A series of essays....
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| TODAY OUR LIVES RESEMBLE A PATCHWORK QUILT; MAKESHIFT, OFTEN IMPROVISED, AND FILLED WITH MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES, SIZES, COLORS, AND MEMORIES.
Courtesy of 123RF.com
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....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
Experiencing self-doubt and mental anguish, she sits in her comfort zone, closes her eyes, and drifts off into places and times that help to soothe her world, make her feel whole...if only for a moment. For now, that will have to be enough. Touching her grandchildren with long hugs and joyful kisses will have to wait; for more reasons than anyone may ever know, including herself.
The pandemic of 2020 has lasted far longer than anyone expected. With so many lives foolishly lost, too many of us couldn’t rally back like others may have. But, even so, years later, we will be expected to pick-up the pieces and carry on; almost as if nothing had really happened.
The sunlight is beginning to spread like butter along the wooden fence in the backyard creating dark landscapes painted along its rough surface by the tree’s shadows. I advert my eyes for mere seconds at a time only to look back and find a completely new landscape as the sun slowly rises in the morning sky.
When schools closed, the world changed.
The complexities surrounding the word normal are far too great to comprehend. That which is usual, typical, or ordinary, at least as we knew it to be, has been melded into something different every day. We are now living lives void of the ordinary with normalcy becoming the shifting desert sands in a windstorm.
Collaboration is cooperating with others and the action of working together to produce something of importance. Scientists are collaborating in order to discover and produce a viable and safe coronavirus vaccine to be administered as soon as all necessary testing is completed and enough is produced for the masses. This news is worth keeping my mask on in public and observing social distancing for as long as it takes this valiant effort to succeed! Science is how we’ll get back to normal.
Many people will be able to get through this fall season without college football. But, will the colleges themselves believe that they can based on lack of student athletic participation and minus the revenue generated by a prominent college football program? Perhaps an effort to prioritize something more than sports is in order.
Protective face masks come in a variety of solid colors and amazingly colorful prints. Never in a million years did we think we would be accessorizing these lifesaving facial additions with our daily ensembles right alongside Nancy Pelosi and the Queen of England! We must all do our part for the safety of ourselves and others and, as an added bonus, look good while doing it!!!
Never thought the right of being able to feel the warmth of a handshake, the softness of a kiss on each cheek, an embrace with someone you gave life to...would or could be as elusive as a distant thought or memory. That even believing we may have made contact with a COVID-19 positive person would keep us secluded from others for up to fourteen days. This, sadly, has become the new ‘normal.’
We have loftily taken so many good things in our lives for granted.
Three deer, the color of rich caramel, just walked below the deck and sauntered out onto the golf course. The leader waits on the 8th fairway for her companions to catch-up with her. When they do, the three Muske(d)eers playfully walk across the 7th, 6th to the 5th fairway leaving amazed golfers, sitting in immobile golf carts, in their wake.
In an attempt to come up with creative ways to keep life interesting during these unusual times, we have decided to purchase take-out meals from local establishments and create a small feast at the picnic table on our back deck. Supporting your favorites restaurants, with little to no risk to yourself, will help insure their existence well into the future.
Local travel may delight us with its miles of sandy, Lake Michigan beaches, acres of lush parks, crystal blue inland lakes, and rich, green forests crisscrossed by walking trails certain to keep us busy for days and days...
I miss the pull of waking up early, bags packed, ticket on my smartphone’s airline app, the anticipation of walking the long gateways of the airport terminal with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon rolls wafting around me, and people concentrated there from all over the world doing the exact same thing in real time! There has always been something uniquely special for me regarding international travel and there always will be. The thought of knowing that new worlds, people, customs, flavors, and colors await me on the other side of my plane trip is worth every line, safety rule, and minor inconvenience it takes to get me to my destination. I can hardly wait to resume this journey!
This election (2020) has to be about winning and not skin color, gender, or background.
By now it should be common knowledge that Vice President Joe Biden’s pick for his running mate is Senator Kamala Harris from California. I couldn’t be happier, even though my heart was set on ushering in Susan Rice. I have always loved Kamala and find her the common sense choice filled with energy, experience, and promise. Understanding that Michigan is a critical state for the campaign of 2020, the ticket of Biden and Harris promises to further the reveal of their passionate, people loving personalities and showcase how this pair will be able to bring this country back together. Joe and Kamala will heal the heart and soul of America which is what this country desperately needs right now.
Not only will ALL women succeed even further by Joe’s selection of Kamala Harris, but the past days of pain, death, and sadness have been rejuvenated by this positive jolt of energy injected into this campaign by these two hardworking and compassionate individuals. Today we are just 82 days out from the election of a lifetime. Make your voices heard and Vote in 2020!!!
Stay healthy and keep those around you safe and healthy, as well!
Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
