A series of essays….
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OUR HOME AND GARDEN IN KALAMAZOO ARE PROGRESSING NICELY. LOOKING FORWARD TO SHORT, PLANNED GETAWAYS IN ORDER TO JUMPSTART OUR NEW TRAVEL LIFE. |
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
No one warned me that after my husband retired, and despite already spending over one year within Covid-19 precautionary conditions, that we would be busier than ever!
Retirement is only a word. It is not a death sentence or even a number that defines who we are in relationship to how many years we have already spent on this earth; how much time we have left to spend. If we think or believe in finite terms only, we have already written our later years off as unimportant, unproductive, and not worth seeing through with dignity and self respect.
Finding a decent blend between working at whatever you love to do and taking breaks from everything you do in any given day, is highly important. Even if a break consists of a few minutes of meditation or sitting out on the back deck to watch golfers pretend that they are good at the game, the mental downtime is so worth it. This break reminds us of the importance of resuming whatever it is we’ve started. Being both physically and mentally sharp as we strive to do our best along the way, contributes to a much needed sense of balance in our lives.
Spending several hours each day writing is as natural to me as drinking my coffee in the morning. I can get lost in time during this period, very early in the day, and find that three hours have passed by as if I’d merely blinked them away! One of my first published poems was, ironically, entitled Time, as if losing myself between the click, click, click of the ‘second hand’ was always going to be a part of my life and I’d realized this fact a very long time ago.
Dan has lived a highly productive, full life within the construction business in various places around the country and has adapted well to learning the trade no matter what the terrain. He understands first-hand how building apartments in the middle of a snowstorm in Michigan differs from having to dynamite rock in West Virginia in order to create buildable space, and what an important role the water table plays while building in Florida.
Today, he is spending his time remodeling our little cottage here in Kalamazoo. After everything he’s accomplished in the field of construction, you might think this would be a fairly simple task. Well, not really. Change orders still inundate his work day—only now they are coming from his wife as his client, (critic), and co-worker throughout various projects. I am the design person who relies on the brawn and expertise that I know he can deftly supply. I’m not so naive as to believe that he always feels our working relationship to be ideal, but I do know that it all seems to be working out for us with each project we complete.
Recently, with more people becoming fully vaccinated, we’ve decided that taking a short break from construction and routine could be more than sitting on the back deck relaxing and taking in the view. It’s been almost three years since we left our life and friends in Florida and It’s time to pay that life a visit and reminisce for a little while. So, with Covid-19 realities in mind, the planning stages have begun, and I couldn’t be more excited!
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BRILLIANT SUNSET OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO |
While we plan, life goes on and several big ticket items have definitely shaken us to the core. And, like most retirees, we question if spending money on this trip is feasible right now. Our car is in the ‘shop’ being worked on and the air conditioning unit for the house has decided it no longer desires to keep us cool and comfortable now that we’re heading into the heat of summer. (Enormous hugs and thanks to our friends who offered their air conditioned homes to help guard us from a possible meltdown. You know who you are!!) But, we still have smiles on our faces and understand these challenges to be stepping stones rather than giant boulders blocking our future plans.
I saw a post recently that featured a famous quote by the Italian filmmaker, Federico Fellini, which read: “One of the greatest handicaps is to fear a mistake. You have stopped yourself. You have to move freely into the arena, not just to wait for the perfect situation, the perfect moment… If you have to make a mistake, it’s better to make a mistake of action than one of inaction.” Sound advice for all of us who have reached retirement age and beyond.
I was fascinated by this quote because I know what it feels like to be paralyzed and do nothing while being afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. This tactic kept me from finishing my book by feeling I was not good enough; I believed I was doing the wrong thing and not following all of the rules. I was afraid of doing or saying something “wrong” so, I did and said nothing at all. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that these so-called mistakes and fears are as bad as the mistake of doing absolutely nothing.
I am learning—even at my age, I am learning to take action for my own life and make those mistakes with the confidence of someone who knows that she learns by her mistakes. Like a room filled with every color imaginable, I will extract energy from these colors and continue on.
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CHIMICHANGA FROM DON JULIO’S MEXICAN KITCHEN |
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CHICKEN WITH COCONUT CURRY BROTH ~ PHO VINH VIETNAMESE DINING |
So, on with our plans to revisit the haunts that we loved so much in Orlando: restaurants, independent book stores, tea shops, wine bars, sandy beaches (along the Gulf and Atlantic coastline), walking the campus of Rollins College, having pedicures, and shopping at Publix grocery stores, again. Oh, how I miss my Publix! Often it’s the simple things in life that motivate us straight into our happy place.
Dan and I like to call this trip back to Orlando our ‘littlest adventure’ that will lead the way back to epic adventures as time goes by. It’s our first set of baby steps that are walking us out of this pandemic and into a healthier future. Let us all plan away and release ourselves from the tentacles that have held us in place for so long. Besides, road trips can be as much fun (sometimes even more so) as a cross-country flight. It may take a bit longer to arrive at your final destination, but you have such diverse attractions along the way.
Please get fully vaccinated and then plan your first trip with the peace of mind that we all deserve while venturing out into the world, once again. Enjoy life to the fullest each day—because that’s what living is all about.
Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
Photos Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
