Julie Ainger

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2021

Stories (473)

473 Stories

73 karma pts

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“Fragile.” by Julie Ainger

Do. Not. Disturb.Look.Don’t touch.I need my personal space.Away from you.Don’t Look, Don’t Touch.Disgusting.Who?YouOr.Me.Learned.Innate.What makes you, you?Genes versus environment.🍷🍩💪🏻🍺🥊Bring it On.Bring your “A” game.If you have more than one, may God have mercyOn you.No worries.Unafraid.Not scared.Won’t even flinch.Things are about the get “fugly”Worse than ugly.Word of caution.Or.Word of warning.I am a cry-er.Always have been.It’s a good release.So.Bring In On.Hit me with your best shot.Won’t even flinch.I have been fighting superficiali...

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“ Attaboy Atavism and Old-fashioned Idiosyncrasies” by Julie Ainger

Surreal.Is this really happening?What just happened?I, for one,Didn’t see it coming.Whew.Talk about aging gracefully.I would settle for not aging before my number is up.Times are tough. Rough and tough. Tough and rough.There are moments when the brain waves are not able to keep up.Before.After.Yesterday.Tomorrow.Whenever.Yep.Stand together if we’re gonna survive. (gb)Provided the choice to stand up is yours.We are, after all, tipping our hats in the direction of the survivors.The survival of the fittest.Might as well throw the hats in the ri...

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“Making ends meet” by Julie Ainger

Apocalyptic.UnveiledRevelation.PropheticCoincidence.Pick one?Pick one.Which one?Were we all to live in a state of euphoria, what might life looks like? Would we all be floating around the sky, smiling at one another, exchanging glances of regard and neighborly waves?Magical.Logical.Practical.Mathematical.Pick one?Pick one.Which oneWhere might this mystical place be…..Here. There. Everywhere.In our minds?In our hearts?In our souls?Pick one?Pick one.Which oneOur consciousnesses sometimes take a back seat to our sub consciousnesses…..Or maybe…....

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“Original Intent.” by Julie Ainger

Death at the Vanity Table.Open to interpretation.Human nature provides us a template of principles and tools to live with and by.(rg)Today is a day of bewail that has been a dreaded thing long and coming.Opposites attract.Opposites attack.The vituperation became quiet, loud, ever present and definitely not proud.Sometimes. The intended original use of the matter becomes skewed beyond anybody’s recognition. Forgetting is not an option. Remembering rears its ugly head.(more on ugly later)Constantly.I confess.The simmering residuals have prompt...

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“Aced out ” by Julie Ainger

Aced out.Based out.Maced out.Blessed is the man holding the four aces. 🔥 Good ole’ Mark Twain does it again. Philosophically astute and willing to speak the quiet parts out loud.Twain furthers:”I admire the serene assurance of those who have religious faith. It is wonderful to observe the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces.Knowing the game. How to play the game. The art of the deal. Gambling has never been a thing for me. Not that I don’t appreciate the pomp and circumstance and the pure tenacity of those who belly up to the table...

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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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