frequent hangout of birds, squirrels, and neighborhood cats-wasn’t the safest environment for vulnerable caterpillars. So we got a butterfly house where the cater pillars could safely metamorphose.Each day, when we took the butterfly house to the backyard, Bella moved with it. Each night, when we brought it back inside, Bella followed, then slept under the table on which it rested. We don’t know why Bella was so attached, but…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Know How Much to TipFOR YEARS, JESSICA and Eric Miller of Ogden, Utah, have lived down the street from their favorite sandwich shop. Despite its being so close to home, they preferred to dine in, and always tipped generously when they did. But, of course, they didn’t get to dine in during much of 2020. The cafe temporarily closed at the start of the pandemic, then reopened-for takeout orders only. So the Millers’ new routine became to order online, go pick up their food, and eat it at home. Tipping never crossed their minds.That is, until the day they drove up and a waitress ran out to meet them.“I was wondering if I’m doing something wrong,” she said, “because you never leave a tip.”This caught the couple off guard. Eric attempted to explain: “Because…5 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Serving Up the Sizzle on Plant-Based Meat1 IF YOU tried veggie burgers years ago and dismissed them as rubbery, flavorless hockey pucks, it’s a good time to give meat substitutes another chance. You can find plant-based versions of chicken, pork, sausage, and deli cuts, as well as seafoods such as tuna and shrimp. Newer varieties mimic the look, flavor, and texture of the real thing. Some even “bleed” like beef and give off that signature sizzle as they cook.2 CLEARLY, PLANTBASED proteins aren’t just for vegetarians and vegans. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat-two of the biggest names in the industry-report that more than 9 out of 10 of their consumers also eat meat. And while only 5 percent of Americans are vegetarians, many more-about a quarter-say they eat plant-based meat fairly often.3 IF YOU’RE new to…4 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022I TRIED IT... Hypnosis to Beat a Sugar AddictionAll my life, I’ve been a sugar fiend. And with two young kids at home, it’s sometimes impossible not to have candy in the house. One Easter, I really indulged. I didn’t even enjoy it. Afterward, I thought about why I was eating the candy and couldn’t come up with a good answer. So I consulted Richard Barker, a Florida-based hypnotist. During our session, he had me focus on a single point, then close my eyes, relax, and listen. When I had sugar cravings, he said, I would opt for something healthier, and I would do this because I wanted to live a long life. When the session ended, I felt refreshed and happy.As for the cravings, the next day I still had them, but I didn’t indulge. I passed…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022LAUGHTER THE BEST MedicineWhy is it that all our most profound thoughts come while our hair is wet? These “Shower Thoughts” on Reddit are proof:✦ Your stomach thinks all potato is mashed.✦ A group of squid should be called a squad.✦ I will be the last person to die in my lifetime.✦ This “spring forward” thing would be a lot more popular if we moved the clocks ahead at 2 p.m. on a Monday.No offense to the von Trapps, but if I go to a lavish party and seven kids just start singing about how they have to go to bed, I’m using that time to refill my drink.—@1FOLLOWERNODADIn his latest book, A Carnival of Snackery, humorist David Sedaris shares jokes that his fans tell him. One of his favorites goes like this:It’s…2 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Growing HOPEFROM THE BOOK THE BOOK OF HOPE: A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR TRYING TIMES“JANE IS ALMOST 90 YEARS OLD,” you may be thinking. “If she is aware of what is going on in the world, how can she be writing about hope?”On many days I admit that I feel depressed, days when it seems that the efforts, the struggles, and the sacrifices of so many people fighting for social and environmental justice, fighting prejudice and racism and greed, are fighting a losing battle.But without hope, all is lost. It is a crucial survival trait that has sustained our species from the time of our Stone Age ancestors. Certainly, my own improbable journey would have been impossible had I lacked hope.Like all people who live long enough, I have been through many…5 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022In TUMS We TRUSTTHINK OF THE roaring twenties, and most of the things that come to mind are long gone: flappers, speakeasies, Model T’s... But one classic is still with us, virtually unchanged: those little rolls of post-meal relief we call Tums.Created in 1928 and brought to market two years later, Tums were part of a wave of early-20th-century consumer product innovations that included Scotch tape, Wonder bread, and Hostess Twinkies. Like those staples, Tums remains a bestseller. In fact, it’s the top-selling brandname antacid tablet in the nation; the company says it outsells Rolaids by almost two to one.Even before the pandemic, sales were on the rise, and during the pandemic, some varieties were in short supply—unsurprising, since the 4,000 people we polled in our annual Trusted Brands survey put Tums at…5 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022The RDLISTFILMDogDirected by Channing TatumALL RIGHT, WE’LL BITE. After a five-year absence from the big screen, Channing Tatum makes his directorial debut with buddy comedy Dog—his buddy being, yup, a Belgian Malinois named Lulu. Tatum plays Jackson Briggs, a veteran tasked with taking Lulu, a heroic military dog, down the Pacific Coast to the funeral of the soldier she belonged to. One small (well, large) problem: Lulu is rowdy to the extreme. (“Maybe just take the crazy down one notch,” Briggs begs from behind the wheel of his Ford Bronco.) Lulu pushes him up the wall and through a fancy lobby, but he feeds her treats, gives her a bed, and even shares a bathtub with her. In turn, Lulu shows her loving and loyal side. Ultimately, the vet (the human…4 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022BRAIN GAMESFact or Fiction?MEDIUM Determine whether each statement is fact or fiction. To reveal the solution to the bonus question at the bottom, write the letters indicated by your responses in the corresponding numbered blanks. Turn the page upside down for the answers.BONUS QUESTION Which creatures inspired researchers to develop a new, faster type of wound glue? (Need help? Turn to News from the World of Medicine on page 50.)Answers: 1. Fact; during leaps called “binkies/’ they perform twists and kicks in midair. 2. Fact. 3. Fiction; Katherine Hepburn has. 4. Fiction; it’s milk for children and shellfish for adults. 5. Fact. 6. Fiction; two have (Denise Long in 1969 and Lusia Harris in 1977), though neither played. 7. Fiction; Ernest Hemingway said it. 8. Fact. 9. Fiction; it doesn’t touch…1 min

Reader's Digest|March 2022Word Power ANSWERS1. exposé(c) public disclosureThe newspaper’s exposé uncovered corruption in the mayor’s office.2. pied-à-terre(A) second homeAre Keisha and Blake at their pied-à-terre in Manhattan this weekend?3. doppelgänger(c) doubleYou must have a doppelgänger, because I’d swear I saw you on TV last night!4. née(B) formerly known asJacqueline Kennedy (née Bouvier) was famous for her style and elegance.5. soupçon(A) small amountThis stew needs just a soupçon more salt.6. piñata(B) decorated containerWe whacked the candy-filled piñata until it burst.7. coup de grâce(c) final blowFor many struggling businesses, the pandemic was the coup de grâce that forced them to close.8. flambé(A) drench and ignite“What if we flambé our Easter ham in rum this year?” Dad suggested.9. tête-à-tête(B) private talkAdrian’s boss scheduled a tête-à-tête to discuss his performance review.10. mañana(C) in the futureI’m too busy to…1 min

Table of contents for March 2022 in Reader's Digest (2024)

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