DINOSAUR MENTALITY

A series of essays.....

SYMBOL OF THE RICH AND POWERFUL
IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

.....as seen through my eyes!




 By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


You sit upon your pristine perch like the giant creatures that once roamed the earth, all snug and confident within your lofty position, brave in numbers, ready to conquer the world. Personality bold, often brazen and proud, like the brass ornaments of a pawnbroker designating minuscule loans while procuring intimate pieces of mortal souls, you represent monetary success and unabashedly savor the desperation of your clientele. "Two to one, you won't get your possessions back," cries the 'money man' as he carefully buffs his new addition preparing it for the glass display case where symbols of human despair stand at attention like trophies on a wooden shelf.

Like tyrannical bullies, you are the captor of innocent souls that cling to you in utter fear and total fascination, small armies of puppets, their strings being manipulated by your power and fame; a misguided group believing to be safer with you rather than against you. All the while you interrogate your opposition by means of 'Pride-and-ego down' techniques employing the attack of self-image based upon a real or imagined deficiency voiced about them. Even skilled bullies can cross the line with this approach entering into the world of humiliation and degradation. But then again.....this may be your goal all along! Thick skinned and ego driven, you embrace these tactics with all the gusto of a soulless fool.

Brash, bold, and diverse like the group of once great creatures that walked heavily upon this earth displaying horns or crests upon their heads like anointed crowns of Kings and Emperors, your attempt at unification is merely a smokescreen created to conceal the true purpose of your regime. Power. You are hungry for it. What major tantrum might you throw if denied it? We shall have to wait and see.

Even the mighty dinosaur had its Achilles' heel; the soft underbelly proved a weakness that may not seem important but was actually mortal. All living beings are subject to weakness and vulnerability and, you are no exception. Be especially careful while adjusting that gold and 'precious stone' encrusted crown atop your golden head for this may expose your weaknesses for all to see. Vanity, or ostentation occasioned by ambition and pride, may serve as your deficit as you sit upon your ignoble throne high above the lowly creatures who have been deceived into believing that by pledging their loyalty to you, they will receive the benefits of an unbound and worthy life.

I only ask that common sense, kindness, love, and respect for one another guide us through these next few months as we struggle through the negativity we now witness on a daily basis. The prospect of a more wholesome future is the one redeeming feature of all this sordid pain and misery.

May the power of goodwill reign down upon all of us by rendering the spirit of the times and the needs of this nation to take precedence over any other consideration. Especially over those of a blind and misguided soul whose lineage of ruthless hate-mongering, through the grace of good overtaking evil and with hope in our hearts, will soon become extinct.


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved