Let’s first go over what The Strawman Fallacy (or argument) is: The straw man fallacy involves misrepresenting an opponent’s position to make it easier to refute. It oversimplifies an opposing view or disregards inconvenient points in favor of points that are easy to argue against. The flow of this fallacy of relevance usually goes like … Read More
Making home the haven. Now that sounds nice, doesn’t? But is it easy? Hell no, at least not at first. But the fact is, if you’ve married a police officer, then you know you didn’t sign on for ‘easy’. After I wrote my story “Life Lessons I’ve Learned From Being A Police Wife” I was … Read More
If you’re a longtime Christian, bear with me here as I learn and navigate and maybe too boisterously share my discoveries. In fact, you can skip down to the last paragraph, if you’d like. If you’re new, like me, let’s chat for a sec. Okay, can I first ask… doesn’t this feel like we just … Read More
Usually, we save the best and most important message of a story for last. Not this time. The number one, most effective way to survive in troubled times is: God. I’m not talking a casual, call on ya when I need something relationship with Him. I’m talking about a deep, abiding faith and trust in … Read More
I Don’t Know Who Needs To Read This, But… Cut yourself some slack, mama. Or papa, or whoever you are. Yeah, we see these quotes all the time – the slow downs, smell the roses, get Zen, breathe, chill, and my favorite: Embrace the Chaos – we know, we know. We also know it’s easier … Read More
Now, That’s Empowerment Big, HUGE topic, I know. It’s one I just happen to love, too. Women inspiring and empowering other women. I mean, just… how COOL is that? I have to confess, up until recent years, I thought the concept was largely a myth. So, What Changed? Let’s face it. Women are often really, … Read More
YOU WROTE IT, NOW WHAT? First, it was a presentation… Then it became a book… Now, it’s an Eight Week Course! Join me as I take new and aspiring writer’s through the writing, publishing, self-promoting, and book signing event processes in this enlightening, inspiring, and MOTIVATING course. In This Course: I’ll help you… … Read More
My Attempt to Understand by Modern Melly Why… It’s the age old question, right? The one we use the most, I’ll venture a guess. Sometimes it’s easy to answer- ‘Mommy, why do I have to wear shoes’- other times, less so- ‘Daddy, why do bad things happen?’ It’s our inherent nature to seek explanation, … Read More
by ModernMelly Let’s begin with what it is: em·pow·er·ment – əmˈpouərmənt/ : the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. “political steps for the empowerment of women” There. Okay, now we’ve got the dictionary.com definition (or at least part of it). It’s one of my favorite … Read More
Own Your Fifty ModernMelly The Dark Side of Life About 11 years (or so) ago I was in a dark, ugly, personal space in life, in my mind, and especially in my heart. It sucked. It also led me to make reckless choices that not only impacted me, they affected those around me. I mean, of course … Read More
Reckless Words By ModernMelly Your Words Matter We grew up chanting, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me!” Well, that was a lie. Words can hurt like hell. Have you ever been told, “I don’t love you anymore”? That hurts. Have you even been told you aren’t good enough, smart … Read More
A Heathen Talks Faith By ModernMelly Are You A Heathen, Too? Heathen. How many of us are heathens? To me, that word always seemed more nefarious than it actually is. Turns out, according to a basic definition, a heathen is merely someone who does not belong to a widely held religion. Not so wicked after all, … Read More
Keep It Classy, Ladies by Modern Melly People rarely say or do things to amaze me anymore. I hate to sound jaded, but it’s true. They do, however, totally baffle me. Sometimes I wonder if it’s me. Am I the one who’s wacky?! Okay, technically- yes. Yes, I am wacky in my own way (or so my … Read More
Am I Self Critical or Constructive? Understanding the Power of Positivity Modern Melly Before I get into the whole ‘Am I self critical or constructive’ thing, let me start by telling you this: I have three distinct blog writing modes: 1) Super Snarky Soap Box Posts 2) Random Look At The Pretty Butterfly Posts 3) I Will Pahmp … Read More
You Have No Power Over Me A Modern Melly original post & pep talk for 2017 There’s a line in the movie Labyrinth (high on my ALL TIME FAVORITES list) when Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) remembers the one, most singular truth she’d not realized about Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie, I kid you not) and herself, … Read More
Year In Review. Kind Of-ish by ModernMelly Well, hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?! Hope you’re all doing well & have made it through 2016 as unscathed as one could be after 365 days of getting out there and adulting in what has proven to be an interesting year indeed. I’m well, thank you … Read More
Let Me Start By Saying… Obviously, by my many posts, you know I’m a wee bit opinionated. Not in a dick-ish way (I hope, at least), just in a “I’ve a very strong, set perspective” way. For instance, I’ve been a little very vocal on the candidates and who’d best serve. None of which I’ll … Read More
I Am The Fraction A Police Wife’s Vent By ModernMelly World Gone Mad I saw a meme yesterday of a man sitting in a chair, popcorn in lap, watching wide-eyed the world on fire, and I thought, ‘yes, exactly’. I thought about that image for a while; that he sat there passively, just watching, as … Read More
Dear Cop Hater By ModernMelly My ‘Open Letter’ Dear Cop hater/basher/anti-law enforcement wing nuts, Hey there. So, you don’t like cops, hmmm? Okay, well, I thought I’d take a moment to give you all the shout out you so desperately and constantly seek, then I’m going to right back to my amazingly blessed law enforcement … Read More
I felt compelled today to take a moment and write a passage that speaks to a phrase I find myself often saying to my husband when hearing about things that have happened on the job over the years. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is a 30+ year veteran Police Officer (in my … Read More
You Are Not Broken A Girl’s Mantra by Elsa Kurt Broken. We hear this word so often in the context of humans, of human relationships. It bothers me, gets right under my skin and digs like a splinter- one of those little tiny ones you can feel but can’t quite get at, this contextual usage. Broken? … Read More
Normal. What is that, exactly? By simple definition, normal is : “the usual, average, or typical state or condition” of something. Normal used include conversations where, when someone asked what my husband did for a living, I’d say ‘he’s a police officer’. They’d be impressed, or at least intrigued, express some form of gratitude, I’d feel … Read More
Soul Mate, Or Soul Sucker? By ModernMelly I read a Facebook post late last night, just before bed, from a beautiful young woman; a gut wrenching breakup post that instantly sent me back to the heartbreaks of my youth. Now, I won’t minimize this girl’s devastation, her certainty that she’d just lost her soul … Read More
Making home the haven. Now that sounds nice, doesn’t? But is it easy? Hell no, at least not at first. But the fact is, if you’ve married a police officer, then you know you didn’t sign on for ‘easy’. After I wrote my story “Life Lessons I’ve Learned From Being A Police Wife” I was asked … Read More
So I have to preface this post with an explanation: Last week my husband and I were having a difference of opinion- okay, fine, a bit of an argument really- about an obligation versus a commitment, which one takes precedence, which of us was right, which was wrong, blah blah blah. It happens, no big … Read More
Woo. Awkward one.I mean, for me it is- or was, at least. Religion, particularly the Catholic kind, has always given me the distinct feeling of discomfort. Like, if someone started talking about their trust in the Almighty, or the ‘Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior’, oh, my God (yeah, I saw what I just did … Read More
Dear Sibling of a Special Needs Child, The first thing I’d like to say to you, is simply: Hello. I want to let you know, I see you there. Fidgeting, waiting, hoping. I see you watching as everyone smiles at your sibling, while you stand back just a little ways. Yes, I do see you, … Read More
12 Happy Pages For Social Media Addicts By Modern Melly Hello fellow social media addicts! Disclaimer: This is not a support group, nor will I try to persuade you to step away from the computer/laptop/tablet/smartphone and go enjoy nature and a real conversation with spoken words and no emoticons. Nope, that’s someone else’s job. … Read More
Anyone that reads my stories knows I love social media, Facebook particularly, and that I start my day by reading my Facebook wall like it’s the morning paper. In my defense: it is like the morning paper; there’s your world news, local news, entertainment, but then there’s so much more: updates on how friends and family are starting … Read More
I admit it. I hash-tagged “Never Forget” this morning, posted it on social media along with one of the many, many, heart breaking photos from September 11, 2011. Then I immediately regretted it. But not because I don’t feel it, or think it. Not because I don’t have reverence and solemnity for all those innocent … Read More
With so many topics to choose from- Donald Trump running for President (love it. Gasp, I said it), the senseless and cowardly slaughter of Cecil the Lion (heartsick over it), Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts (conflicted about it), ISIS (violently hate it), Horrible Hillary(nuff said), and so many more mind melting news stories, I’ve … Read More
“Welcome winds of change…” or so I keep telling myself. Repeatedly. Daily. Almost hourly. From where did this obsessiveness with this phrase come? Ah, well it started last week, as I absently scrolled down my Facebook wall. Meme after meme, post after post, article after article. I was in a “Facebook fog”- a phenomenon as equally … Read More
Yes. That’s right: Boxes, Prayers & Swears. Where’s she going with this, right? Well, it’s kinda my thing, among other things, of course, for getting through life’s ‘stuff’. I love all three, plus one that’s not up there: Drinks. I left it out so as not to offend the teetotalers. I’m nice like that, because … Read More
“That word: Police, is worn with pride, dignity and respect by thousands of good men and women, so how dare we sully their service with such an ugly word?”
You Think You Know Me (Because Once, You Knew Me) by ModernMelly A funny thing happened when I began dating my husband: I changed. At least, that’s how some people in my life have put it. Instinctively, I bristle, and want to say screw you, because that’s what comes to mind first. Granted, I’d be more … Read More
As you, of course know (because you follow my blog so devoutly. Wink, wink.) I am a police loving, lipstick wearing, Steve Perry obsessed, I Love You, Man drinker, who has a penchant for imagining that I am living an ever running live TV show, of which I am obviously: The Star. As the star of … Read More
“We see their heart, we know their soul. We are their safe place …We are the relief at the end of a shift where they have seen the worst that humanity has to offer.”
I woke up this morning excited that my daughter and her boyfriend were coming over for breakfast. Watching my daughter as an adult, navigating her way through life, is something I still marvel at still, even though she’s been on her own for nearly two years now. It got me thinking about both of my … Read More
My husband and I met over a dozen years ago, through a dating website. We both, come to find out, just wanted to try something out of our comfort zones, neither actually “looking for love” or a one night stand for that matter. For me, as a self professed “in a bubble” girl. I only … Read More
7 Rules For UnF*cking Your Divorce (When You Have Kids) by ModernMelly Writing What I Know As an aspiring (paid) writer, I’ve often heard, and taken to heart, the sage advice to “write what you know.” Logical advice, isn’t it? Because it would silly beyond reason for me to sit here and attempt to write … Read More
Last night I went to sleep thinking, ‘Tomorrow, I’m going to work on a happy/light post for the blog!” That exclamation point was overkill, I wasn’t that exuberant for God sakes. Not to say that I’m unenthusiastic about blogging, I really am. I love the fact that letters strung together to create words, which can become … Read More
…. I’d hit the point of hyper focused determination to get myself straightened out. So hyper focused that I wasn’t daunted by the prospect of changing every thing I did…
