A series of essays....
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| CHICAGO -- MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THIS CITY BEGAN LONG AGO |
....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.
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| 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.
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| TOLSTOY SITTING ON BENCH AT HIS HOME IN YASNAYA POLYANA IN 1897 |
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| 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
