Giddy! Giddy! Giddy! "Let me tell you what I did!" is every bit as tantalizing as "Let me tell you a story!" Don't you think? Especially when we know it will include criminally prosecutable acts of perjury, embezzlement and slander! Nola likes to wait until the second date before disclosing information she should go to prison for.
Karen Moy LOVES me! She knows how I respond to the most beautiful words in the Worthiverse: I'm going to tell you a story. Never doubt Karen Moy's love for me. The following panels prove the extent of that love! 
I love Mary's horrified skepticism and Jill's reckless look of determination in this panel. Well, Mary...this should teach you not to meddle. There's no way a psychopath like Jill won't make things completely worse by trying to make things up to Adrian. This should be the best wedding ever!
This has been the best Christmas ever. Thank you Mary Worth. I thought Jill making a scene at the rehearsal dinner was as good as it could get, but now a story?! I love stories! Here are four of my favorites:
Today's Full Strip
Those of you who have read this blog for a while KNOW how absolutely giddy I am right now. Bonnie is going to tell a story! It doesn't get any BETTER than THIS! It's what I wait for and I have NEVER been disappointed. Was I disappointed when Mary Worth told Adrian Corey a story about the Mysterious Man who got away, leaving her stuck to date Adrian's father?
No, I was NOT! No, I was NOT!No, I was NOT!
Well, Mary Worth, you promised us a story, and girl did you deliver. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that we are in for a delight. A Mary Worth story is always AWESOME! I can't tell you how excited I am. Almost as excited as when Lynn Griffin explained why she passed out on the ice...... or when Mary explained the origins of her compulsion to help others.Yes indeed, this is going to ROCK! 
For those of you who have never experienced a Mary Worth Flashback, let me prepare you for the excitement you are about to endure. First, Lynn will talk about telling a story for perhaps a week. Then Lynn will give three weeks worth of exposition. A character will be introduced, in this case a boy, and Lynn will talk about her feelings for the character. And then after about five weeks, Something Will Happen. Usually something nice. Like someone being kind, or generous, or vaguely romantic. Whatever it is can usually be accomplished with minimal physical motion. Then Lynn will talk about how her life has been changed by this experience. (See My Compulsion to Help Others.) So, as you can see, this will be great, just as long as Lynn's story doesn't contain any action.
Ladies and gentlemen. Here it is in its entirety, with very few alterations made only to add clarity in this monologue form.To quote a wise person, “Kindness is my true religion.” But when I look back on my past I know my compulsion to help others is more than that… You know, it’s fascinating how our experiences shape who we are in so many ways! Something happened in my past! Something I’ve never forgotten! I have a story to tell you! It’s really not out of the ordinary to look back sometimes! We’re all in the same boat, really! I’m not alone when I say that something happened in my childhood that shaped who I am today! I usually don’t speak about my past, because I like to live in the present! But you asked where I get my compulsion to help others, so I’ll tell you a story! You know, I wasn’t always as you see me today! Remember, things are not always what they seem! I went through a difficult time as a child, before my mother remarried and circumstances improved! My father was out of the picture early on! This forced my mother to look for work, and left me to fend for myself! I was a child of a broken home who had no one to properly take care of me! My mother did her best! Unfortunately, it often wasn’t enough! Who's to say why things happen the way they do? We grow in character because we struggle. We learn and overcome. I used to go to sleep without dinner. Hungry for food… for love… most of all, for a feeling of self worth! Later on, things improved! But not before I went to bed hungry for more nights than a child should have to bear! There were times in my childhood, when I felt unloved, and unworthy! It wasn’t only due to the lack of food or money, either! [My mother] wasn’t a consistent presence in those days! Still, I hoped things would change! It’s been said, “Suffering produces endurance… and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Luckily, I had my friend, Cathy. She didn’t care that my clothes were more than a little worn. We played as kids do. We used to talk and laugh and delight in the insignificant. Friendship isn’t a big thing. It’s a million little things. Sometimes we didn’t talk. Friendship needs no words. Despite having a friend, the feeling of being lowly and unworthy persisted. I tried to pretend I was the same as other kids, but at home I faced cold hard reality. There’s more to my story. As I said before, something happened that was a turning point for me. It raised me up. Made me feel differently about myself. As I was saying, when I was with my friend Cathy, she made me feel better as friends often do. With her I felt like a normal little girl, instead of a neglected child in a broken home. At my house it was a different story. Having her as a friend almost made the long days and nights more bearable. Almost. Sometimes I visited Cathy’s house. Her parents were kind people. One time, I was quiet and seated at their dinner table. When Cathy’s mother started to say grace, I was unsure, so I followed the others’ example. Then something happened that would change my life forever! Cathy’s mother concluded saying grace, “And let us give thanks for having Mary here… who is always welcome at our home for dinner.” As the child of a broken home, I took note of myself. And of a higher power in that one instance. Over the years, circumstances improved… especially after my mother remarried. But that one incident stands out in my mind because I felt something shift inside. One act of kindness made me feel differently about myself. It’s hard to explain it, Toby. Lao-Tse said, “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profundity. Kindness in giving creates love.” Because of Cathy and because of what Cathy’s mother said, “And let us give thanks for having Mary here, who is always welcome at our house for dinner,” I am who I am today! I help others and I am able to care! That incident made me feel that I am worthy of receiving and ultimately… giving! It’s amazing how a simple act can be transforming. Harold Kushner said, “When you are kind to others, it not only changes you. It changes the world.” What seems unimportant today may take on greater meaning tomorrow. We affect each other in ways that are not always obvious. Children especially are sensitive to things said and done. The simplest word, the smallest deed can have an effect! It’s never too late to have an effect in someone’s life. I was profoundly affected by the kindness of strangers! Someone reached out to me when I needed it most! And now I reach out to others! It’s a privilege to help others as I’ve been helped!… In any way I can… whether it’s advising someone… or inviting a lonely soul to my place for dinner. I’ve gone through hardship, and instead of becoming bitter and angry about it, I’ve taken the high road. It’s called perspective. It comes with experience! Instead of ignoring my past, I look back at the things I truly am grateful for. Like my friend Cathy and her family. They were a Godsend. And they weren’t the only ones! But that’s a story for another day. Lyndon B. Johnson said, “We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it.” Looking back makes me feel nostalgic. That’s why I try not to do it too often. I hope I answered your question about what compels me to help others.
Oh, for the love of Pete. It is taking Mary longer to introduce this story than it took Drew to uproot his entire life and move to Vietnam.