Laura Merchant
Teacher. Performer. INFJ. Disney enthusiast. Texan.
www.LauraMerchantWrites.com
Instagram: @LMerchant84
FIT FOR A KING
The morning sun burst through the windows of the east tower, past the curtains onto the floor. A tall, thin shadow of a man brought the curtains to a close and breathed deeply at the relief of darkness. He liked the dark; it was where he did his best work. The elder ran a wiry hand through his long white beard. Gone were the days of old and gray. Now there was only old. But the alchemist wouldn't be retiring any time soon. There was too much to be done. Especially now. As he considered the task at hand, there was a knock at the door, which Olevander the Mild quickly rushed to answer.
Laura MerchantPublished 6 months ago in Fiction
A Novel Approach
It's been on my mind all day. Earlier this afternoon, I scribbled onto the back of a Starbucks receipt to ensure I'd remember everything. After a ridiculously long day at school, there are maybe two hours before I'll have to hit the hay to do it all again tomorrow, but this is my time. Power ON. A special playlist begins its serenade. I smile at the screen of my Tiffany-blue laptop, and it reciprocates with a bright greeting of its own, eager to start our collaboration.
Laura MerchantPublished 7 months ago in Journal
I Am a Rock; I Am an Island
With visible breath, the ocean calls to me. I don’t know how I got here, yet, here I am, studying stripes of tan and white painted along the sides of this dramatic shoreline. The brisk air smells fresh and salty. Surrounded by water, the island is only accessible by some naval transport. With visible tracks, I find my way to the edge of the water, and soon sparkling sprinkles of refreshing spray splash my face friendly in an encouraging whisper as if to say, “Look! There it is!”
Laura MerchantPublished 7 months ago in Humans
Pitch Perfect
With the pandemic, Zooms, remote learning, and having to move to a temporary space after the pipes burst in our building during the winter storms, my thirteenth year in education has been stressful, to be sure. Yet, coming-in second would be the annual holiday season for a music director. I'm serious. Whether you're directing a cutesy winter show full of kiddos dressed like presents or a cantata at church, you don't know the pressure that is put on a music educator post-Thanksgiving to make Christmastime (or whatever doesn't offend you) a magical time for all.
Laura MerchantPublished 8 months ago in Education
Check, Please!
It seems that everyone has a side-hustle these days. And hey, if you've got the time and energy to do it, do it! I'm still relatively new to the company myself, but I thought I'd shine some light on one of the newer, more popular, money-making opportunities for anyone who's interested. Cue "Mission Impossible" Theme. (No, really. That's what it's like. They don't call it dashing for nothing. Every delivery feels like a new mission, should you choose to accept it.)
Laura MerchantPublished 8 months ago in Lifehack
Half Full
It was dark in the cellar. They promised the environment would help my maturity; make me more complex. They assured me that an ice bath would improve my quality of life, somehow. They said I needed to breathe. I had no choice but to comply, yet here, in this place, I don’t feel aerated, just exposed...
Laura MerchantPublished 8 months ago in Humans
Swifter Sweep for the Soul
"How you keep your house is a direct reflection of where you're at mentally, emotionally, and spiritually." My mother's haunting words resonate as I scan the cluttered kitchen countertops and piles of (clean) laundry strewn over a chair. Downsizing from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom apartment sure puts things in perspective. Do I really need all this?
Laura MerchantPublished 9 months ago in Motivation
Spotlight
Here's to strong women. Neeley Jonea is an accomplished actress, model, and Nordstrom stylist. May we know them. Subjectively, there's a CVS-receipt-long list of reasons to celebrate Neeley: She's a Fort Worth native (like myself), she went to TCU (like me--GO FROGS!), and we both share an affinity for our fur babies. Seriously, if you haven't checked out Sir Cameron the Pomeranian on Instagram (@sircameron_the_super_pom), do yourself a favor!
Laura MerchantPublished 9 months ago in Viva
