Punkynotes

I've published a variety of articles, poems, and humorous narratives. I currently have ebooks for sale on different sites (click on My Books/Song above). Besides my writing, I enjoy my family (love those grandkids!), traveling, and ballroom dancing in the Phoenix area.

[punkynotes]

Don’t Lose Opportunities

Sometimes it’s hard to step out there and showcase yourself.  You want to shrink back into that hedge; you don’t think you’ll be good enough.  If you don’t take a deep breath and try in the moment, you’ll miss an opportunity to shine or at least practice.  In some cases, you may never see those people again that you are encountering, so go for it!

[punkynotes]

Do Conversation Fillers Give our Brain a Rest or Show We Don’t Know How to Converse?

When we repeat fillers throughout our sentences, maybe we’re just trying to give our brains time to reset so we can carry on with our conversations. However, using you know, you know what I mean, I don’t know, anyway, actually, you see, the thing is, etc. can be wearisome to the listener and I think makes the listener think you have nothing better to say.  What’s wrong with ending a sentence and then beginning the next or learning some better vocabulary?  

[punkynotes]

Different Times

Truthfully there is a time for everything. It’s an individual decision when that time is. Not everyone does the same thing at the same time.  One buys a two story house when the family is starting to secure little ones in rooms above the ground, while one buys a single story house as ligaments and bones become a little less flexible. We tie knots in our life strings far apart or close together, but rarely matching others’. These lines encompass the world, swirling with diversity.

[punkynotes]

Will They Ever Learn?

You would think that in this era of social media where everyone seems to be a watch dog, something such as the intimidation by Wells Fargo wouldn’t take place. Despite eyes and opinions abounding, some people still think they can get away with malicious, destructive behavior. What is it going to take to stop them, because they don’t seem to understand cause and effect or even its possibility?

[punkynotes]

Prove Me Wrong

I have often felt that I am completely right about an issue.  It makes sense, I’ve seen similar circumstances that could have similar effects, I have had experience with the subject, and/or I’ve researched the issue.  If I feel strongly about it, I’ll say “prove me wrong”, because I would hate to have passed up an opportunity to warn someone or give that person positivity.

[punkynotes]

Fundraiser for Parkinson’s Disease

For the months of June and July, I’m donating half of any downloads of my ebooks to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease.  My cousin has this disease, so our family is affected by it.  Please see the listing of ebooks at the links below.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=betty+mermelstein

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/561562

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/392644

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/385978

http://www.lulu.com/shop/betty-mermelstein/kings-lake-discoveries/ebook/product-21806505.html

[punkynotes]

Shared Memories of Ancestors

I’ve read it’s a possibility that we not only share DNA from our ancestors, but also memories.  Maybe that familiarity I felt when I stepped into an original log cabin when I was young was not feelings from a past life, but a memory from one of my great-grandparents.  How cool would that be?  All those stored thoughts from so many people on both sides is an overwhelming consideration, but if even a few came through, I would certainly feel that strong connection to those who have gone before me and helped to make me who I am today.

[punkynotes]

The Decision that Isn’t Yours to Make

You’re close enough to someone that a decision concerning his or her family could affect your future, but it’s not really up to you to get involved in that decision.  What do you do?  Concentrate on the positive effects from whatever turn that decision takes, and there may be different options.  You KNOW you can’t just forget about it, anyway.

[punkynotes]

Make Your Own Memories

We can’t make other people’s memories, no more than someone else can force what we choose to remember.  Setting up a wonderful place to meet, meal to eat, music to hear, or presents to give doesn’t necessarily win a place in someone’s cortex.  Let the neurons fall where they may.

[punkynotes]

Keep Trying

I have often jokingly said to myself that my epitaph will be “She Tried”.  Though it almost sounds like a pathetic attempt was made without success, it really is a testimony to endeavoring to make things happen and make things better with whatever I’ve done.  It’s worth it: keep trying.

[punkynotes]

Discovering Early Talent

The time to expose children to a variety of activities is early, early, early!  I know a two-year old who skateboards, a five-year old who is a future tennis star, and a one-year old who sings Frozen with abounding enthusiasm (even if you can’t understand her).  So many people could get or could have gotten a jumpstart to their creativity if given the experiences sooner than later.  

[punkynotes]

Expectations

Expectations should be realistic.  Not everyone will give you what you want emotionally: even members of your family.  There are many reasons for this from dealing with their own situations to not being aware of what you’re really looking for.  I’ve learned to lower my expectations, unless I’m really in need, and then I might be pleasantly surprised.

[punkynotes]

Abandoned by Affiliations

We sometimes feel left out from others’ affiliations.  It’s not just their physical organizations and meetings.  It’s what they call them.  I lovingly call Cape Cod, the Cape, even though some might be cringing as the Cape is Cape Kennedy in their minds.  I join Arizonans in announcing that I’m going up to Flag (Flagstaff) for the weekend and bond with Upstate New Yorkers when discussing the history of the fort in Ti (Ticonderoga).  You can still see my own eyes rolling, though, when someone assigns their own label that doesn’t include me.  What do you mean you’re going to Cali?  Oh, please!

[punkynotes]

Political Application

There has been so much published in all kinds of media about the dangers and impropriety of bashing people on social media: name calling, racist comments, degrading sexual orientation to name just a few.  Warnings of how we should treat others don’t seem to apply to some of the people who are currently or are hoping to become the leaders in governing our country.

[punkynotes]

Keep Professionalism

Things that people need to still do to maintain an air of professionalism;  these seem to be lacking in the past ten years or so.

Dress up enough to show whatever you’re doing is important to you. (Nix the videographer who shows up at the wedding in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.)

Reply to someone in a reasonable amount of time. (No, it’s not okay to take four months to fix the repair I have told you about for each of the past four months.)

Reply to someone at all. (You’re a city public library.  You really should reply to someone who has written you twice.)

Act like you like your job. (Your telling me about your product.  Am I boring you?)

Care about what you’re writing. (You don’t have to go far to find typos and poor grammar on the internet, even from local reporters.)

[punkynotes]

Generalizations Don’t Solve Problems

You don’t have to look far to see a very public example of someone who speaks in generalizations without offering specific solutions to problems.  Some presidential candidates are giving us very little in the way of explanation of fixes: “it’s gonna be great”, “we want to have confidence in America again”, etc. are the loose statements they present. We sometimes make the mistake of saying the same in our personal lives.  “It’ll be okay” or “Just get over it” are generalizations that offer no actual solution to problems, and I think that leave the person with no definite steps to a positive goal.

[punkynotes]

Scenery Makes Us Friendlier

We walk along the path following the lake, winding through the trees that obscure, then highlight, the vista of the calm water.  Kayaks, pedal boats, and those with electric motors glide over the blue-gray liquid.  Who wouldn’t enjoy this scene?  Each person that passes us says “hello” or at least smiles.  It is not a place for frowning or staring ahead.  Everyone is friendly.  The scenery makes us friendly.  I always wondered how wars could take place in such beautiful places throughout the world.