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My Favorite Mnemonic

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In July of 1988, I attended a consciousness-raising seminar in Snowmass, CO, hosted by Dr. Jonathan Parker .  There were just over a hundred attendees in all, from all over the country, and I had arranged beforehand to share a gorgeous three-story condo with all the amenities, including a sort of great room/living room/dining room with a fireplace that faced in both directions.

All three of my condo mates were charming ladies, and since we were there for a common purpose we found plenty to talk about.  I hit it off especially well with Barbara (who lived on Rainbow Avenue in Denver).  She invited me to cancel my flight from Aspen to Denver and drive back with her.  This would give me a chance to see more of Colorado at ground level, and she would then deliver me straight to the airport, where I’d pick up my flight to Dulles.

I accepted eagerly  The route from Snowmass to Denver passed through breathtakingly beautiful scenery.  I took lots of photos, and even got one of a prairie dog sitting up on top of a concrete highway divider.  I can’t imagine how he got up there, but he was comfortably ensconced and watching the cars go by.  I waved to him, but I guess he didn’t see me.

Barbara and I talked most of the way back, sharing our experiences at the seminar (another story entirely) and exchanging life stories.  She regaled me with a tale about a friend who had decided she wanted a memory aid to remind her that God loved her.  For some reason she picked for her symbol a Yellow Volkswagen Beetle (YVB), of all things.  That struck me as sweet and practical at the same time, and I adopted her idea on the spot.

Since VW had discontinued the Beetle about ten years before, yellow ones, or any other for that matter, were kind of thin on the ground.  Then in 1998 the new VW Beetle was introduced, and I was in business again, spiritually speaking.  Yellow is a very popular color, so I get plenty of reminders.  I had to laugh at myself, though, because as much as I like to think of myself as a wordsmith/dictionary freak, I had to look up the word “mnemonic” three or four times before I could fix its meaning in my mind.  Duh!

Recently I was recounting this story to a friend as we were out running errands.  I had noticed and been reminded by a YVB sighting.  The best part was that, as I was finishing the story, she made a left turn and, coming toward us, was a Yellow Volkswagen Beetle!  Coincidence?  We think not.  Bwahahaha!

Thought for the Day:  “In the midst of life…..”   Please pray for the repose of the soul of my friend, LaVerne D. Miller.

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Author: Melody J Haislip

Born in a small, Illinois log cabin . . . No, that won’t work. The pampered only child of incredibly wealthy parents . . . No, that won’t fly either. Raised by French nuns after her aristocratic parents were beheaded . . . No, that’s been done! Got it: An East Coast transplant to the Pacific Northwest, this notoriously late bloomer began her new life with a new career as a writer and blogger. She has taken to both the new location and the career move like a duck to water. Writing is a new adventure, and our intrepid risk-taker is diving in, feeling right at home and making new friends. Reached for comment, she replied, “Okay, I wrote my bio, now may I Please go out and play?” We expect great, or perhaps merely more coherent, things from this writer. (Okay, that’s a wrap. What a wacko!)

4 thoughts on “My Favorite Mnemonic”

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  1. askcherlock
    January 12, 2010 at 9:38 pm

    What a great story, Melody, as well as beautiful sentiments. You have quite a gift for story-telling, recounting those special moments in our lives. I will keep LaVerne is my prayers.

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  2. pacificmelody
    January 13, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    Cher, thank you. And be on the lookout for those YVBs!

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  3. Melody J Haislip
    April 5, 2010 at 3:20 am

    The other day in conversation with my son, he mentioned that he had seen, no exaggeration, 15 Yellow Volkswagen Beetles. Oh, by the way, he had a great day.

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  4. scribadiva
    July 11, 2010 at 10:48 am

    When I was in high school, I was working. I bought my mom’s white beetle. And she spent that money with hers, and bought….wait for it…YVW convertible. I LOVED that car. Years later, I bought that one from her, and gave my brother the white one. That is the last car I owned, and probably ever will. Went to pick out a scooter. I really want a rice burner, ’cause no way I could ride a chopper. My partner says I would be unsafe in a HumV. I don’t agree, but a tank, I’d seriously hurt myself.
    Thanks for the mnemonic. I use them everyday. My memory is actually getting better, but when I meet someone, I use their name and attach it to a famous actress or person, and even a saint. And I always use it. At my endo’s office, a nurse named Courtney is there, so I asked her: do you prefer Love, or Fox? She went with Fox. When I spoke to her last week, I didn’t have to say who it was. I asked, “Ms. Fox, how does it feel to be named the most beautiful woman in the world by People magazine?” She laughed and laughed, “oh, just glorious.” So I am a BIG believer in Mnemonics. Sorry such a long post, but when I find a connection, I grab it. Sweet clean tides, Linda

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