September 9, 2026
On The Upside with Marley
The Value of Changing Your Mind
Somewhere along the way, changing your mind became something we’re supposed to be embarrassed about.
We admire people who “stick to their guns.” We criticize politicians, business leaders and even friends when they take a different position than they did five years ago. Somehow, consistency has become confused with integrity.
But I’ve always thought there was something far more concerning about someone who never changes their mind.
Think about how much you’ve learned throughout your life. You’ve met people you hadn’t met before. You’ve experienced things you couldn’t have imagined when you were younger. You’ve made mistakes, discovered new information and hopefully gained a little wisdom along the way.
Shouldn’t some of that change what you think?
Changing your mind doesn’t necessarily mean you were foolish before. Sometimes it simply means you know more today than you did yesterday.
There are certainly principles worth holding onto. Kindness, honesty, fairness and treating people with dignity aren’t things we should abandon whenever they’re inconvenient.
But opinions are different.
If someone presents us with better information, perhaps the smartest response isn’t immediately defending what we already believe. Maybe it’s asking, “What if I’m wrong?”
Those four words can be remarkably powerful.
They allow conversations instead of arguments. They make learning possible. And occasionally they lead us somewhere better than where we started.
Growing older doesn’t have to mean becoming more certain about everything. Perhaps wisdom is recognizing how much there still is to learn.
Changing your mind isn’t weakness. Sometimes it’s evidence that you were open-minded enough to grow.
Why September Feels Like A Fresh Start
January may officially begin the year, but September often feels like a second New Year.
For much of our childhood, September meant new teachers, new classrooms, sharpened pencils and notebooks with completely untouched pages. Even decades after leaving school, that rhythm tends to stay with us.
Summer vacations end, regular schedules return and community activities begin again. Cooler evenings encourage us back into routines that disappeared somewhere around the first long weekend of summer.
Psychologists sometimes refer to significant dates and transitions as “temporal landmarks.” They create natural dividing lines between the person we were yesterday and the person we intend to be tomorrow.
That’s why January 1, birthdays, Mondays—and even September—can motivate us to begin something new.
So if that New Year’s resolution disappeared sometime around February, here’s some good news.
Nothing says you have to wait until January to start again.
Five Things Canada Gave The World
Canada may be known for maple syrup, hockey and apologizing, but Canadian inventors and innovators have contributed some remarkable things to everyday life.
Insulin: Frederick Banting, Charles Best and their colleagues helped develop insulin as a treatment for diabetes in Toronto in the early 1920s.
The Snowmobile: Quebec inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier developed practical snow vehicles that eventually led to the modern Ski-Doo.
The Canadarm: Canada’s famous robotic arm became an important part of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and established Canada’s reputation in space robotics.
Basketball: Canadian-born James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 while teaching in Massachusetts.
The Electric Oven: Canadian inventor Thomas Ahearn is credited with developing one of the earliest electric cooking ranges in the 1890s.
Not bad for a country whose population today is smaller than many of the world’s largest cities.
The Lobster’s Night Out
A man was walking down the street carrying a lobster under his arm.
A friend stopped him.
“Are you taking that lobster home for dinner?”
“No,” the man replied. “He’s already had his dinner.”
“I’m taking him to the movies.”
The Expensive Beer
A dog walked into a bar and ordered a beer.
The surprised bartender poured one and said, “That’ll be ten dollars.”
The dog paid the bill and started toward the door.
The bartender called after him, “You know, we don’t get many dogs drinking in here.”
The dog looked back.
“At ten dollars a beer, I’m not surprised.”
The Talking Penguin
A penguin walked into a store and asked the clerk, “Have you seen my brother?”
The clerk thought for a moment.
“I’m not sure. What does he look like?”
The Marriage Counsellor
A husband and wife visited a marriage counsellor.
The counsellor asked, “What seems to be the problem?”
The wife launched into a long explanation of everything that had gone wrong during their marriage.
When she finally finished, the counsellor walked around his desk, gave her a long hug and sat back down.
He looked at the husband and said, “Your wife needs this at least three times a week.”
The husband thought about it.
“Okay. I can bring her here Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.”
The Very Healthy Patient
A doctor finished examining an elderly patient.
“You’re in excellent health,” he announced. “At this rate, you could live to be ninety.”
The patient stared at him.
“Doctor, I am ninety.”
The doctor smiled.
“Well then, there you go.”
Editor’s Quote Book
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
— Albert Einstein
Trivia Quiz
(Click Question For Answer)
Your Horoscope
For Amusement Only
Aries Mar. 21 – Apr. 19: A change of plans works surprisingly well. Flexibility becomes your greatest advantage.
Taurus Apr. 20 – May 20: Something you’ve been considering deserves action. Start small and build from there.
Gemini May 21 – Jun. 20: New information changes your perspective. Don’t be afraid to reconsider an old opinion.
Cancer Jun. 21 – Jul. 22: A familiar routine provides comfort. Enjoy stability without becoming stuck in it.
Leo Jul. 23 – Aug. 22: Someone appreciates your encouragement. A few thoughtful words make a genuine difference.
Virgo Aug. 23 – Sep. 22: Your attention to detail prevents a problem. Trust what you notice.
Libra Sep. 23 – Oct. 22: Compromise isn’t surrender. Meeting halfway strengthens an important relationship.
Scorpio Oct. 23 – Nov. 21: Something previously unclear begins making sense. Give yourself time before deciding.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 – Dec. 21: Curiosity leads somewhere worthwhile. Follow an unexpected opportunity to learn.
Capricorn Dec. 22 – Jan. 19: Progress may seem slow, but you’re moving forward. Stay with your plan.
Aquarius Jan. 20 – Feb. 18: A different approach produces better results. Original thinking serves you well.
Pisces Feb. 19 – Mar. 20: Someone needs a patient listener more than advice. Simply being there will matter.
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The Long Face
A horse walked into a bar.
The bartender looked up and asked, “Why the long face?”
Psychiatric Help
“Doctor, people keep ignoring me.”
“Next, please.”
The Ice Cream Man
An ice cream salesman was found covered in chocolate sauce, sprinkles and syrup.
Police believe he topped himself.
Playing Hide And Seek
Why are Dalmatians terrible at hide and seek?
They’re always spotted.
The Hot Dog Vendor
A Buddhist walked up to a hot dog vendor and said,
“Make me one with everything.”
Marley’s Video Pick
The Power of Believing That You Can Improve
Can the way we think about our own abilities actually change how we learn? Psychologist Carol Dweck explores the idea of a “growth mindset”—the belief that abilities aren’t permanently fixed and can develop through effort, learning and perseverance. It fits perfectly with this week’s Upside: changing what we think isn’t failure; sometimes it’s exactly how growth happens.
The Last Word
“An open mind doesn’t require us to believe everything. It simply allows us to keep learning.”
I truly enjoy reading the perkolator . It’s funny and informative. I look forward to the next issue.
I’m so happy to hear that Barbara. It means a lot to us to make a positive difference in our communities 🙂
Smack on Cous!
I wouldn’t miss an issue.
Grateful, Thank You so much 🙏
We’re so happy you appreciate it 🙂
And our heartfelt thanx to you, Brian Garvey for coming up with the PERK idea 30 years ago. I and many others have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the publication for hopefully years to come.
I commend you!
WELL DONE !
The May 1st edition was the best I’ve read since becoming a follower. Positively Speaking……logical and smack on, the quiz, difficult but for the first time ever I’m 8 for 8! The bog island vid…who’d a thunk?
I can’t be all positive though.
The sand which board with I b4 e was a tough one for my aging eyes.
Lastly, could your font be slightly larger with the adds just a wee bit smaller.
So many magazines, internet articles, etc have yet to learn that their main audience is aging and eyes are not what they were of days past.
Keep up the good work.
PS: Adds work. I’ve used more than one company you’ve listed with total satisfaction (politicians excepted)
Hi Dave. Firstly thanks so much for the comments. I’m not the writer of this stuff just the web guy. While reading anything that you find is too small on the internet generally all you need to do is hit your Control and the plus key or minus key together to increase or decrease the size of things. I’m afraid if we reduce the ads any smaller they won’t be readable and of course it’s due to their investment in the Perkolator that the publication can actually exist 🙂 Happy Spring.
why do l keep getting the same perkolator every month for the S Muskoka edition. this is the same issue running from Jan.2026.
Hi Nina
The Perkolator doesn’t actually publish monthly, it publishes weekly. I cannot see what you’re seeing of course. However I have reviewed the website thoroughly and including the last 5 weeks Perkolator’s and there’s no duplication. The only thing I can determine is if you’re clicking on an old email from last month and expecting last months perkolator. Clicking on the link in your subscription email will always take you to the latest edition regardless of how old the email is. Perhaps that’s where the issue lies.
Thanks for reading!
Today’s edition is the same as last weeks.
Apologies Howard. It’s now fixed. The automation wasn’t automatic!!!
Please don’t change anything, I look forward to my weekly paper
We’re glad to hear that you’re enjoying The Perkolator.. You keep reading it and we will keep it coming.
Why, when I’m already a subscriber must the pop up SUBSCRIBE for double your pleasure pop up in the first place? Oh, I just realized, you can’t have pop ups in your printed newsletter.
Silly me.
As well. Without being “logged into” a website, there’s no way for it to determine who you are. SO it displays for everyone 🙂
Lately your articles seem to be very anti-woman. I’m most certainly going to stop reading!
Good day Jessica. I do hope that you are still reading The Perkolator. Although you don’t say which articles you found objectionable, I can assure you that we, at The Perkolator, are not anti-women. In fact, if we look back to past issues men are the Butt of more jokes and stories than are women. In our world we need to find the humour in our words, habits, situations, and actions more often, whether we are male of female. The ability to laugh at ourselves and our humanness allows us to cope better with the stresses in life. I hope that you will consider continuing to read The Perkolator, understanding that we are only joking and mean no offense.
Best Regards.
Brian G