AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL DISBELIEVERS AND NAYSAYERS II

A series of essays....

ACKNOWLEDGING THE CIRCLE OF THOUGHT

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

An open letter to all disbelievers and naysayers...

Dear Sir/Madam,

I believe that if we communicate, we will, ultimately, learn how to compromise. If we know how to compromise, we will be able to encourage a settlement of differences by combining the knowledge of both parties involved and make concessions which would grant each party the acknowledgment and recognition that may lead to acceptance. Accepting the fact that we can and are able to work with one another leads everyone to a base of trust, faith, and confidence that can and will open-up all lines of communication.

Accepting this circle of thought should afford everyone the understanding that we are created of equal importance with a fundamental goal of achieving respect for one another.

Having been born with the unique ability to love in the deepest sense, respecting one another should be analogous to loving and respecting oneself in a most pure, simple, and base manner. Consequently, the passing of time with influences such as family, social and religious persuasion, peer pressure, body image, bullying, or sexual orientation can alter the natural progression of loving the person we were born to be. If so, the image we see within ourselves helps to skew the image we have of others and we, in time, will forfeit our ability to reason intelligently thus distorting our original beliefs in a way that is regarded as inaccurate, unfair, or misleading.

Systematically, fear, self-doubt, and diffidence overpowers our innocent ideals and wrongly forces us into the belief that all is lost; life is hopeless. This is when we become the most vulnerable. 

How do we compensate for or correct this imbalance created by outside sources that influence our core values?  This is where the disbelievers and naysayers go wrong; they form their opinions based on theories, the attitudes of others, and negativity instead of going back to their roots where love, respect for others, and hope originated from. Learning, once again, how to communicate with our words filled with positive intentions and purpose, as well as being able to listen to the words of others, comprehend their meaning while moving forward, would be a good beginning. 

Good communicators and good listeners are the advanced teams that guide us towards compromise, acceptance, trust in one another, faith in the future, and the hope that we can all work together to form the alliances needed to realize a bright and prosperous tomorrow! 

In accepting this circle of thought, we are affirming the kindness we hold deep inside of us and we see the same as we look at those around us. My eight-year-old grandson recently asked me, “If we all come from the same place, grandma, aren’t we all related to one another?” Such a  profound nugget of truth from one so young. But then...expressing profound truth in simple language form as formulated by a child’s perspective is exactly how the circle of thought began; innocent and pure.

Respectfully,

Those with the intent on making a difference.

Author's Note: Initially published in July of 2019, I found the content of this post especially appropriate for today, February 27, 2020.  

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

EVERY UNIFORM COMES WITH ASSOCIATED EXPECTATIONS

A series of essays....

ATHLETIC TEAMS WEAR COORDINATED COLORS

Photo Courtesy of Ali Siskind

 ....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

When I conjure up someone wearing a uniform, it takes me back to my older brother, Ronnie, who was a Cub Scout for several years. Nearly four years older than me, I was in awe of his navy blue uniform trimmed in yellow and a bright yellow sash bedecked with colorful patches bestowed on him due to his own hard work and diligence. When he placed the matching cap on his head before walking with dad to the car to attend a meeting, I felt he was the bravest and most handsome boy I would ever know. 

In eighth grade I knew an older boy who believed he was already a man. Then, one day, he donned a uniform that took him to the exotic land known as Viêtnam where many young men like Joe learned that even men know how to cry. Joe came back home one day to receive his twenty-one gun salute and I cried for the lost innocence of a kind boy who cared so much about others, he was willing to die for us.

RESTAURANTOSAURUS LOCATED IN DISNEY'S
ANIMAL KINGDOM WHERE ALI HAD HER FIRST POSITION

Our oldest daughter secured an internship with Disney during her final semester at Michigan State University and was one of the hundreds of young people who were trained to open the newest theme park called Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in April of 1998. She became a 'cast member' working in food service and I smile thinking about her crisp, overly animated, pinstriped uniform (costume) that took her anxious minutes to put on before her shift, as well as take off afterwards. She enjoyed her job very much but was very happy to relinquish that uncomfortable uniform when she moved on to her next Disney position.

A uniform might consist of a suit and tie, pencil skirt with coordinating jacket and comfortable heels, that we wear to the office; the uniform of military personnel, police officers, or firefighters who serve to defend and protect us; any particular school’s colors or professionally coordinated colors worn by athletes during combat when attempting to defeat another team; or, happily, the wait staff at our favorite local restaurant. 

In simple terms, a uniform is an identifying outfit or style of dress worn by the members of a given profession, organization, or rank that helps their members to stand out from the crowd so that they can be easily recognizable, as well as distinguish them for the service they do. 

I believe that by wearing a uniform it gives a person a feeling of belonging and inclusiveness while working together on the same team with a common goal in mind. Please remember this thought as you read on.

So, on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit the 45th president of the United States on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, ending a historic Senate trial that was centered on his conduct toward Ukraine but that did not include live witnesses or new documents. Like many of us, I calmly sat in a state of numbness and contemplated the future. 

Funny how things randomly travel through our minds and we attempt to decipher and catalog them as best we can. One of my first thoughts was about wearing uniforms. I was thinking to myself that now would be the perfect time for 45 to conjure up his own uniform for the rank and file that are so determined to follow him, carry out his orders, and be jubilant about the demise of democracy and freedom in general. Right?

THE NEW UNIFORM OF WHITE SUPREMACY
ASSEMBLED IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 

                              Courtesy Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The flowing, white robe with pointed hat has been taken; as has the crisp khaki pant and polo shirt combo which debuted in Charlottesville, Virginia recently, accessorized with the lit tiki torch and old standards, the Nazi and Confederate flags. The uniform of white hate is now mundane and the stuff of everyday American life. ‘All gown-up and in Hitler’s (45’s) shadow.’ Yes, it is haunting.

I could neither confirm nor deny the Daily Kos article entitled, ‘The Trump cult’s top lieutenants now have their own uniforms By Aldous J. Pennyfarthing / Daily Kos (02/11/2020).’ I always enjoy reading the articles in the Daily Kos but questioned the validity of this particular author, for obvious reasons. I have discovered this: Aldous J. Pennyfarthing is the pen name of Tom Breuer, blogger and insult comic author, who has published on Amazon four comedy based books about the Trump presidency including a #1 Best Seller, Dear Pr*sident A**clown: 101 More Rude Letters to Donald Trump. The amazing things that research will pull-up for you never fail to intrigue me.

REPUBLICAN SENATOR, LINDSEY GRAHAM, WEARING
TRUMP-BRANDED MERCHANDISE ON FOX NEWS

 Courtesy Fox News

So, if you can imagine my amazement upon hearing about this story so soon after correlating 45’s cult relationship with the possibility of his lieutenants wearing uniforms along with the new uprising of white supremacy...it was heart wrenching. Pennyfarthing’s (Breuer's) article for the Daily Kos describes how “Representative Mark Meadows and Senator Lindsey Graham deny the Trump cult talk on Fox & Friends while wearing Trump-branded merchandise that puts money directly into their cult leader’s pocket.” How fitting. 

It was, also, a lesson in laughter for me. After keeping the serious harm being done to this country, and unleashed by 45 on a daily basis, pent-up inside for so long, many of us need a trickle of diversion just to maintain our sanity. I must say that reading about Aldous J. Pennyfarthing worked for me. I don’t smile as often today as I used to. However, Pennyfarthing has helped me to see how humor can be our friend, as well as a great equalizer.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

A JOURNAL ENTRY OF A SINGLE PARENT

 A series of essays....

SALVADOR DALI: "DISINTEGRATION OF PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY"
THE ARTIST DESCRIBES HIS THEME AS A KIND OF 'NUCLEAR MYSTICISM'

          Courtesy of Etsy

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

It was his way of washing a potential problem out of his hair. It was his way of dealing with misunderstanding and stress even though he had, certainly, assisted in creating large portions of both. To admit this fact would go against every fiber of his being. In his mind, the problem was created by others and he had just been caught in the middle, that’s all. It was his way of saying, “This is my coping mechanism. It will have to suffice.”

To say that he was managerial material would be a stretch because, in order to be able to manage others, you should be able to manage your own life and deal with what life throws at you. Yes, juggling numerous balls at one time is a part of the game. What I failed to recognize was, as difficult as life had become for the rest of us, he could not handle one more ball.

He was raised, loved, nourished, and protected to the best of my ability. After unexpectedly taking on the role of a single parent, I decided I should not hoist all of the blame onto my own shoulders. That would be a fool’s journey because it’s understood that outside factors and influences affect our lives in many different ways. I know only too well how that game is played; how guilt, frustration, love, and fear enter the picture via the passing of a spouse when children are so young and vulnerable. As they mature, life can become skewed for them and with the addition of negative peer pressure, bullying, and the misunderstanding of their purpose in life, this concoction can be as lethal as a cyanide-laced cocktail.

Does any of this really matter now?

Instantly, life becomes distorted; a living nightmare as surreal as a Dali painting with time slowly melting away as the world disintegrates around us. The screams of our children pierce our ears and chip away at our souls until all we have left is the persistence of memory: haunting our days and strangling our nights with its slippery tentacles of pain, sorrow, and regret.

There is a horrible mystique regarding mental health disorders that brings to mind Stephen King novels and towering, brick psychiatric hospitals. We have our own idea of what mental illness is and, unless we educate ourselves, and all forms of mental health disorders are discussed openly, situations can become turbid as the days, weeks, months, and years pass by. I never intentionally ignored the truth; it was always conveniently tucked away within the deep recesses of my mind. Having to tap into it frightened me as much as the truth itself!

As with every generation, I had all of the answers as a teen: I would learn by the examples around me and decide early on that what happened back then would have to change as I conducted my life in the future and, with any luck, never be repeated again. What transpired long ago rearranged my sense of perspective in such a way that all I had to do was incorporate the opposite actions of the adults in my life regarding how we were raised and infuse a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle for my own children to thrive on, one day. The best was yet to come, or so I believed. 

Life has its way of throwing out curve balls.

It was his way of saying what silly fools we humans are. Oh, how we set ourselves up for failure. When we believe we have failed, a certain 'door of insensibility' creaks open, ever so slightly, but just enough to offer an escape route into oblivion. 

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

BE COURAGEOUS: VOTE IN 2020...DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON IT!

 A series of essays....

                          Courtesy of Wikipedia

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Struggling quite a bit in placing the right words down on the i-Pad screen this morning. Yes, my writing Blog means that much to me. It defines who I am as a person; my soul is exposed for all to see every Thursday morning. Whether I am talking about family, friends, a certain chapter in my particular book of travels, sharing a poem I’ve written, creating characters (Coffeehouse Chatter series) who explain life over a cup of coffee, or delving into current politics (the steam of my passion not always reflected in the final product ~ with good reason), I am always grateful for this opportunity to express myself by baring my soul to those I know and those of you I may never meet in person in my lifetime. I will always be eternally grateful that you are out there and reading what I have to say each week and sharing it with others. I appreciate each one of you!

One of the most important things Dan and I ever asked of our daughters throughout their lives was to always tell (us) the truth; and, believe it or not, the truth will set you free! There’s something so sweet and simple about never having to second guess what you’ve verbalized or written to others. It’s easier to recall the truth than to recall any lie you may have used to distract you from the truth. I’d like to think we taught them the values of right and wrong, the value of being an honest and tactful individual. 

Is being tactful and diplomatic overrated?  Especially when it comes down to dealing with people who lie and cheat to keep their Senate seat?  

I'd like to think that I am an honest person, writer, who wouldn’t rewrite another’s exact words without giving them credit for them. A person who wouldn’t use someone else’s photograph without extending them the 'courtesy' of using it. I do stand by my principles. I do believe it is far easier to be honest and tell the truth than to cover it up by applying untruths. In other words, I can recognize right from wrong. I have a conscience.

My conscience is what is making me hold back on my words  right now; inhibiting me from exploding, spewing, regurgitating the depths of my emotions onto this screen. Too weary of listening to the lies and horrendous, deceitful ideals to shut-down my conscious mind and allow myself the simple joy of a good night’s rest. So afraid that I will crossover the line of discretion and enter the world of hate and evil, the likes of which my parents taught me to avoid; what the instructional nuns at Catholic school would describe as sins to be confessed to our parish priest. 

Country before Party is a rare commodity these days. A nation that was originally based upon the principles of ‘by the people and for the people’ is now applying the blatant lies of this president as the ‘truth and nothing but the truth’ he desires us to endear, hold sacred, and live by. 

Each one of us has entered the distorted world of government and politics that has been skewed well beyond recognition...whether we acknowledge it or not. So far, we are survivors of a plan to completely shut-down what has been and was good for everyone only to be replaced by the greed of a dictatorship where a handful of people benefit from laws, funding, and the prospects of never having to worry about anyone other than themselves. 

We are being, slowly, absorbed within a long term plan that has eclipsed the cautionary political lies usually kept behind closed doors and given the permission to shoot someone on any street, in a school, theater, night club, or church anywhere in the United States.  And the founders of this plan are doing their damndest to make certain there is nothing we can do about it! 

Profiles In Courage, a book written in 1956 by Senator John F. Kennedy who won the Pulitzer Prize for this work, has been mentioned often during the past few weeks, and with good reason. The book is a volume of short biographies describing acts of bravery and integrity (may I stress this word?) by eight United States Senators who defied the opinions of their party and constituents to do what they felt was right and suffered severe criticism and losses in popularity because of their actions. 

Profile in Courage: Senator Doug Jones, "Simply a matter of right and wrong."  (D) Alabama

Profile in Courage: Senator Mitt Romney for voting with moral courage and finding the president guilty of abuse of power. (R) Utah

One could argue that each of today’s GOP senators must love themselves very much, even to the point of believing that what they do today is correct, righteous, with implications that they are born leaders with great integrity! I certainly hope so because there are many who have a long, long life ahead of them and it would be a shame if their own conscience ever stepped in to drive them insane with personal guilt and regrets. If and when that happens, it will be too late to protect the beloved country they represent as servants of the people who elected them in the first place.

With fingers hovering over black keys painted with white punctuation marks and capital letters, a standard English keyboard that has become a dear friend to me throughout the years, I know I will read and then reread the words above many times before clicking the orange ‘publish’ button on Thursday morning. Because I care. I care enough to tell the sad stories of corrupt politics as much as I care about the happier stories of travel, poetry, and identifiable characters sipping a caffe latte; a mixed bag of information designed around genuine honesty and often laced with hope and love.

It’s curious how the page before me is a reverse version of my trusty keyboard. Almost as though, after being typed, my words are rapidly pulled inside-out with black letters etched upon a white backdrop. This accurately describes my gut feelings today with one burning question inside: Will right  overcome wrong in the Senate and, if not, will there be enough time to recoup our many losses under the nefarious influences of the most corrupt administration our country has every encountered? 

I know there are a lot of good people out there. I say we continue to fill the streets with our physical disapproval, placards held up high with pride, and express our rights as citizens, taxpayers, and everyone who has or knows someone’s grandchild and worries about their future. Nancy Pelosi understood when she ripped-up a speech filled with distasteful untruths! Adam Schiff understood when he exposed his heart on his sleeve each time he spoke during the impeachment hearing and trial. And, each senator understands as he or she disavows their oath of office and beliefs in the Constitution when they decide NOT to impeach this president.

Make it a priority to go out and VOTE in 2020!!! Vote as if your life depended upon it because, it does. Never doubt that your vote will make a difference.

Well, I held my tongue (negativity) as best I could without losing my sense of graciousness towards myself, as well as you, my dear readers. I will always pledge to honor those who unselfishly care about our country and honor her people of all colors, nationalities, and religions. We must remain a melting-pot of ideas that come together in order to enrich and strengthen this land we love so much.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved