Reader's Digest Canada - 01.02 2020

When I let it slip that I disliked my your mother and I decided to put you
frizzy red hair, Gerald found every gin- and Gerald together. You’re so well
ger heroine in print and portrait, and matched. Two peas in a pod.”
sang her curly praises.
Cocoa splattered on her clean kitchen
Just as his parents assumed he’d go floor. I ran for my coat and the door.
to university, he assumed I would,
too. When I said no one had ever sug- I only stopped at my own house’s
gested such a thing and certainly no door because I didn’t want Gerald fol-
one I knew would pay for it, he brought lowing me through it. I kept my back
me scholarship applications. His belief turned until his chugging boots reached
in me made me believe I could be both me, then I turned on him.
a teacher and a writer. But I still told
him we couldn’t leave the basement. “You only called on me because our
mothers set it up? What am I, your
I insisted on a purely literary friend- pity friend?”
ship, like Elizabeth Barrett and Robert
Browning. We never went out together. He tried to explain. “No. I wanted to
By my decree, if we passed in the street, get to know you. Right from the start.
we kept moving. I said nothing to my And—”
girlfriends. But I knew I was being
courted by a real live boy. Irresistibly. “Who bought my books? Was that a
set up, too?”
That winter, telling myself my base-
ment was really chilly, after the ump- “Forget that. Now it’s more than
teenth invite to share the blanket he that. You know it is. I’m glad you’re
kept over his legs, I finally did so. Even- my girlfriend.”
tually, I closed my eyes and let him kiss
me. But it went no further than that. “Your girlfriend?” I spat it like the
For the first time, I was the mobile filthiest word I’d ever uttered. “I’d
one—fast enough to escape. never be that.”

That power was new to me. And I “Of course you are. You know how I
realized I liked it. feel about you.”

On Christmas Eve, Gerald invited me “What about how I feel about you? Do
over to trim his tree. When his mother you think there’s something wrong with
got up to make cocoa, I followed her me? There isn’t. I’m not—” I paused but
into her kitchen and added the baby didn’t stop, “I’m not a cripple.”
marshmallows. When she handed me
two steaming Santa mugs, she glanced His face should have cracked my
down at my frayed, floor-scraping heart. It hardened it. I saw only that I
jeans and smiled. “Dorothy, I’m so glad hadn’t hurt him enough. That he’d
leave my door tonight but be back
tomorrow, or next week. He’d say he
could forgive and forget. So, I did the
only thing I could think of to keep him
from coming back.

rd.ca 99

reader’s digest

I leaned forward, grabbed his featuring a disabled teenage girl. My
crutches and kicked his boots out first novel, When Fenelon Falls, was
from under him. exactly that.

I pushed him face-first into the Stella and I both had multiple cor-
snow. Then I did the worst thing pos- rective surgeries. We both eventually
sible: I laughed. concluded we weren’t the ones who
needed correcting. When I watched
And when I closed the door on him, her TED Talk, “I’m not your inspira-
he did not come back. Not ever. tion, thank you very much,” I played it
until I could recite it. It was as if I’d
I hope Gerald has forgiven me. I’m been struggling with a half-completed
working on that myself. Able to side jigsaw puzzle all my life, then Stella
with ableism, I did what I did. said, “I think this piece goes here.” My
pieces fit and I saw the big picture.
Today, I appreciate the karmic irony
of losing both my bell-bottoms and my With wit and wise-cracks, Stella
mobility. Though it does not absolve debunked the medical model of disabil-
me, I now understand the complexity ity, which claims we are disabled by our
of shared blame. I treated that lovely failed bodies, and embraced the social
boy the way my world treated me. I model: the position that we are disabled
didn’t deserve Gerald, but neither of not by our bodies, but by ableism.
us deserved the hatreds of our day.
They did more lasting damage than She ridiculed the notion that dis-
any teenage heartbreak. abled people can individually “over-
come” disability if they really want to.
I NAMED MY walker Wenceslas because, The blind lawyer who claims disability
like the good king in the Christmas is “no barrier” and “anyone who says
carol, he kindly goes before me so I otherwise is a lazy complainer.” The
can follow safely in his rolling foot- “wheelchair-bound” CEO who tells his
steps. I wish I could say I found the staff, “the only disability is a bad atti-
courage to reach for him by looking tude.” These “inspiring” tales absolve
inside myself. But I found it in some- abled people of any responsibility to
one else. see systemic ableism, or to fight it with
us. It’s a matter of access and inclusion.
It was 2014 and this person, half my As Stella succinctly put it, “No amount
age, reaching out over the internet, of smiling at a flight of stairs has ever
was the Australian disability activist made it turn into a ramp. No amount of
Stella Young. I felt instant kinship with standing before a bookshelf and radi-
her. We’re both tiny redheads. We both ating a positive attitude is going to turn
became teachers, writers and storytell- all those books into Braille.”
ers. Her heart’s desire was to write the
novel she never had growing up, one

100 january/february 2020

Later in 2014, at age 32, Stella died seeing someone like you outside, dear,”
of an aneurysm. In my favourite pho- to “We’re so glad you aren’t home feel-
tograph of her, she wiggles her trade- ing sorry for yourself.”
mark ruby slippers. But she does not
look like she wants to wiggle out of her When you get a walker, it’s a mixed
wheelchair. She already knew what it blessing. Together, you may break
took this Dorothy so long to figure out: barriers of distance and stamina, but
“There’s no place like home.” you’ll hit new ones: the inaccessibility
of snow and ice, curbs, doors, stairs,
In August of 2015, I took Wenceslas restaurants, washrooms and—worst of
out of the closet. It would be the first all—the attitudes of others. When you
time my daughter saw me with him. see pity in countless eyes, it’s a struggle
I zipped around at a speed I didn’t not to see it in the mirror.
know I still had. The freedom made a
happy summer day possible. But I have less fear of falling. I’m lit-
erally a four-foot-10 rolling tank. I’m
I pretended I wasn’t being gawked sure Stella would approve.
at. Total strangers thought they had the
right to tell me what my walker meant ADAPTED FROM FALLING FOR MYSELF: A MEMOIR.
to them, from “It’s so heartwarming © 2019 BY DOROTHY ELLEN PALMER. REPRINTED BY
PERMISSION OF WOLSAK AND WYNN PUBLISHERS LTD.,
WOLSAKANDWYNN.CA

)BWJOH %Jť DVMUZ PO UIF 4UBJST
Maintain your independence, let Acorn Stairlifts keep you
safe to enjoy your freedom!
ŏ*ōWF SFHBJOFE NZ
DPOţ EFODF BOE *ōN
OP MPOHFS TDBSFE PG
UIF TUBJSTŐ
.ST 4FSHJTPO

• '"45 3-5 day installation
• "Ţ PSEBCMF BOE SFMJBCMF
• 4MJNMJOF
GPMET BXBZ XIFO OPU JO VTF
• #VZ EJSFDUMZ GSPN UIF NBOVGBDUVSFS

CALL NOW TOLL-FREE 1-866-762-8814

for your FREE Survey & Quote • BDPSOTUBJSMJGUT DB

reader’s digest

Talking to a

SMART
PERSON

DO I
REALLY
NEED TO
COUNT
CALORIES?

We ask Abby Langer,
registered dietitian

BY Courtney Shea

illustration by lauren tamaki

102 january/february 2020

For decades we’ve heard that the consume a food that has natural sugar

secret to weight loss and mainten- in it—like an apple—the sugar is bound

ance is calories in–calories out. Is up with other nutrients, like fibre and

that idea changing? antioxidants. That means it’s going to

Yes. We’ve started to take a more holistic fuel you for longer than a chocolate bar,

view of nutrition and health, and there’s where the sugar will be absorbed very

an understanding that the quality of quickly—resulting in a spike in blood

food is more important than calorie sugar followed by a crash.

counting. Back when I was studying

nutrition at university, we learned that Speaking of fruit, it’s demonized by

if you eat 3,500 calories over and above a lot of trendy diets, like keto and

what you need in a day, you’re going to Whole 30. How come?

gain one pound. It’s not IT MAKES I hate that. The anti-fruit
that this is untrue, but it’s trend is an extension of

extremely simplistic. Cal- ME SO ANGRY the anti-carb movement,
ories are processed dif- WHEN FEAR and a lot of fruit is high
ferently depending on IS USED TO in natural sugar and
which food they come therefore relatively high

from, individual genetics SELL A in carbs. But as I was say-
and gut bacteria. NEW WAY ing, fruit has a lot of ben-
OF EATING. efits that simple carbs
Let’s backtrack. What don’t. It’s absolutely part

exactly is a calorie? of a healthy diet. Nothing

A calorie is the amount makes me angrier than

of heat needed to raise the tempera- when people use fear tactics to sell a

ture of one gram of water by one new way of eating, leading to more

degree Celsius. It was actually first confusion and anxiety around food.

used to measure efficiency in steam

engines. The concept as it relates to When I was growing up in the ’80s

food and diet came about in the 1860s, and ’90s, fat was the enemy.

based on the idea that calories are to Right. That was the era of fat phobia—

our bodies what fuel is to fire. fat-free salad dressing, diet and pro-

cessed everything. This goes back to

How is a calorie from an apple differ- our topic of calories because fat is

ent than one from a chocolate bar? very calorie-dense. Of course, now

A calorie is always technically the we’ve swung in the opposite direction

same, but there are differences relating with high-fat, high-protein diets, and

to nutrition. For instance, when you processed foods are the bogeyman.

rd.ca 103

reader’s digest

A lot of people don’t even know what the research shows that people who
“processed” means. Pasteurized milk, lose weight from extreme dieting are
roasted almonds and hummus are all more likely to gain it back, and more.
processed foods—anything that has
been altered from its natural state. But If not calorie counting, what do you
they’re not the same as a Twinkie. recommend for improving our eat-
ing habits?
What do you make of the criticism that It’s not that I’m totally against calories.
the organic food movement is elitist? I have clients who say counting them
That is absolutely true. Most people is an easy way to keep on top of what
can’t afford to spend money on what- they’re consuming, and that’s fine. I
ever Gwyneth Paltrow is recommend- just don’t like the obsession with num-
ing. I get annoyed by “clean eating” bers. The new Canada Food Guide,
culture. Not just because the science which focuses less on serving sizes and
doesn’t support it, but because it turns more on common sense, is a step in
food and weight into a morality issue. the right direction. It highlights healthy
Food fundamentalism is like a new habits and rituals around eating: pre-
religion and a way of assessing how paring your own food when possible,
“pure” we are: detoxing, fasting, giving eating with other people and being
up sugar for 21 days. aware of how marketing can influence
food choices. It’s exciting to see those
Do those methods even work? factors being recognized as part of a
No, not for sustained success. In fact, healthy diet.

FAST FACTS of their weekly calories
from alcohol.
Hot Topic
The calories in starches The Booze Effect Fat Chance ISTOCK.COM/EASTERNLIGHTCRAFT
like rice, pasta and pota- According to the Canadian In 2016, researchers at
toes change according Institute for Substance the University of Califor-
to temperature. During Use Research, the average nia uncovered docu-
the cooling process, Canadian gets 11 per cent ments from the 1960s
molecules rearrange showing that sugar com-
themselves to be less panies commissioned
available, so you absorb studies at Harvard
only half the amount designed to blame the
of energy. obesity epidemic on fat.

104 january/february 2020



reader’s digest

BRAINTEASERS

Bubble Math 17
Moderately difficult 11
Assign a whole number
between one and seven to 10
each of the seven bubbles. 8
Each number occurs once.
The sums of some of the (BUBBLE MATH) RODERICK KIMBALL OF ENIGAMI.FUN; (TREASURES) FRASER SIMPSON
numbers are revealed in
the areas where their
bubbles overlap. Can you
figure out which number
goes in each bubble?

41021121 Treasures
2 Easy Can you locate 12 hidden
2 treasures in the empty cells of this
1 grid? The numbers outside indicate
2 how many treasures there are in
1 each row or column. Each arrow
1 points directly toward one or more
1 of the treasures and does not share
2 a cell with one. An arrow may be
immediately next to a treasure it
106 january/february 2020 points to, or it may be further
away. Not every treasure will neces-
sarily have an arrow pointing to it.

CC Set-Free
A Difficult Place an A, B or C in each empty cell. No three con-
secutive cells in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line may con-
BA tain a set of identical letters (such as B-B-B) or a set of three dif-
A ferent letters (such as C-A-B). Can you ensure a set-free grid?

(SET-FREE; HERE’S THE DEAL) FRASER SIMPSON; (COGS) JEFF WIDDERICH; (PLAYING CARDS IMAGE) ISTOCK.COM/MAREK TRAWCZYNSKIHere’s the Deal
Moderately difficult Four playing cards, one
56of each suit (a red heart, a red diamond, a black
9spade and a black club), lie in a row on a table.
They are a three, a four, a six and a seven. Using
8these clues, can you determine the cards and their order?
561. The cards on either side of the four are black.
82. The club is somewhere to the right of the three but is not next to the diamond.
3. The middle two cards add up to an even number.
7
Cogs
Moderately difficult These four cogs are going to help you crack a safe. Imagine
you turn the first cog two teeth (protruding bumps) in a counterclockwise direction.
Naturally, this motion moves the other three cogs, as well. Next, you turn the second
cog three teeth in a clockwise direction. This, too, moves the other three cogs.
Finally, you move the last two cogs as indicated. The four teeth that are now pos-
itioned next to the four circles reveal a four-digit safe combination; what are they?

78 2 78 1
13 92

34
1

9
45
1

9
2354

3 67 3 56
24 24

For answers, turn to PAGE 111

rd.ca 107

reader’s digest

TRIVIA south from the rest of
which country?
BY Paul Paquet
11. Sahti is a type of beer
1. In 2012, what became occupied during the that’s traditionally fla- ISTOCK.COM/MOLLOYKEITH
the first movie to win Second World War? voured with juniper.
both the Oscar for Best You’re most likely to find
Picture and France’s César 6. In 2007, purported it in which country?
Award for Best Film? remains of what saint were
found to be from an Egyp- 12. What actor won the
2. HD 140283 is one of tian mummy instead? inaugural Razzie
the most ancient known Redeemer Award by
stars, at over 13.5 billion 7. What app, a monster hit going from a flop (Gigli) to
years old. It also has what in 2016, has been credited hits (Argo and Gone Girl)?
biblical name? with teaching Americans
the metric system? 13. There are an esti-
3. New Zealand’s largest mated 1,864 of which
city, home to over 142,000 8. Cricket stars Clyde bear species in the wild?
Ma-ori, is known as Ta-maki Walcott, Everton Weekes
Makaurau in Ma-ori and and Frank Worrell were all 14. A poorly supported
what in English? born in which city within yet persistent rumour has
18 months of each other? it that Denmark’s King
4. Who built a private Christian VIII, not a shoe-
apartment near the top of 9. What singer staged a maker, was who’s father?
the tower named for him comeback with The
and entertained Thomas Emancipation of Mimi, 15. In which national
Edison in it? the second-best-selling capital can you find
album worldwide in 2005? around 200,000 gers
5. Banknote collectors (traditional round tents)
call it “banana money,” 10. The unofficial alongside other kinds
after its artwork. Which Weißwurstäquator, or of housing?
country issued it in some “white sausage equator,”
of the territories that it separates Bavaria and the

Answers: 1. The Artist. 2. Methuselah. 3. Auckland. 4. Gustave Eiffel. 5. Japan. 6. Joan of Arc.
7. Pokémon GO. 8. Bridgetown, Barbados. 9. Mariah Carey. 10. Germany. 11. Finland. 12. Ben
Affleck. 13. The giant panda. 14. Hans Christian Andersen. 15. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

108 january/february 2020

WORD POWER Russian royalty. B: partici-
pation by royalty in demo-
We may not all be whizzes like Elizabeth I— cratic governments.
in addition to ruling England for 44 years, C: system in which the
the queen spoke six languages. But take on first-born child inherits all
this quiz and you shall have new words at property or titles.

your command. 10. Albertopolis—
A: concentrated area of
BY Linda Besner cultural sites in London.
B: nickname for Calgary.
1. pomp—A: display of female royalty and aristoc- C: prominent magazine
splendour. B: tall furry racy. B: marsupial on a for royal gossip.
hat. C: royal fire brigade. coat of arms. C: charming.
11. tyrant—A: royal tod-
2. interregnum— 6. figurehead— dler. B: oppressive leader.
A: interview with a A: symbolic leader with- C: formulaic speech.
head of state. B: burial out real power. B: mono-
ceremony. C: period grammed stationery. 12. dynasty—A: nostal-
between rulers. C: royal accountant. gia. B: succession of
hereditary rulers.
3. clarence—A: prohibi- 7. noblesse oblige— C: conflation of church
tion of poaching. B: House A: idea that privilege and state.
of Windsor china pattern. entails obligations.
C: closed, four-wheeled, B: duty of peasants to 13. fanfare—A: public
horse-drawn carriage. respect nobility. C: labour appearance by royals.
owed to a feudal lord. B: crown-shaped pasta.
4. regent—A: palace C: ceremonial tune played
caretaker. B: scarlet robe. 8. livery—A: monarch’s on brass instruments.
C: person standing in for allowance. B: court
an underage, incapaci- etiquette. C: servant’s 14. crenellations—
tated or absent monarch. uniform. A: tattoo design of Inuit
leadership. B: castle
5. wonsam—A: ceremon- 9. primogeniture— battlements. C: calls to
abolish royalty.
ial overcoat of Korea’s A: hereditary disease of
15. Welsh corgi—
A: royal guard. B: white
pleated collar. C: short-
legged dog breed.

rd.ca 109

reader’s digest

WORD POWER 6. figurehead—A: sym- 12. dynasty—B: succes-
ANSWERS bolic leader without real sion of hereditary rulers;
power; as, Many contem- as, China’s Zhou dynasty
1. pomp—A: display of porary monarchs are lasted nearly 800 years.
splendour; as, Spain’s merely figureheads.
King Felipe VI was sworn 13. fanfare—C: cere-
in at Parliament with min- 7. noblesse oblige— monial tune played on
imal pomp and ceremony. A: idea that privilege brass instruments; as, The
entails obligations; as, appearance of King Vaji-
2. interregnum— Charity work is seen by ralongkorn of Thailand
C: period between rulers; some as part of the was greeted with fanfare.
as, After the queen died, noblesse oblige of royalty.
a brief interregnum took 14. crenellations—
place while her sons jos- 8. livery—C: servant’s B: castle battlements; as,
tled for power. uniform; as, Louis XIV’s Though practical for
retainers wore livery of red, defence, crenellations were
3. clarence—C: closed, white and blue. also likely a status symbol
four-wheeled, horse- during the Middle Ages.
drawn carriage; as, Tour- 9. primogeniture—
ists admired the clarences C: system in which the 15. Welsh corgi—
in the royal stables. first-born child inherits all C: short-legged dog
property or titles; as, In breed; as, The first of
4. regent—C: person 1980, Sweden adopted Queen Elizabeth II’s Welsh
standing in for an under- absolute primogeniture so corgis was named Dookie.
age, incapacitated or Princess Victoria would
absent monarch; as, King inherit the throne instead CROSSWORD
Mswati III’s mother was of her younger brother. ANSWERS
regent of Swaziland until
he turned 18. 10. Albertopolis— FROM PAGE 112
A: concentrated area of
5. wonsam—A: cere- cultural sites in London; CREAK ASS
monial overcoat of as, Albertopolis was
Korea’s female royalty named for Prince Albert, PE TRO S TART
and aristocracy; as, The an enthusiastic patron of
wonsam is associated the arts and sciences. A S T EW S A V E A
with the Choso˘n court,
which spanned from the 11. tyrant—B: oppressive PU T T I NGOF F
14th to the 20th century. leader; as, History remem-
bers Emperor Nero as a HON I IT
murderous tyrant.
AN EWY E A R S

F LO ON S

R E SO L U T I ON

E R I C A I MO F F

TODAY ROL LO

ESS EVADE

110 january/february 2020

BRAINTEASERS JIGSAW SUDOKU
ANSWERS

FROM PAGE 106 BY Jeff Widderich

Bubble Math 7 58
34 6
67 57 1

17 11 6 381
245 4 96

10 2 6 74
8 59

31

Treasures

41021121
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
2

Set-Free To Solve This Puzzle SOLUTION

ACCB Put a number from 1 to 9 in
BCCA each empty square so that:
BBAA
CCAC

Here’s the Deal ) every horizontal row and 865721439
(From left to right): Three vertical column contains all 912347658
of diamonds, six of nine numbers (1-9) without 341672985
spades, four of hearts, repeating any of them; 578469321
seven of clubs. 296538147
) each outlined, irregularly 437215896
Cogs shaped zone has all nine 123896574
8, 2, 8 and 1. numbers, none repeated. 654983712
789154263

rd.ca 111

reader’s digest

CROSSWORD

Why Wait? 34 Rich kid of the Nancy
comics
BY Barbara Olson
35 Snake shape in a sketch
1 2345 678 36 Get around?

9 10 11 12 DOWN
1 Corp.-tax preparer
13 14 2 Post-sec. investment tool
3 Question to “Brute”
15 16 4 “We ___ World” (charity
single)
17 18 5 Act the apple polisher
6 An A in CAA: Abbr.
19 20 21 22 7 Guy bash
8 ___ faire (tact)
23 24
11 Second mortgages, in
25 26 27 28 29 bank speak

30 31 32 12 U.S. president dubbed
“Big Bill”
33 34
16 “... me needs the man
35 36 ___” (Shania Twain lyric)

ACROSS 18 “Am ___?” (tag player’s 19 Last Olds model made
1 Rusty-hinge sound query) 20 Bloc opposed to the
6 Donkey, or doofus
9 ___-Canada (oil giant) 19 Part 3 of the advice yeses
23 ___ Rida, of hip-hop 21 Whole
10 Advice to a January 24 Switch ups? 22 Isaac who coined the
procrastinator, Part 1 25 Part 4 of the advice
30 Johnson of CBC’s term “robotics”
13 In ___ (agitated) 23 Wring one’s hands
14 ___ Life Canada (pet- Go Public 26 Yam-like veggies of Peru
31 “Toodle-oo!” 27 Old Dutch alternative
rescue agency) 33 Conclusion to the 28 Green-skinned Star Wars
15 Part 2 of the advice
17 “Sweetie” advice dancer
29 Prov. called “The Rock”
32 The “them,” to us

For answers, turn to PAGE 110

112 january/february 2020

in partnership with 2018 1STT ivPelarcteo:n,SOanndtraariHoarvey,

Show us the Canada you know and
love for an opportunity to win! From
breathtaking Canadian landscapes to
amazing wildlife and wonderful people,

what does your Canada look like?

1st 2nd 3rd 2018 2CNaDlgParlayc,eA: lEberrictaRivers,

PLACE PLACE PLACE

$500 $300 $200

To enter, simply upload your best photo
in one of three available categories:

Everyday People
The Great Outdoors
Creatures Large & Small

ENTER AT OURCANADA.CA/SHAREYOURCANADA
ENTRY DEADLINE: MARCH 16, 2020
(ONE SUBMISSION PER DAY)

Or mail your entry to OUR CANADA SHARE YOUR CANADA PHOTO
CONTEST 2019/2020, 300-5101 Buchan Street, Montreal, QC H4P 1S4.
Complete rules available at ourcanada.ca/shareyourcanada or by

writing to the contest administrator at the address above.