LEARNING HACK OF THE DAY: DON'T BELIEVE PERFECTION; IT'S A LIAR.

Nobody is perfect. The television star with the perfect makeup and hair has a staff of professionals fussing with her all day. The student who seems to get the right answers all the time either knows as many learning hacks as I do, or he studies constantly. When I was growing up, I knew two couples who seemed to have perfect marriages. That is the image they presented to the outside world. Both marriages ended in divorce.

Some people do want to hide their imperfections. We all want to be well-groomed and to always do the best job we can. But perfection does not exist. I understand that some carpet weavers purposely leave in imperfections. Only God is perfect.

That said let me tell you about my day yesterday, with an exert from my journal.

My day: Cinco the cat pooped in the bathtub; Tiki the dog had to go out, but the screen door was frozen shut. I put her on a leash and took her out the front door. I started to take out a plastic bag of garbage, but it broke open on the kitchen floor. I did a load of laundry, but Cinco the cat wanted to get in the dryer. I had to lock him in a bedroom. He was mad and at me, but he got over it. I finally got to my blog, to my novel and then to relaxation and reading.

Granted my day was messy, but my description of it was honest.

Here is a review I wrote some time ago of Susan Lucci's autobiography,"All MY Life, A Memoir."

My mother hated Donna Reed because Donna Reed had a perfect life with a beautiful home, perfect hair, perfect husband, perfect children and starched dresses. Her housework was always done. Problems were quickly solved. I never understood my mother's dislike for this beautiful television actress. After all Reed's show was fiction. She was no more perfect than other television wives like June Cleaver, Harriet Nelson or Marjorie Lord who played Danny Tomas's television wife.

When I read Susan's Lucci's biography, I began to understand some of my mother's dislike for Donna Reed. But at least the Stone family, Reed's television family had problems to solve even if they did it too easily. It must be nice to live a perfect life. But I prefer a person who has challenges to face and can overcome those challenges. A perfect life must get boring.

Certainly Susan Lucci is beautiful and talented. But I don't need to read about her to see that. I know there is too much negativity in life, but stories, even true ones, need challenges, and people should change in the course of their lifetimes. None of us start off perfect and stay that way – even Susan Lucci.

It didn't take me long to start disliking Susan Lucci as I read her book.

I didn't like how she described glamorous women who wore furs like Mae West, Lana Turner and Gypsy Rose Lee. I really dislike anyone, celebrity or not, who wears furs. (Later Lucci confesses to loving veal dishes. Does she know how much cruelty goes into making veal? Veal is anemic calf.)But here I digress, this is about poor taste, not perfection. (No pun intended.)

The book became extremely boing mostly because of the perfection in everything. I kept reading and indeed I did find something to like. One of the later chapters was about her costars in “All My Children,” and I enjoyed this chapter. I particularly liked reading about the scene where she and David Canary, one of my favorite actors, had a food fight. I even looked that scene up on YouTube. I was never a steady watcher of the program, so I had not known about that scene before.

Her fan letter to her fans was a great idea, but boring as Susan described her favorite meals and artists.

Lucci's five ways to look taller start with “Wear High Heels.” Her fans are not teenagers. I wear prescription running shoes and visit a podiatrist once a month. I cannot wear high heels. The very thought gives me foot pain. High heels are very unhealthy. Ask any physician about the problems they can cause. What gives with giving fans such unhealthy advice? This is not a teenage magazine. A much better soap opera autobiography came from Lucci's ex costar Ruth Warrick. I read “The Confessions of Phoebe Tyler” years ago. It is a great autobiography.

To read a good book of advice by a celebrity read, “Wear Your Life Well, Use What You have To Get What You Want,” by Marilou Henner. Lucci tends to talk down to her readers. It is like she is lecturing us. We her fans know we are not perfect. Nice of Ms. Lucci to take the time to show us how wonderful life can be when one is perfect.

I like Donna Reed much better.

I believe in self improvement; I don't believe in perfection.