I teach economics at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday，at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their 1 had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth 2 .The young man then proceeded 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 choice about how you want to 5 life that day. "I said, "I choose to be cheerful. "
"Let me give you an example," I continued, addressing all sixty students in the class. "In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the 6 from where I live. One day a few weeks ago, I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive 7 quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn't 8 .So I put my flashers on, 9 my books, and marched down the road to the college.
"As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The 10 in the Provost's office asked me what had happened. "This is my lucky day," I smiled. She was puzzled.
"My car broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. If my car was 11 to break down today, it couldn't have been arranged in a more 12 fashion," I added. The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and 13 for class. So ended my story.
I scanned the sixty faces in my economics class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be 14 .Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe it wasn't the story at all. In fact, it had all started with a student's 15 that I was cheerful.
