Julie Ainger

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2021

Stories (453)

453 Stories

73 karma pts

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“Mules with no rules on the path of smuggler’s row……..Off we go?” by Julie Ainger

Into the wild blue yonder?No.The mules with no rules continue to ignore the by ways, by laws and boundaries. Broken morality the only vice leading their way.The only answer worth its weight in salt.Is.No.There is more than one way to skin a cat.There is more than one way to stop the madness.There is more to moving the goal post, than thinking you can,Move the goal post.On a whim.Your whim.His whim.Her whim.In the most desperate of times, sometimes good and evil walk hand in hand. Across boundaries and borders in hope of a better life.Traffic...

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“The cries, crisis and mimicries of Rumpus and Trouble” by Julie Ainger

Trouble.The trouble with trouble is it takes no prisoners.It takes, all prisoners.Get what I am saying?As a young child, we are told not to do this or that or we will get in“Trouble”.There is a way to avoid trouble.🤔It is called trouble shooting.🤨The state of being difficult or bothersome.Effort or exertion made to do something, especially when inconvenient.A source of bother or irritation.A particular aspect of something regarded as unsatisfactory or as a source of difficulty.A state of unrest or disorder, usually between opposing factions....

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“Dirty Gerty” by Julie Ainger

Two of life’s best smells.🙂.103 years.Of a well lived life of family and responsibility. Delicious sugar cookies too.And.She drank coffee and ate bacon for more than half of those years.When I smell either, it brings me back……To a tiny home filled with welcoming love.To a time when seven of us piled into the station wagon (with parents who smoked cigarettes😮‍💨at the time) and headed to the magical place of fun and love. For celebration of family and each other.Gatherings of family and connection.In autumn, the yearly gathering was called “Br...

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“The Three Hardest Words” by Julie Ainger

It is never an easy thing to say for some.For others, it rolls off the tongue much too easily.Too rehearsed like the word”Um”.A filler phrase in the sentence filled with a lifetime of regrets.Yours.Mine.Ours.Taking the ownership that is due,One or the other.Who will make first move?Who will make the first move matter?In the long run.In the short run even.Who will make the next move better?Who will make the next move worse?The circles and cycles continue.The banging the head on the wall.Slamming doors.Smiles of recognition.My mistake.Your mis...

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““Um”, fillers, pauses and stammers” by Julie Ainger

Put your seat belts on kids.Egads!We are in for a rocky ride.Ahem!We will not be lovin’ eye contact anytime soon.Hurrah!We have each other to hold on to.Er!What do you mean by that?Boo!I don’t like you. I like the other one.Jeepers!Where’d you get those peepers.Ouch!I did not think you noticed.Phooey!I don’t care if you noticed.Amen!He is around us to hold our hand.Wow!To the Amen he is around us to hold our hand.Shucks!He is around us to hold our hand.Humbled!He is around us to hold our hand.Golly!He is the bestest of the best.Hey!Would you...

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“Finicky Fastidiousness” by Julie Ainger

Variety is the spice of life.Arguments, debates and debatable questions for or against this concept are out there. Way out there. Here. There.Everywhere.Gift wrapped. In the strangest of times wrapped up in a tightly wound bandage of contradictions and challenges.Sometimes ya just gotta rip off the band aid.(rh)Ouch.What comes oozing out may be grosser than gross.Some may argue that routine is security. Routine is good.Finicky Fastidious is a monster to some. To others it is a blanket of security all wrapped up tightly into a moment of “Hey,...

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“Curb Appeal. Curd Appeal. Curve Appeal.” by Julie Ainger

Don’t judge a book by its cover.I think I smell cheese, or mold.They kinda are the same thing.One eventually turns into another……🐭🧀🐹🧀🐭🧀The quiet ones.The cute ones.The quiet and cute little ones.They are the ones to watch.The drive by’s and the agents are salivating, foaming at the mouth even.There is a whole lotta lurking going on……..The walls may have ears.Or it may really be the rodents up there having a field day…..on your heirlooms and antiques..the rust and dust just too darn inviting. Having the party of all parties on you, and your c...

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“The devil is in the details” by Julie Ainger

The funny thing about life….As young children we are taught to wash our hands. When we come into the house from our play, when we sit down at the table to share a meal. The thinking behind such a practice is we will learn to respect those around us, the effort they put into us for our well being and growth. Our growth of good and kind and giving individuals.Problems, complications and gossip arise when the perception of the action changes over time. If we “wash our hands” of someone or something you were previously responsible for, you inten...

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“ The moment moral compass leads to moral compassion.” by Julie Ainger

A lie of omission?A sin of omission?What is your mission?The traveler who comes to the wounded man’s aid is the least likely to show sympathy.How do you like them apples?I, for one, go bananas.At the thought.Of another person struggling, their struggles.Our neighbor is the one who needs the help that we can give him, whoever he may be. (wjb)The idea of compassion is challenged in the story of “Echo and Narcissus” by Thomas Bulfinch. Self-absorption often makes compassion impossible, and vice verse. Is it a fear, a state of mind. When is the ...

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“Dogging Dogma. All good things must come to an end. “Sorry”.” by Julie Ainger

Scars.Reminders.Visible.Invisible.Hidden.Left behind.For others to see.War wounds.Buried.For others to figure out.Ugh.The Story of Scarface. A Blackfoot Indian tale of honesty, loyalty, friendship, courage, self-discipline, in the life of a young boy brave and loyal, carrying fortitude. (wjb)A really brave boy. A boy who fought a grizzly bear. Yep. A grizzly bear while on a hunting party with the guys. While the desperate fight with the grizzly occurred, the bear set its claws in the boy’s face and tore it cruelly. When the wound healed, the...

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“Reductio ad absurdism is kinda dumb. Proof by contradiction. 🤨” by Julie Ainger

I object.To the madness.And the currentState of affairs.Logic + reason=facade + absurd= A flat earth?Various and varied theories have stood the test of time on this particular argument.Can you imagine what we would ALL a look like without gravity around to, say, “pull us up”. At least the various parts of ourselves, our bodies.Ridiculous conclusions. The tests of the test if we really know what we are talking about. Against the evidence of our senses. Our senses Our sensibilities.Enter: Absurd. Absurdity. Ridiculous. Ridiculosity.And a whole...

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“Anticipation and the What If’s” by Julie Ainger

I can’t sleep.A little nervous about tomorrow.New beginnings can be scary.I roll over thinking that will help, but the thoughts roll over with me.The list is endless.The list of What If’s.I am not certain whether or not to dread, or to be excited.Maybe if I write it down,all the possible train wreck-y things that may occur, I will feel better. I might as well make productive use of my time given that sleep is not on the table or with my pillow and my bed for right now.Here goes.What If list:What If I cannot find my first class.What if the ha...

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“No!! Nope!! No!! Nope!! And other atmospheric gestures.” by Julie Ainger

May the road rise to meet you.The wind be ever at your back.May the Lord hold you in the hollow of his hand.The power of reason lies within the power to say “No”.Not gonna happen.Growing pains do not only hit us in adolescence.Nope.They come around at other times of life too.What goes around comes around.The biggest lesson to remember.Nope.We cannot all get along.How will you know where to spend your efforts, spend your time.You will know.And.When it stops working.For them.For you.You will know some more. 😬Pawning the life of others in an at...

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“Bed Bug Brigade. ” by Julie Ainger

The revolving door of uninvited intruders.When one door closes, does another door open?If we knew the answer, we would all, and I do mean all, would be“Sitting pretty”.That darn game of musical chairs though………..What happened?The inability to say “No”, or think you could not say “Yes”, got so, killed. Dead upon arrival.Some repeatedly made and make the “Final Cut” while many, many of the rest were destined to sit around (would there to be a place to sit) and wait it out. Again and again. And. Again and again. And. Again and again.While the “...

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“Numb” by Julie Ainger

Please.Please don’t.Please don’t do.Please don’t do it.There is so much work to do.So much good work to do.And we need ya’.The Life of Hard Knocks.The Life of Hard Knocks is pounding.LOUD.On your head.In your head.Over your head🤨.Sometimes learning and education can be a pain in the a**. Painful.We all succumb to the tendencies to block it all out. To pretend it does not exist. To ignore the face staring realities. We all are born with the extraordinary ability to learn. New things. old things. new stuff. Old stuff.It is in remembering that ...

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