WE ALL HAVE OUR WAYS OF COPING WITH STRESS.

One of my prime time-fillers used to be the New York Times. All the news that’s fit to use up an entire Sunday, with hardly anything I’d read penetrating my porous noggin.

Then, last November 6th, the world turned on me.

And suddenly even my favorite distraction became too intense for my jangled nerves.

Fortunately, my son offered me an escape route. It’s one good reason to become a parent in fact.

It changed my life. Instead of reading the news, I was filling in empty blocks on a grid.

OK, the first words that came to mind weren’t soothing, but they became less scary in pursuit of puzzle solving.

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I became obsessed.

If you’d like to be similarly distracted, here are some stratagems for beating the bot.

You too can win. Just like these primates.

I was on an INFINITE MONKEY success streak of 187 days when the new Pope ascended the Throne of Saint Peter.

And I was pleased to learn that yes, the Pope Leo XIX worked the WORDLE, too.

And if the man in charge of the spiritual health of 1.4 billion people fills in a puzzle every morning, why not me?

I’m hoping to resume reading the news on or around November 3rd, 2026. Until then, I’ll rely on these five-letter words.

YEARN

SUNNY

HOPES

TRUST

Also, FIGHT.

Many thanks for joining me on the Road2Elsewhere. Just playing through.

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