I believe that puzzles can teach us key problem-solving skills.

After all, what is a problem but a puzzle that just might have some less fun, real-life implications?

I’ve written before about how I honed some of these skills as a sixth grade super nerd, finding strategies to win solitaire games that weren’t even meant to be strategic.

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There’s a part of my hometown that’s like a teeny-tiny Atlantic City boardwalk, right down to the amusement park, the arcade, and the saltwater taffy.

The place that has the saltwater taffy is called The Goldenrod. Open only in the summer, it s a York Beach institution. The restaurant, which has a soda fountain, a stone fireplace, and lacquered wooden tables, used to sell penny candy by the piece at a counter always staffed by a very patient young college student. Founded in 1896, The Goldenrod was already full of nostalgia when I was a kid.

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Would you walk away from multiple social media accounts with over 10,000 followers?

This is the story of my friend Whitney who did just that.

She started doing nail art back in 2012 and quickly got really good at it, which is how she does most things. She has an obsessive attention to detail and the ability to focus intensely — plus, she works very quickly and has excellent fine motor skills. The combination is powerful.

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Doctors and nurses recognize the limitations of human beings and incorporate that into their treatment plans.

That means that a patient might be prescribed a treatment that is less effective but is easier to stick to.

I think that’s a bit paternalistic. As a patient, I’d want all of my options and all of the information whenever possible.

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This week, a giant container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal.

A bunch of tugboats and bulldozers have attempted to create some kind of motion for the ship, but the scale at which they are working is comically small compared to the giant cargo vessel.

I can relate. That’s how I’ve felt lately not only trying to make a change happen and influence others, but also in trying to change myself. How can I begin to overcome entrenched habits and beliefs? How can I change course without getting stuck? It feels like it will take forever, and experiments feel risky.

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