COMING OF AGE AT FOURTEEN IN CHICAGO

A series of essays....

CHICAGO -- MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THIS CITY BEGAN LONG AGO

Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas



....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

These past several days, now running into weeks, have given many of us time for reflection...

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a classic. Have you read this time-honored novel? It was my introduction to Russian authors and literature when I was fourteen years old. My uncle, John Moshak, was a Russian Language and Russian History professor in Chicago at the time and I was staying with him and my Aunt Helen as the nanny for their twin daughters while Helen gave birth to their son, Damien...many years ago. This is when I fell in love with Chicago, two beautiful little girls, a sophisticated lifestyle, the Chicago Stock Exchange, and Russian literature.

It wasn’t the theme of The Brothers Karamazov, the conflict between faith and doubt, that intrigued me the most. Rather, it was the opportunity to learn about a brand new world filled with mysterious characters and mature plots that my uncle handed to me that afternoon while standing in the living room of their three-story brownstone walk-up. I recall him saying that this would be my ticket to another world; the beginning to my education into a new life. He was right. That summer of my fourteenth year shaped my future and introduced me to the mature women I was to become. 

FIRST EDITION OF THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV.
DOSTOEVSKY DIED LESS THAN FOUR
MONTHS AFTER ITS PUBLICATION,
FEBRUARY 9, 1881

During that same summer I was introduced to soft boiled eggs placed in a small cup, cracked in half, and eaten from the shell. Helen took me downtown via the “L” (nickname for Chicago's elevated subway system) to see the Chicago movie premier of Doctor Zhivago. One evening, I babysat for the young daughter of one of their friends and sat, most of the evening, on a window ledge watching the twinkling city lights and listening to the cacophony of honking horns in the streets below me. Uncle Johnny initiated me into the fast-paced world of the stock market and we visited the Chicago Stock Exchange on a sunny morning when he asked me to do my own research and come up with a business I thought would make quick gains in the near future. Later that summer, he purchased, in my name (cosigned by my Mother), one share of Boeing stock and wisely told me how to watch it move, divide, and, hopefully, prosper. 

I came of age that summer. 

After that summer, it was difficult to return to the mundane life I believed I had in Michigan. But, I was determined to thrive and grow by adding new books to my reading list while always remembering what my uncle taught me about expanding my horizons and using what the world had to offer in order to do so. 

After feasting on Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, I moved on to Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy during the school year which led me to War and Peace by Tolstoy the following summer. My uncle had gotten me hooked on Russian literature and I was beginning to embrace other worldly authors who expertly enticed me into the flavors of France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland. I began to surround myself with other cultures just waiting to open my mind to worldly marvels, exotic people, and future destinations of travel. 

TOLSTOY SITTING ON BENCH
AT HIS HOME IN
YASNAYA POLYANA IN 1897

TOLSTOY AT HIS HOME
IN MAY OF 1908  AT AGE 79...
TAKEN BY PROKUDIN-GORSKY,
THIS WAS THE FIRST COLOR PHOTO
PORTRAIT MADE IN RUSSIA

While doing research yesterday, I came across a quote which read, "All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow,” by Leo Tolstoy, and my love affair with the writings of Mr. Tolstoy was unleashed, once again. To say that we’re all living through a destabilizing time of ‘shadow’ is certainly an understatement. But, one thing is abundantly clear: Whatever may come, love, hope, and community will be the ‘light.’ This simple quote by one of the greatest writers the world has ever known begs me to offer hope to all and encourage the belief that you and your loved ones are doing well.

Our world is changing with every breath we take as we stay home and reintroduce ourselves to those we are close to and love so much. We might be learning to embrace our cooking and baking skills once again or healing old wounds of the heart and spirit. Being closer and more in-tune with our own glowing spirit is one of the best habits we can aspire to as it makes us think about, trust in, and make good decisions for ourselves and others.

Our neighbor wrote this morning asking how we were doing and seeing if we needed anything. Now, knowing Ginny, she would be looking out for all of her neighbors anyway but, it always feels good to know someone is there for you when you need them the most. And, by texting back and forth, I found out how our other neighbors were coping during our isolation period.

If I am being honest, I can hardly wait to see what the future holds for mankind. As most ‘near death’ experiences seem to prove, precious life becomes more cherished and appreciated after experiencing trauma. If this holds true, the coronavirus is creating millions of people who may see our world in a much different light. While working together to bring our Earth back to her healthy state of being, we will treasure how clean our waters are becoming, how breathing fresh air (even in and around our large, industrial cities) is a privilege, and create worldwide decisions about how to keep it this way. 

Even though we have much to overcome in the next few months and a major election to exercise our right to vote in come November, we are becoming acutely aware of what it takes to move ahead and prosper. “All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.” Let us paint a new portrait of sharing life with others by utilizing the method of understanding shadow and light: Shadows may disable us temporarily, but the Light will always be there to guide us in the right direction. Trust in one another, abide by the best interests of those around you, and believe that others will always be there to help get us through difficult times. Together....we are the light!

Stay safe, healthy, joyful, kind, and hopeful and we will be there as a global community to pick-up the pieces and make this world a better place for everyone.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

ACTIONS THAT INSPIRE JOY AND COMPREHENDING SACRIFICES MADE

A series of essays....

WELL-WORN COPIES OF THE JOY OF COOKING
FROM THE LIBRARY OF JULIA CHILD

                         National Museum of American History

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Now, more than ever, it’s so important to uplift our spirits and learn to create innocent joy and happiness within our daily lives. It may be through the simplest of actions and most innocent thoughts that this feeling is conjured up and held dear. The most important thing to remember is that we all have experienced joy at one time or another and to extract it now from the depths of our very being could be our personal saving grace.

Triggers to finding our underlying joy may be found in many places. Certain colors can remind us of places we’ve enjoyed visiting. Forty shades of green -- indeed! The simplicity of identifying colorful birds we’ve captured in pictures, or visiting our local Farmer’s Market on a warm, sunny morning to purchase richly colored vegetables for an evening meal may trigger special occasions with friends or certain events.

Now might be an excellent time to pull-out family albums or release those stacks of pictures living in a box for years. Memories are meant to be tickled awake by faded photographs of time nearly forgotten while reinventing the pure joy felt while cooking dinner with grandma, seeing a loved one graduate from college twenty years ago, or recognizing a much younger friend photobombing in some of your forty-seven-year-old wedding photos. 

Our daughter purchased an Ancestry DNA Test Kit for her father for Christmas. Dan has been conducting family history research for years and was happy to possibly include his geographic origins and identify potential relatives through DNA matching with others. Well, I’ve always known that I fell in love with an Irishman but, can you imagine the joy I felt in discovering that he has twenty percent deep-seeded roots located in Normandy, France? I often wondered how he would pick-up the accent and meaning of words so easily with each trip we made there. It’s slightly crazy but, it appears that I married my Frenchman after all!

Perhaps you own a well-worn copy of “The Joy of Cooking,” the sixth edition (1975), living happily on a kitchen shelf. Having married around this time period, I certainly do, and this may be the only thing that Julia Child and I ever had in common! However I acquired it, this book has brought me such joy and satisfaction through all phases of being ‘Chief Chef’ in my own kitchen. Do you think I’ve earned at least one Michelin star towards all of the years of quality home cooking service?

While I’m on the subject of cooking, having good friends over to our home right before St. Patrick’s Day required a special menu for our dinner together. Deciding on Shepherd’s Pie made with ground turkey, kale salad, fresh fruit, and soda bread, we were doing well -- until dessert! That’s when I served Baileys Irish Cream brownies topped with vanilla frosting laced with Baileys. Now, the pure joy on all of our faces shined through with each bite of brownie that was consumed!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY FEAST WITH
GOOD FRIENDS AND ALL OF THE TRIMMINGS

Joy is rediscovered by having a beloved neighbor across the street from our Orlando home give me a call out of the blue and proceed to talk ‘catch-up’ for a couple of hours! Janice and I go way back at around 'eighteen years of friendship ago' as we were building our homes across from one another in Florida. Some friendships grow gradually. Ours made a deep impression upon one another right from the start. Thousands of hugs, tears, stories, and smiles later...we’ve discovered that distance means nothing when it comes to being true friends. Love you, Beautiful!

I can’t sugar coat it — the next few weeks, months, will not be easy for any of us. I have grandchildren who will, most likely, have to sacrifice the rest of their school year. Graduating seniors will be deprived of future prom memories, senior class trips, as well as the completion of many of their winter/spring sports, with graduation day consisting of mailed diplomas and the loss of pride and joy not being able to walk across that stage to honor all of the academic achievements they’d worked so long and hard for.

Our oldest granddaughter will be turning thirteen in May. She has been diligently studying her Hebrew lessons in anticipation of sharing her bat mitzvah celebration with family and friends at the end of May. Most likely, her celebration will be moved to another date along with many wedding celebrations planned for and scheduled within the next few months. 

Yes, sacrifices will have to be made by all of us, including the small shop owner who could lose his or her business due to long lasting closures. The hourly employees who helped these establishments run smoothly will lose the income that paid their bills and placed food on the table for their families. At this very moment, the coronavirus layoffs surge across America, overwhelming unemployment offices and causing unemployment percentages to rise exponentially.

Ultimately, those individuals who have already, as well as those who will, relinquish their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic, are the people who, albeit unwittingly, have made the ultimate sacrifice. As the virus spreads, the human toll grows. This virus spreads so quickly and never discriminates against a person on the basis of race, sex, class distinction, or religious beliefs. Consequently, we’re all in this fight together. 

Let’s place a virtual sign ‘taped’ to our brains and hearts, just as the small shops have had to actually do, stating, ‘Temporarily Closed Due to the Current Health Crisis. Hope to Re-Open Soon!’ Hopefully this will remind us that social distancing and self-quarantine is such a minor sacrifice in order to save more lives in the future and reinforce the fact that we all have so much to live for; all of the small sacrifices on our part hold significant repercussions for everyone. Consider the challenges faced by our health care workers, all first responders, and civic leaders right now. Our cooperation with them at this critical time is essential.

SOUND ADVICE FOR ALL OF US

I believe that creating space around us can inspire joy, set us apart from the crowd and allow our imaginations to thrive. It will be interesting to discover, after all is said and done, how priorities will change, dependencies will alter, and art, literature (libraries), and all forms of creative imagination will become the focal point of and defining outline for our future. Italy has already been proving that sharing music with one another via one balcony to another has helped to soothe their very souls.

My wish is that we do not continue to fear one another during our healing process. May we never forget the natural order of social evolution where loving thy neighbor, the social niceties and kindnesses we shared before, such as greeting one another with hand shakes, hugs and kisses, are not lost. And, we must continue to create the joy that extends from human interaction and make certain it remains a valuable asset for all of us.

We must make everyone whole once again.

Take a deep breath....we’re going to get through this, as long as we all work together.

Stay safe and never forget to love one another. 

As my friend, Janice, in Orlando told me, “For now, just wave and keep it movin’!!”

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

BREAKING GLASS CEILINGS WITH PINKY PROMISES

A series of essays....

ELIZABETH WARREN AND YOUNG FRIEND SWEARING
TO BALANCE THE SCALES OF THE FUTURE

        Courtesy of Twitter

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

“Do things to take care of yourselves, gather up your energy, because I know you are coming back. I know you — and I know that you aren’t ready to leave this fight. Our work continues, the fight goes on, and big dreams never die.” — Senator Elizabeth Warren, March 5, 2020

Sitting there on Tuesday morning in voting Precinct No. 25, surrounded by short, plastic walls made to protect my privacy, my personal space, and contemplating the large piece of paper before me, I felt cheated. This time, as opposed to November of 2016, I felt sad and deprived of being able to darken the little bubble adjacent to her name. My spirit was broken. I was a little girl once again being told that my older brother was the ‘golden boy’ and I’d better get used to being just a -- girl. 

Of course, the appropriate bubble was darkened, my next choice for president, and the pen replaced on the little table supporting my three-sided cocoon. This was not the first time we felt demeaned for being women and, I knew, it would not be the last. 

PROUD TO HAVE JUST VOTED

This lady is the real deal and there isn’t a single emotion she doesn’t understand and cover within her plans to make this nation a better place. Through healing, strengthening, and being as capable as any person I know, Elizabeth is unwavering. And, she trusts that her supporters will do the right thing and turn Washington D.C. blue in November.

That alone, overturning 45’s regime, bounced back at me when making my final decision on Tuesday. By the time we walked out of our precinct in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a feeling of kindness and hope washed over me along with the bountiful spirit of Elizabeth Warren herself. 

She writes that she knows we’ll be coming back and that none of us are ready to leave this fight — how could we? There’s too much at stake to be lost and forgotten about: Health care, the manipulation of Wall Street, canceling student loan debt, universal child care, consumer financial protection, creating a wealth tax (only 2 percent, sir, just 2 percent), and dealing with the current (orange?) elephant in the room, 45 and all of his minions. She has a plan already established to handle each one of these. Her knowledge and expertise would be too much to ignore. We’ll be hearing a lot from her in the months and years to come!

The true ‘elephant in the room’ right now is gender equality. 

Why must we continue to push aside strong women and their nurturing, insightful ideas in order to accommodate old, white men? This is far more than a political fight; women in every aspect of life and time have been fighting this gritty battle. We only hear about it collectively when the spotlight centers on the media attention of women running for president or women seeking equal pay for the same jobs performed by both women and men. How long will it take to have the scales balance out? 

Sadly, I believe that it can be women themselves who tend to sabotage other women and I’ve written about this before. Whether we believe what men have been telling us all along...that we are inferior creatures, or that women are not strong or capable enough to be good leaders, I continue to be amazed by how many women believe these weak theories and, actually, abide by them. 

I believe that if all women voters truly saw females in positions of leadership and decided to persist, dream big, and fight hard, presidential candidates by the names of Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren would still be in the running; one may even have become the Primary winner! Girl power really isn’t a promise fulfilled unless more and more girls are on the same page together and join the ultimate fight to win. Hence, pinky swearing! We must never allow society to dictate our beliefs and take away our free thinking.

THIS SAYS IT ALL....!

As long as women feel crushed by the intimidation of men, we may never see a good, strong women in the White House. We are all stronger and better than this...and we know it. The day must come when the sheer value of all human beings is recognized and highly appreciated by everyone. Stay tuned for the general fight for gender equality. If there must be a revolution, Mr. Sanders, let it be with gender equality as the winning prize!

We will always acknowledge and appreciate the love and support offered by the strong men out there who have our backs and believe in us, as well.

If we, as women, can recognize the power we own to move ahead and beat all odds stacked against us by the haters and naysayers, then we have a shot at making life better for ourselves, our daughters, and our granddaughters. So, if four-hour selfie lines and hundreds of ‘pinky promises’ made with little girls sounds endearing to you, quite simply, they are. They offer us hope for the future and transfer the love and self esteem we need to move on into a brighter, better world to live in. 

Thank you Senator Warren for everything you have done and continue to do to help us realize the power within each and every one of us.

Note from the author: 

Sending all of you soft elbow bumps and, slightly distant waves, and gifting you the strength to stay calm and carry on....! Even if you are not at high risk yourself, please know we ALL have a health obligation to every soul around us, as well as the moral requirement to prevent the spread of this virus. God bless all of us in the weeks and months to come.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

WHO DOESN'T LOVE A PURPLE ELEPHANT?

 A series of essays....

ARTIST DON SAWYER: THE PURPLE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

I’ve always been drawn to primary colors; the brighter the better. So, when we entered the rental condo of our friends last week, our attention was drawn to the bright, cheery, and verging on kitschy artwork that dominated the walls in each room. And, this set the visual pace for our week on Okaloosa Island, Florida, located just west of Destin along the Emerald Coast.

Really, who doesn’t love a purple elephant? Who wouldn’t be fascinated by a three-story houseboat bobbing on the blue Gulf waters, or listen to a brightly colored fish telling island stories? And, in keeping it all real, who wouldn’t be a little concerned by their circumstances in the aftermath of a Gulf of Mexico hurricane? I began to feel that this was the proper way to set the theme for a true island vacation. And that’s exactly what the four of us set out to do!

COLLECTED WORKS OF DON SAWYER

Beginning with the island of Aruba for our honeymoon many years ago, Dan and I began our marriage subconsciously seeking out a variety of islands to stay on and visit. There’s something truly daring and wonderful about knowing you’re surrounded by the sea or lake with foamy waves crashing onto the sandy (rocky) shoreline. 

Aruba

Mackinac Island

Sanibel Island

Captiva

United Kingdom

Ireland

Aran Islands

Saint Martin...

...just to name a few.

So, it was only fitting that our visit to Okaloosa Island began with the four of us walking the ‘snow white’ sandy beach for several hours. We were lined with crashing turquoise waves rimmed with a white, salt spray on our left and buildings so perfectly conforming to a six-story building code limit to our right that, while standing at the end of the Okaloosa Fishing Pier several days later, the buildings looked as if a pastry chef had evened their tops with a cake Icing smoother as she worked her food sculpting magic.

VIEW FROM THE OKALOOSA FISHING PIER
SHOWING THE FLAT TOPPED ROOFS OF CONDO BUILDINGS

All I can remember right now is how wonderful the soft sand felt between the toes and what fun it was to dance with the water as it roiled in onto the shoreline while Elaine and I talked and talked trying to catch-up with and make sense out of life these days. Even though we had lost sight of the one green and one gray shirts worn by our husbands striding in front of us, we surmised they must be doing the same thing.

DANCING WITH THE WATER
ROILING INTO THE SHORELINE

OUR HOSTS: ELAINE & MIKE

DAN & ME

ELAINE IN PROFILE

DAN IN PROFILE

The Florida Panhandle cities of Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe suffered the worst of Hurricane Michael back on October 10, 2018. With catastrophic damage reported due to the extreme winds and storm surge and with multiple deaths, numerous homes were flattened and trees felled over a wide swath of the panhandle. Lives had been changed forever! This includes the lives of our friends and hosts, Mike and Elaine. They had fallen in love with and vacationed on Cape San Blas during the winter/spring of 2018. Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe had become like second homes to them contributing retail outlets and restaurants not offered on Cape San Blas. 

PICTURE OF THE DEVASTATION 
ALONG MEXICO BEACH

SAD BUT A COMMON SIGHT TODAY

DESTROYED HOME FOR SALE;
NEW HOME ADDING LIFE TO A DEVASTATED AREA.

TREES SNAPPED LIKE TWIGS ALL
ALONG THE COASTLINE 

BRICKS SUCKED OFF OF THE
FACADE OF A LOCAL CHURCH

BUILDING ONCE OCCUPIED BY
HAPPY VACATIONERS

Because Mike and Elaine had visited the devastation of these beautiful places earlier on, Dan and I made a day trip there ourselves to document the resilience and passion offered by the residents choosing to, literally, pick-up the pieces and begin life there once again. What we saw, even sixteen months after the storm, was a mixture of deep sadness and emerging hope symbolized by the bright and colorful ‘new builds’ seemingly springing up from the soft sands along the beach. It was an amazing sight to see!

Who doesn’t love a purple elephant....especially when that elephant represents the colorfully proud strength of the people who understand that devastation can be endured because the passionate heart is stronger than any storm....in the long run.

SUNSET WHILE CROSSING OVER THE
DESTIN BRIDGE ON OUR WAY HOME

Somewhere between the beach walks and warm conversations, we visited Pensacola to find the best fresh ‘fruits de mer‘ and were told that Joe Patti’s Seafood was the perfect place to find it! Our friends had been purchasing Joe Patti’s fresh catches since they arrived here several weeks before and wanted to share the experience with us. Since 1931, Joe Patti has been selling seafood wholesale to the public and making a name for himself and his family. 

INSIDE JOE PATTI'S

CHOOSING OUR LIVE LOBSTERS

After selecting four of the plumpest, feistiest live lobsters and having them steamed and cracked, we brought our treasures back home. Mike prepared them for us the next evening and we enjoyed the best lobster fest we’ve had in years! What an unbelievable treat.

MIKE PREPARING OUR FEAST

WICKED GOOD LOBSTER FEST

Palm trees, geckos, and Publix grocery stores were top priorities on my list to see and visit when returning to Florida after all of these months. Alligators, however, not so much. With the azure blue Gulf waters as a backdrop, the agile palm tree sways in the winter sunlight as stealthy geckos of various lengths scramble around the lush vegetation looking for their meal of small insects. I miss their darting around and remember our sweet dog, Brûlée, giving chase and rendering the poor gecko tailless more often than not. 

CRAZY KIDS

SNOW WHITE BEACHES

PALM TREES ALONG THE GULF WATERS

Publix stores, in my opinion, should be the master blueprint for all grocery store chains throughout the country. Yes, they are that amazing, offering superb management, opportunities of advancement for their employees, cleanliness, a wide variety of goods, and an abundance of stores at your fingertips. I used to call them the Walgreens of grocery stores while living in Florida because you could, almost, find one on every major street corner. Walking into one just down the block from the condo was like a breath of fresh air. I thought about bringing back the free cookie from their bakery to my Floridian grands, Brenna and Gavin, a treat they enjoyed with each visit to Publix while living in the Orlando area.

Staying along the Emerald Coast of Florida’s panhandle, we were able to observe the unique jewel toned shades of the Gulf of Mexico that stretches as far as the eye can see. Traffic can be a bit frustrating considering the over 4.5 million people who visit there each year with the city of Destin being the most popular destination. 

Curiously, each time I re-entered the condo unit my eyes were drawn to the purple elephant in the room. With the name ‘Sawyer’ emblazoned in the right-hand corner, it was simple enough to research this local artist and understand his genuine appeal and the reason for his work being prominently displayed by the owners of this particular condo unit. 

DON SAWYER AT WORK ON ONE
OF HIS COLORFUL 'BEACH ART' PIECES

                                        Courtesy of Facebook

Don Sawyer is known for his aptly named 'beach art,' as well as for the Sawyer Art Gallery where he teaches ‘a fun but serious approach to creating artwork’ in Destin. There’s a genuine happiness and creative energy infused within his artwork. His style is injected with pure color making his vibrant artwork popular with locals and tourists alike.

The purple elephant in the room caught my attention; made me a believer of how fun and colorful artwork can imprint the soul with the joy of life and offer innumerable possibilities of happiness and creative energy. Just like the people of Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, and Cape San Blas, they must decide if they will pull-up stakes and move on elsewhere or be a part of the hardy individuals who will contribute to the growth and rebirth of the coastline and land they love so much.

Dan and I thank you, Mike and Elaine, for an exciting yet thoroughly relaxing week together and for introducing us to the colorful works of Don Sawyer. After all, who doesn’t love a purple elephant?

FOUR HAPPY FACES

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved