Paul A. Merkley
Bio
Mental traveller. Idealist. Try to be low-key but sometimes hothead. Curious George. "Ardent desire is the squire of the heart." Love Tolkien, Cinephile. Awards ASCAP, Royal Society. Music as Brain Fitness: www.musicandmemoryjunction.com
Achievements (1)
Stories (103)
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Dinner with Friends
Magilla Gorman arrived late to Girls Night Out, and slid his very large frame into the booth. That was okay because they always left one of the end seats of the booth open for him, seeing as how Magillla was claustrophobic. How bad? The eminent psychiatrist, the best in Geyserville had asked him that, explaining that with the new phobia cures you can get over almost anything. Magilla told him he couldn’t wear a coat in the car, even unzipped. The psychiatrist, as Magilla told it, lowered his voice to a semi-hypnotically suggestive whisper, and said, “Just stay away from closed-in spaces and it shouldn’t be a problem.”
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Fiction
Cracking the Sleep Mystery
I suck at sleeping, and in the past five years it has been harder (worse) than before. There. I’ve said it. I’m not embarrassed to admit it because, chances are, if you are reading this, you, or someone you know and want to help, has a little or a lot of trouble sleeping too. Yes?
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Lifehack
How I'll Pick your next Incarnation
Hello, I am an inter-life circumstance adjuster. The Souls at HQ asked me to write this piece so that you, humans, will be better informed. We don’t really expect you to make better choices, dear me no! That would be hoping for too much. We’re just tired of your making all of the wrong assumptions, so our Human Information Division decided it was time to do something about that. After all, we’ve been flooded with processing here for the past two years. Perhaps I should explain.
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Fiction
Ironing, Piano, Nuns, a Psychic, and Coming of Age. Top Story - September 2021.
I’ve had lots of turning points, but the one that marked my coming of age, I’d place that one when I was 18 and in my last year of high school. We moved a lot when I was a kid. My father was an engineer. He designed cranes, conveyors, and overhead highway says, mostly for small to medium sized companies all over southern Ontario. I usually felt like an outsider, but I don’t blame that on moving, more on being a misfit, and not trying hard enough to make friends.
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Confessions
The 'Idea Cat' of Seniors Junction
My name is Winnie. It’s short for Winchester. My human, Paul, said Winchester sounded too serious. Paul, my sister Daisy, and I all work in our home office for Seniors Junction. It’s very important work, and I do my best to keep the team productive every day. Seniors Junction is a startup, whatever that means. I know that we have recorded a lot of podcasts, and I have made sure that I appear in every one! Sometimes I tried typing a bit on the computer keyboard, but Paul shouted, “No Winnie, don’t walk on the keyboard.” I also make sure the webcam gets a good view of me as I walk on the desk.
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Petlife
Working to give Purpose to Others
I never dreamt that, at age 65, having retired from a hardly known area of the university work, I would or could get a job enriching and saving lives and preventing dementia, but that’s what’s happened—here I am, and I love it! Let me explain.
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Education
The Pear Mysteries and the Fairy Flag of Skye
I was despondent, and at the same time I was curious. To all of us in the school she was known simply as “The Anchoress.” No one had ever told me her name, and I had never seen her. She never left her cell. Cellach, her assistant, told me I had been summoned. There could be only one reason, I knew—I was being sent home. I failed the simple trial of following a path and two men saw me go the wrong way. All the other boys said that when you fail that, she sends you home. I felt I would be very sorry, but I would make the best of it. I missed my family, and I missed my cat, Pangor Ban.
By Paul A. Merkley4 years ago in Fiction
Mysterious Marigolds
My sister was impatient with my questions, but I needed her advice. I just had to know. "I don't see why you have to bring this up now. This is our weekly tennis game, and besides we're playing Paolo and his sister Francesca visiting from Italy. I want your head in the game. And can't you figure this out yourself?"
By Paul A. Merkley5 years ago in Feast
