I teach biology at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my   1  how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so   2 . He had his wisdom teeth removed. Then he went on to ask me why I always seemed to be so   3 .

His question   4  me of something I'd read somewhere before: “Every morning when you get up, you have a   5  about how you want to deal with life that day,” I said. “I choose to be cheerful.” 

“Let me give you an example,” I continued,   6  all sixty students in the class. “In   7  to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at a   8  in Henderson, 17 miles down the   9  from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the highway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car   10 . I tried to start it again, but the   11  wouldn't work.   12  I turned my flashers on, took my books, and   13  down the road to the college.

“As soon as I got there, I called and   14  for a tow truck to meet me at my car after   15 . The secretary there asked me what had happened. “This is my   16  day,” I replied, smiling.

She was   17 . “What do you mean?”