Am I Really Making the Right Choices? Part 3

Ok so I did a lot of research for this one. That's why it took me so long to get my thoughts together.

A few things come to mind when it comes to the choices I have made in my life. Most of them financially based. This is because I spend a lot of time thinking about living on my own and how expensive it can get. My biggest dream is to have my own place and be able to live on my own but that is a thought for another post.

In general, my finances are pretty well balanced. At the beginning of the month I pay various bills. Car payment and rent payment ( to my mom ) come first. Then there are expenses for gas, food and student loans. At the moment, I can't pay student loans as I do not have stable work. I will eventually get to that. I think I am doing pretty well making sure it is all taken care of. This is Adulting 101. Pay your bills and pay your taxes. But what about tithing? Isn't that important? God says to give him 10%. What does that really mean?

Tithing came from biblical days when the people of a city gave 10% of everything they had to the priests. Back then it was mostly cattle and crops and some money. Then the priests turned around and gave 10% to the government. Back in biblical days, tithing was a way to support to temple. What does this mean for todays synagogues and churchs? Same thing. Tithes go to support the religious establishments and to pay thier staff. In turn those workers give 10% of thier income to the church. It works kind of the same way.

Here's the issue. Currently, I do not tithe. I'll tell you why. I believe that tithing is very important as a family unit. As I am single and live with my family, I do not tithe. I think there are scriptures about this somewhere in the Bible. Let me tell you a little story. I was in my 20s and someone in my congregation got word that I do not tithe and told me that it was a sin not to tithe. I immediately bought it to the rabbi and he said that its okay. I live in my parents home and do not live on my own and cannot tithe due to small income. The scandal was put to rest right then and there. I have even had someone tell me that I should tithe what little I have. I am pretty sure that God does not want me to starve. I dismissed that suggestion. I do, however, tithe of my time.

I am a firm believer in tithing of my time in service to the Lord. I also believe that this is one of my callings. Ever since I could remember, I loved being the helper. Its like what Mr. Rodgers used to say, "In times of trouble, if you look around, you will always find helpers". I have been a servant for over 15 years for various synagogue functions. I even have my ears pierced in the cartilage as a symbol of servitude to God (Deut 15:17 and Exod 21:6).  I recently joined a church and I plan to be actively involved there too.

I believe that my life has progressed slower than average but it all happened the way it did for a reason.

Melody

What Does My Future Hold?

Well no one can predict the future.  I do have a vague idea of what the next year will look like. This is not set in stone or anything but I have had to make some serious decisions.

After this year I will no longer be doing the Alive After 5 events. There are many reasons. The main reason is that no one I invite shows up to these events because they are in the middle of the week and parking is confusing if I do not explain what to do. I just have no support for it anymore. This alone is very heartbreaking to me. One of the other reasons is that I only make about $10-$15 a night most nights. I used to make $50 a night on a good night. Many of the events this year were rained out also.

I may also do another search for orchestras that need flutists. I have auditioned for many orchestras but they just don't need flutists. Many up and coming high school kids are taking positions in community orchestras. I am not sure what is out there but hopefully I can look into other groups.

Starting the beginning of next year I will begin to record videos once a week (I am nearly done cleaning my office and nearly ready to make a recording space here). I may not put any of them out for a while but I want to get back into recording things. I am still wrapping my mind around the fact that Youtube is just not a career for me. I am turning it into a passionate hobby instead.

This blog will remain a huge part of my hobby and I will continue to write updates here as I go. I also plan to make a trip to Canada next year. I have always wanted to visit my friend there and enjoy Niagara Falls.

There is so much I want to do but I never seem to follow through or even get the opportunity to try. I am on a constant journey of self discovery. I think this blog is an excellent hobby for me to keep up with.

See you all in the next post,

Melody

Quick Update

Well as you probably noticed, I published my last post about a month ago. I am currently writing my next blog posts in batches.

I have a folder where I keep a bunch of blog brainstorms and then sit down and write them in further detail. Part 3 of Am I Really Making the Right Choices? will come out very soon. There is also some information about Jealousy that I want to write about too. Some of the things I am planning to write about do require some minor research, so bare with me on that. The Writing Prompts are also in my folder. I have not forgot about those. I will likely be ordering more of the same series to continue.

Today I want to talk about what is happening on YouTube and the in-depth reason that I will not be returning to that platform for a while. The Ad Sense issues are literally non-sense (pun intended).

I have not worked out a way to monetize my videos and I likely will not for a long time. The only ones that are eligible are the Teatime series and any vlogs that I do. None of those contain any copyrighted music so they should not be flagged at all. I do review some products and do un-boxings. Those are not sponsored and I do purchase them with my own money. These should not be flagged by the system either. On top of this, those videos do not get very many views at all so there is no sense in monetizing at this time. The only video on my channel that has over  1000 views is The Scientist by Coldplay that I did on the Flute. It has over 8000 views but the song is copyrighted so I can't monetize it for fear that I will be removed from YouTube. AdSense has a lot of issues but the main one is that advertisers are saying that some content is not advertiser friendly. For this reason, thousands of videos have been demonetized on all size channels. I do not want to fight an uphill battle with this problem. Until it is resolved, I can't return to YouTube. There may be other platform options but until then I am going to stick to this blog.

While on my 6-month hiatus, I did some serious introspection. I came to the stark realization that I was doing YouTube for all the wrong reasons. For me personally, it will never be a career like it is for the lucky few with millions of subs. This is a reality and not just me bashing myself. So as a result I have a new goal for the channel. It is a hobby that I enjoy doing on the side. I still have a regular job and everything but I still want to share music with people.

Lastly, I want to share with you all that I do have a new job. I am my own boss and have my own office. I work for someone but mostly I am free to think and do what I think is best for the business. As a result I do have a spare room that I can use as a recording space. When we get the suite cleaned up and organized, I will make the space a storage room with a recording corner. My gear will be kept in a plastic suitcase or trunk that I can get in and out of my car when I need my gear for practicing and recording. For the time being I plan to have regular practice sessions here in the office after work. We are nearing to the holiday season so I may be pretty busy but I plan to stay in the office some late nights regardless.

--Melody

Writing Prompt #1

Describe what it would be like if your favorite book character lived next door to you.

My favorite male book character is Robert Langdon from Dan Browns books. He is a famous symbologist and professor of symbology.

I imagine that if he lived next door I would pop in for a cup of tea and sit and talk about a symbol I found somewhere or a cipher I want to write. I can picture his house. Shelves full of books, and various historical artifacts everywhere. His desk is piled over with papers and texts. His laptop is drowning in a river of projects, assignments and essays that he was grading or writing.

My favorite female book character is Louisa Clark from Jojo Moyes books Me Before You and After You. She took care of a quadriplegic man and ended up falling in love with him.

I imagine that she has flowers all over her front steps. She is a bright and bubbly personality with eccentric clothing choices. I can see us having coffee at a cafe and laughing really hard. I can see us hanging out at her house for her birthday and her freaking out over something or other. Her reactions to things put a smile on my face and I imagine she would be a really sweet neighbor to have.

I was going to list Anastasia Steele from 50 Shades but I think her situation is really different than anyone ever expected. I would say I like her in the last couple books of the series. She is a working woman with a super rich now husband. I can't imagine ever having the income to live any where near her and Christian Grey. I can picture the two of us meeting for coffee outside her office building and discussing some new, up-and-coming author who's manuscript landed on her desk.

Anyways the next prompt will be written when I feel up to it. Lemme kick this cold first.

- Melody

About the Blogger

Hey!

My whole name is.................. 22 letters long. For purposes of anonymity I will use my Alias: Melody. I am a young, single, 20 something that needs a place to speak my mind. I think writing is the best way to do that. I also have a Youtube channel, play the flute, and I love animals of all kinds.

This blog will give you a unique look into my mind and my everyday frustration and joy.

This blog was started back in my college days. I have since removed all the posts from school and converted this into a personal blog. I just write whatever is on my mind. Sometimes I am in a deep mood and other times I feel like ranting about something. Sometimes it is something in between. Some of the posts are about Movies and Series that touched me in some way or I felt like talking about them.

Enjoy my blog! Comment and Follow if you want. There is no regularly scheduled posts yet.

Melody out!

How to Get Through the Holiday Blues: Alone on Every Holiday.

From the first time I started working for a large company of some kind, I have always had to sacrifice a lot around the holidays. I always longed for that ideal family togetherness but never seemed to feel it and may never truly get it.

The holidays are always so depressing to me. I have a love/hate relationship with the holiday season. This year is no different. Because of the post I work at, I will have to spend every single holiday alone in a little tiny guard shack with a couple space heaters for my company.That is not what I was expecting. This year I plan to take a different approach. I will put all my effort into making the best of the situation.

Here are a few tips to help you guys out.

• Get holiday themed decorations- I plan to put up lights in our window and I will get a small present for my supervisor. My little tree will be all dressed up and sitting on my windowsill in my room. 
• Get holiday themed foods- I plan to get a thanksgiving meal for Thanksgiving, Cookies for Hanukkah/ Christmas, and something sparkly for New Years. 
• Watch holiday themed movies- That will not be hard to rig up.
• Lastly text my SO and family- Even when I can't be there in person, I will still text my family on the day of the holiday. 

It might be depressing and I might be shedding tears about it at the moment, but I think I will make it through the holidays with just a little frostbite on my fingers.

Melody out!

Cyberbullying: Please stop!

I keep going through this type of thing. I am not sure what can be done. I have tried to take my own advice from my previous post about this. Blocking is the only solution. Most of my so-called friends do not stand up for others in their own comment sections on the things that they post. Its sad. This should be a first defence.

I have been told that I am flat out wrong and I got all offended and now am playing the victim. Its not true. I also asked him to stop 3 times. When someone won't stop attacking you then you know this is a cyber bully. The fastest way to make it stop is to hit that report and block button.

My friend may never do anything about it but I took a stand and blocked the bully.

There is a huge difference between hurt and offense!!!

This kind of thing will never happen on my comment sections. I do not allow people to get hurt on my threads and social media pages. Its not ok. If it happens send me a message and I will take a stand.

Lets all take a stand on our own social media pages and take a moment to stop a cyberbully from hurting someone.

Fluteplayer777 out!

I'm Back!!!

Lately I have been observing myself from another perspective.

Sometimes I am silly and goofy but other times I impress myself a little. I really have matured over the years. This is not a post about me. Trust me I am not a narcissist, but I just thought this would get you readers to think a bit. I have an interesting habit of challenging people to think. Sometimes it works; sometimes it blows up in my face. I think its a good thing.

It the last month 4 people have come to me and asked for my forgiveness for something that happened in the past. I am not one to hold a grudge but this struck me. I realized that with time passing I almost forgot what these people did to me. I have matured enough as a person to let things go. I was never really able to do that back when I was in school.

I used to get upset a lot too. When I lost a game or when plans changed all the sudden. I still get frustrated but I have learned to be more flexible. What was it that the Karate sensai say? Bend like grass with the wind. Flow like a river bending around every mountain. I found that life is more enjoyable when I am not so frustrated about things out of my control.

I promise, you guys, that I will be writing more posts very soon. I have just been busy being an adult and growing up. Its a shame my parents have not noticed a thing or they are just having trouble letting go of their only baby.

Fluteplayer777 out!

I love Lucy...my car!

Friday January 9^th I was in a car accident that took my most valuable possession: my car, Lucy. With that my whole world crumbled around me. I have nothing left but my faith and my health. Of course I still have a place to sleep and a roof over my head. I am grateful for that too.

Today I am hurting all over. Today I am humbled. With everything gone I am forced to start from square one. It’s like I am back in time. Back when I was kicked out of Lab school. I was so sure that I was meant to be there. For the next three months I was lost. I had no clue what was next. Then I picked myself back up and went back to school. I think I can do the same here.

It’s interesting. I had my car and a job but no boyfriend and now it’s the opposite. No car, no job but I am sort of seeing someone. I have no clue what God is doing but I think it will be better when this all balances out. That is all I want: stability and certainty.

So I took a walk.  I went down to the giant parking lot where I learned how to drive. Naturally I broke down. Then I went into the church where they held the Baccalaureate service for my high school graduation. I sat there for about 10 minutes. Praying and reflecting. I came to the realization that maybe God doesn’t think I can balance it all right now. I guess He had to humble me and break me to make me understand that. He wants me happy but balanced on His terms.

This is just my thoughts on all this. I will be recording a video for this week.

Fluteplayer777 out! -Melody

Insomnia: Not the Videogame

Hey guys! Blog time.

For the second night in a row, I am up until nearly 2am. I have no idea why but this happens sometimes. Also I have not written a blog in a really long time.

So here goes. My mind is inundated with thoughts everyday. So much sits on my mind. Sometimes I bury it in the back of my mind.

I am hoping that my temp position will become permanent. I love my job. My friend texted me after my internal interview and said that I deserve certainty in my life. God, that is an understatement. My life has always been unstable and uncertain. Its upsetting sometimes but I would like to think that I have enough trust in God that everything will work out somehow. 

Another common topic floating in my mind is my music and Youtube. I just started a new project. I am going to learn 38 new pieces of music between now and next years audition in August. I am hoping that studying some French composers might help me develop more skill and control over my musical ability.

Have you ever heard of the story of the two farmers?

There was a drought in the land and both of them desperately needed rain. Both of them prayed for rain. But only one prepared his fields to receive it.

Which one trusted God more?
The one that prepared his fields.

God will bring the rain when He's ready. You must prepare your fields to receive it.

Fluteplayer777 out!

What inspires you?....

Lately people have been so nasty online. Downright hurtful. Its depressing. Even today it feels like there is nothing you can do to stop it sometimes. Other times I have had someone stand up and stick up for me and later tell me they were sorry that someone said something mean to me. That means the world to me. Unfortunately social media is full of these cyber bullies.

Here is how I deal with it. First I try to tell them to stop. If they won't then I tell the friend who's post it originally belonged to in order to get them to stick up for me. Sometimes this blows up in my face and that "friend" tells me that it was my fault that the bully reacted the way that they did. Well when this happens I simply block the bully and unfollow the friend. This way I still have a friend but I don't have to see their posts all the time and therefore I wouldn't be tempted to comment on it. This method generally works on most forms of social media. On Youtube this works a little differently.

On Youtube it is much harder to report a bully. I personally have made all my video comments by approval only. I am still a small channel and I can easily monitor what people say and I will not approve something hurtful. I let a couple comments slip once and it ended badly but I removed it and its gone. That's another thing. You can delete posts on your profiles. They don't have to be there if you don't want them to be. Basically you don't have to let someone have the power to hurt you. If they post again Block them.

I understand its not that simple but in some way it is.

What inspires me is what Eleanor Roosevelt said,"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." She is so right! What she means is that if you do not give someone the power to hurt you then you won't feel hurt by them. Emotional pain is very real and it can do some serious damage to someone that has been constantly barraged by hurtful comments.

So here's the plan that I am using to inspire you and anyone else on the internet. If you see someone being cyber bullied, stand up for them and tell the bully that what they are doing is not necessary and that they pushed it too far. Make them think about what they did and realize that they would not want to be treated the same way.

Just some thoughts after I re-watched Cyberbully.

Comment if you want.

Fluteplayer777 out!

Back to the Beginning: A Reflection

I remember a time when one of my biggest fears was becoming an Adult.

I have always had one fear or another. A constant one is the fear of heights. Other fears change as I get older.

Well today after work I took myself back to that time. I stopped by one of the parking lots where I learned how to drive. I remember my fears and thoughts during that time. 9 years ago I faced the fear of becoming an adult along with the hope that once I got my licence I would become a little more independent. At the time I was still in college and just beginning that journey. The next January I got my Youtube channel.

I sat in my car this evening and cried. Then I got a sudden revelation. Look how far I have come since then!

I graduated University with a Bachelors Degree- Magna Cum Laude.
I paid off the car I am sitting in.
My Youtube channel is coming along.
My music has progressed beautifully.

On top of all this I have grown as a person and my faith is stronger than ever.

During this dry spell filled with darkness and depression I found a little light that reminded me that no matter what anyone else may say, I have changed and for the better.

It is so important to go back to the beginning in your memories. This provides a different point of view of your life from a past self perspective. The Kat that was 18 would be so proud of the Kat that I am now. She would also maybe want to do things differently. I would not change the past even if I could. Those battles made me stronger and left some scars to remember. I hope this revelation helps someone out there struggling with depression.

Fluteplayer777 out!

Family Dinners: A Different Perspective

Ever since I could remember we always sat down to have dinner together.

I feel like the atmosphere and conversation changes as we get older.

When I was little I don't remember much of any conversation. Mostly because my dad worked the night shift and I didn't see him much. Don't get me wrong I still love him very much but as a kid I understood that he is a grownup and he had to work just like mom did.

I do remember and we have home video somewhere of us sitting at the table in the old house. I feel like everything was lighter and more fun back then. As I got older this began to change. Our conversations turned to more serious things and sometimes hurtful things. I hate to be stressed when I am eating.

As I came into adulthood I slowly began distancing myself from my family for that very reason. I now hate eating with my family because there is always screaming or telling me what to do and how to do it. From poking at me to tell me how to hold my fork to telling me that I should have cleaned the house last week. I work full-time right now. I have two days off and that is the weekend. I think I would go crazy if I did not leave this house for a day out by myself. I eat alone to eat in peace with myself and my thoughts. I eat alone to avoid feeling like a failure, feeling worthless and making sure that the company I keep is a choice and not a necessity.

Family dinners used to mean so much. I used to watch other families have dinner and talk about their day and wish, no, pray that this could be me someday with my family in the future.

On occasion I have dinner with a friend and I feel that warmth I so long for. He calls me grand-daughter even though I am not his blood. A meal is supposed to bring people together, not tear them apart. I feel like this is the case in the world today. In the US specifically I feel that no one really sits down together anymore and families become broken.

My biggest goal in life is to have family meetings and family game nights. This way I can develop a relationship with each member of my family so they never have to feel the way I feel right now. I am missing the piece of my heart that feels warm when I remember my family.

Ok I had to get those thoughts out of my head. See you guys in the next post. A new video is also up this morning.

Fluteplayer777 out!

LIKE A BOSS!: Why I wear a bracelet with those words on it and a pink mustache...

I don't wear much jewelry on my wrists because I am always on the computer. 
One day I bought a bracelet that glows in the dark and says LIKE A BOSS on it in white letters. 

A few months later I found a Youtuber called Jacksepticeye. His style of commentary grew on me over the last couple of months. When I first found him,  he was in a growing stage and hadn't quite found himself. Now he is amazing and about to reach 7 Million subscribers. Numbers are not everything but that is really exciting. Almost as exciting as 50 subs would be for a channel as small as mine.

Allow me to explain the pink mustache. As you probably guessed it is the symbol used to identify Wilford Warfstache which is the alter ego of Markiplier. I found Mark way before I found Jack. I love them both.

I never take this bracelet off. It reminds me of what these guys stand for and that I should keep being strong. Things get me down sometimes and I see the bracelet and smile. When I come home it glows in the garage to help me find my way and I feel comforted. Most of all these guys made me laugh when I was too hurt to bother and they themselves were hurting but worked through the pain to keep doing awesome stuff. 

If you like these blog posts hit the Follow button.... LIKE A BOSS! and I will see you in the next video!!! Byebye!

Fluteplayer777 out!

My Thoughts at the Present Time

Everyday I think.
I am human. We all think.
I often it and people watch. I sit and wonder, "What is he thinking about? What does she have on her mind? Is she thinking about her kids or her ailing father?"

The fact remains, someone somewhere is thinking of you. This brings me to a poem I found years ago.
Somewhere there's someone that dreams of your smile,
and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile.
So when you are lonely, remember its true.
Somebody somewhere is thinking of you.
-Unknown

I get lonely and depressed sometimes. For some people this can be a deadly combination. For me the feeling does pass eventually. I think everyone gets lonely but other times it is true depression that darkens their world. The above poem reminds me that I have multiple lights in the darkness. God, Friends, Family, synagogue, and other people that I was a light to at one point or another. I have a reason to press on. Be Strong. Giving up is a cowards choice and I refuse to let the credits roll early (Ryan Magee said that in his last Cyndago Vlog. )

Fluteplayer777 out!

Can't Sleep....Music on the Mind....

I am thinking about doing some of my own arrangements on the channel.

I have three more pieces nearing completion. I will still be doing the Concert Series. In addition to all of this I got an idea I have not seen before.
I plan to do a blooper reel with a clapper board that says KLUTZ on it. So fitting. More on that another time.
In the next couple of days I plan to update my Blog with 4 new Blog posts that I wrote down but did not have time to type up.

In other news  I added a Donate link to my Youtube channel for all that want to support my efforts.

Much much later down the line I would love to do a charity live stream to bring music back to schools.

I will look into that but for now I bloom where I am planted so to speak.

Fluteplayer777 out!

New Idea!

Lately I have been getting some feedback from people about my channel.

One such comment was that I am not entertaining. I wanted to elaborate on that and share my thoughts about that comment. It was commented by one of my closest friends. It sort of hurt but then I got to thinking about it and I realized something.

Youtube is not my first priority. 

I have so much going on right now. I work full time. I am working on a few arrangement projects. I am busy with my synagogue. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. My birthday is coming up. Let's face it, I am one busy lady. 

I still plan to stick with Youtube but I need to do things differently and learn how to edit my videos. I am going to try out Filmora and see how that works. I plan to add a blooper reel with a clapper board to make it fun. I am still doing the concert series but with less talking. I plan to prepare more videos ahead of time. I also have like 6-10 videos waiting to be uploaded. 

I know there is a lot to work on and improve on but it all happens very slowly. I appreciate how much time it takes to do Youtube. I did not understand just how much work goes into this. Now that I understand I need to plan accordingly. Once the holidays are over I should have a better schedule of things. For right now one video a week is as good as I can do and this should be good enough. 

As far as my friends comment is concerned, I don't really care. My channel will evolve as time goes on and I will become a better musician in the process. In the end I do Youtube and music for me. I do it for my sanity. It is my anti-depressant. If I can share my gift with just one person then I have achieved my basic goal.

If anyone has any ideas or comments please feel free to try to reach out to me. Constructive criticism is always welcome but bashing and bullying is not allowed on any of my social media pages/profiles/channel.

Fluteplayer777 out!

New Setup and other news.

I have a new bed in my room so my desk was downsized. I am loving my new room. However this will require some adjusting to make room for recording.

I am working on 5 other pieces so I won't be recording much. I still should post my older videos.

Here is the most recent.

https://youtu.be/xHuH7jnyek0

Enjoy and I will see you guys soon.

Youtube.com/Fluteplayer777 Share and Subscribe

Byebye

Degrassi Season 14 and my Reflections

So far things have gone as expected. It is still emotional to watch. The trailer for this season has said it all. Claire is my hero. She has been through so much and she has Eli to help her stay strong.

Over the last couple of weeks I have learned who my true friends are. Who my Eli's are. I have three awesome friends that are always on the line. I took that for granted for some weird reason. I have learned to stick to what makes me happy. I will always play music and serve at my synagogue. That is what makes me happy. No matter what is happening in my life those things have been my constants.

This blog will take a different turn. I plan to make this all about my Youtube Channel.

Thank you all for watching,

Fluteplayer777-Melody

*rumble* the business of the stomach is directly correlated to money....

I'm not talking about the thunder. I'm talking about my stomach. Until today I didn't know what it was like to go hungry for a day and not know where your next gas money will come from. We live in such uncertain times. I never thought I would be hit so hard. Work is scarce even if you have a job.

Here I am writing about a feeling that some people have every day. Who am I to talk if others are in a worse place. As the saying goes. If you think things are bad in your life its always worse for someone else. I don't remember who said it or the exact wording but I think you get the picture.

I hate that feeling in the pit of your stomach. Growling and rumbling away as it churns at your breakfast and prepares for your lunch. But what if you didn't have breakfast or lunch. Then your stomach lets out a loud growl like a lion that hasn't had prey in days or a bear that just woke from its slumber.

In any case, I have a potential money bucket coming my way. Soon I hope. But for me work is more than the money. I have discovered that one of my many missions in life is to make sure that customer service is at its best. I have observed at many stores and restaurants that the people that were hired to serve feel like they can talk to their clients-I prefer the term guests-in any way they please. Thus they loose business really quickly.

Losing business is like being hungry. You have so much you wish to give but no one to give it to. Thus so much food you would like to taste and no money to buy it.