A series of essays.....
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| ~~~ SOLITUDE IN THE MORNING ~~~ |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
I have waffled in-and-out between requiring a 'needy' life and one filled with freedom and solitude ever since I can remember. Even as a small child, alone time with my toys surrendered a feeling of complete contentment and joy. Today I embrace my downtime and gratefully add up all of the benefits it has afforded me.
When my husband decided to take his mini-trip up north recently to be with our children I, admittedly, anticipated his absence. Yes, I did! I don't believe I have ever embraced the old adage, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," simply because love should have no boundaries in time and space. Although, in truth, his gentleness was missed.....
The simple fact behind my feelings lies within the belief that I enjoy being alone, alive within my own thoughts and mentally independent from the mundane, day-by-day 'stuff.' And, schedules be damned.....! Funny how I just conjured up an image of Greta Garbo from the classic 1932 movie "Grand Hotel." Vicki Baum, author of the book which this movie was based on, wrote that the MGM producer, E. Goulding, purposely changed the original line, "I wish to be alone" to "I want to be alone," which sounded very like something that Garbo would say in real life. Garbo made the word 'alone' sound like an entire line of dialogue and he had her say it not once, but three times.
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| DO YOU HAVE A "GARBO COMPLEX?" |
Thank you, but I will own my 'Garbo Complex' and move on now, if you please.
Being a slave to office politics and corporate ladder climbs is a theory that defies all logic for me. The deep desire to 'be my own boss' has been with me since the solitude and comfort of playing alone with those toys as a child. Numerous times as an adult, this feeling of solitude has gotten me into trouble within the corporate arena, however. Like I always say, another story and another time.
Let's be honest, the world we live in can be volatile most of the time and it is up to us to adapt to our surroundings, make positive changes where we can or, sink with the ship. Between natural disasters and simple human frailty with the lack of 'common sense' in general, our Earth is getting very annoyed with all of us humans right now. Life has become the Chiliean Calbuco Volcano covering us in ash; a family of five living out of their car and hoping to see a light at the end of the dark tunnel; the ground shaking devastation of the Kathmandu earthquake; a mother attempting to cope with a sick child and avoid missing work at the same time; political unrest and religious intolerance; and a young, Black male afraid to walk down his own street in the light of day or darkness of night. Shall I go on?
I know that each generation harbors doubts about the wisdom of their particular journey in life. Unless you happen to be blessed with a peaceful heart and are the healthiest person ever known to walk the planet, your transgressions in this life will always find a way of catching-up to you. Guilt is generally the most transparent emotion we allow to haunt us even when questioning our own bravery by surviving conflict when fellow soldiers may not have. We will all experience the black hammer of guilt pounding rhythmically over our heads at one time or another within our lifetime.
The beloved Vietnamese monk, scholar and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh has enlightened many of us with his pure, poignant thoughts about peace, love and compassion and how they are central to the teachings of both Buddha and Christ. He tells us how we must be aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life and vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. We must be determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in our thinking and in our way of life.
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| THE VIETNAMESE MONK, THICH NHAT HANH |
After all, if we rightfully believe that we are all connected in body and spirit....killing others would truly be like killing a part of ourselves. Why would we do that?
Returning to my desire to experience solitude in my life, allow me to introduce, in case you haven't heard of this belief already, the effort to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the energy to be here and to witness deeply everything that happens in the present moment, and be aware of what is going on within and without, as per one of the Five Precepts of Buddhist Philosophy.
Mindfulness, a basic and more simple root structure of meditation itself, urges us to find wholesome, spiritual nourishment for ourselves and everyone who touches our lives. It can be found by looking up at the blue sky, down at the colorful spring blossoms, or into the eyes of a child.... Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that "The most basic meditation practice of becoming aware of our bodies, minds and the world around us can lead us into a far richer and more fulfilling state than any drug ever could." This is only one example of what we used to call, 'back in the day,' achieving a natural high.
All I really know is that when I am absolutely alone, in a state of quiet and bliss, I am able to see the world in a softer, more beautiful light with strong hints of hope and love all around me. So, for me, being alone is truly never a problem. As the 'white noise' in my mind dissipates to unmask the 'vibrations of potential' and my outlook on life reaches momentous levels, the prospect of creative thought flows strong and free like Yosemite Falls on a crisp day in winter. I think every one of us knows where to find our solitude and joy. Knowing how to and wanting to find it is certainly a large part of this journey we are all on.
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| CORINNE, BRENNA, GAVIN AND PAPA "BEING SILLY" |
May I conclude by saying that my husband thoroughly enjoyed his time away from me, as well, and is back home safe, sound and remains a most appreciative Papa, indeed! Considering my deep connection with the power and healing prospects of Love, I leave you with another quote by Thich Nhat Hanh from his beautifully written work entitled "Living Buddha, Living Christ."
"Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing. Love instructs
us not to act in ways that will cause suffering now or
in the future. We can discern when something that
seems to be joyful has the capacity to destroy future
happiness, so we do not abuse alcohol, ingest unhealthy
foods or hurt others by our words. Real love never ends.
It will be reborn and reborn."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: May Love and Happiness shine down upon your beautiful face my sweet daughter, Corinne. Gentle Birthday Wishes for you today from my happy heart to yours.....always.
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| YOSEMITE FALLS |
Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
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