Articles written by Pamela A Mertz

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About me - Pamela A Mertz

Pamela Mertz has been a Toastmaster since April 2006, and presently serves as President of her local Toastmasters club. She earned her Competent Communicator (CC) and Competent Leader (CL) Toastmasters awards in less than a year and a half. Pam also earned

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Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Thoughts on death and living: 1 of 27

A recent memorial service for a friend really gave me pause to think about community, and how critical it is to have a community of love and support while we are living. We should not wait until someone dies to celebrate the goodness we have in life. I met Jean at a time in my life when I needed help, and I was strong enough...
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Power: 1 of 23

When it rises up, I try fiercely to push it down. Sometimes it comes with no warning, and washes over me like the tide crashing against jagged rocks, much like the jagged edges of my heart. Other times, I feel the slightest trickle of warning, and I can quell it before it grips and takes hold. When it surprises me like that ...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Childhood memories: 14 of 135

I was 10 or 11 years old that day, when I came around the corner and saw the fire truck down the street. Even from the corner, I had this sinking feeling that the fire truck was at my house. I couldn't see which house it was in front of, but I just knew it there for my house. My first thought was to turn around and go back, ...
Sciences > Psychology Change and how people deal with it: 3 of 28

My cheese keeps moving and I don't like it. I get used to my cheese being in a certain place and that's where I expect it to be when I look for cheese. Change is an inevitable part of life, but still, most of us resist it. One of the best books I ever read is Who Moved My Cheese? (by Spencer Johnson). The story is a fable ab...
Religion & Spirituality > Spiritual Insights On living your life to the fullest: 3 of 23

A really great book I read recently is "When Nietzsche Wept" by Irvin Yalom. It is the fictional account of two men who become profoundly connected with each other through what became the beginnings of modern talk-therapy. At one point, the main character Nietzsche reflects about "the horror of an unobserved life". That is v...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Memories: 13 of 69

Bingo Today I went to play bingo. I have enjoyed playing bingo for years. I first started going with my mother when I was a pre-teen. We went to St James School, which had a bingo game every Friday night in the school gym. Back then, you played 20 games for a prize of $20 per game. We only spent a couple of bucks to play bin...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: How will you be remembered?: 15 of 59

I am one of those people who read obituaries. I have always been interested in learning how people are described and remembered after their death. Some obituary notices are so short you have to wonder, did that person do anything note-worthy in their life. Or did that person just not have anyone who cared enough to ensure th...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Expressing thoughts: 7 of 27

On Abandonment I have been thinking of the whole concept of abandonment a lot. I have experienced some in my life. I recently tried to talk about what that means for me, and my feelings connected to abandonment. I found it was easier to write it. I have always been afraid that whenever I get close to someone and bare my soul...
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: How do you love someone who doesn't love you?: 11 of 41

You pretend that you are just friends. You don't let him know that your heart overflows with emotion every time you talk on the phone. You act like you have a tickle in your throat when you are really getting choked up. You long for him to come to his senses. You keep your deepest feelings in check, for you suspect he may gu...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Death of a loved one: 37 of 129

My grandmother passed away in October 2003. She had spent the last two years of her life waging a fierce battle against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Both of these debilitating conditions robbed my grandmother of who she really was and had been. Alzheimer's disease is tough on everyone involved, not just the patient....