SPACES - 2023 EDITION

 

A series of essays….

THE BEACH AT CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA ~
WIDE, OPEN SPACE WHERE OUR ‘SPACE PROGRAM’ BEGAN

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Author’s Note: Back in December, 2020, back in the throes of COVID-19, I wrote this essay because I knew how important having personal space was; how not having personal space or not wearing a mask could and would harm us in the long run. With a few small tweaks here and there, I offer you my 2023 version of Spaces, reminding us of what having space means and that having it is necessary and required.

Spaces can be beautiful things. They were created to calm the weary soul between bouts of upheaval; before the spirit can be crushed under the pressure of tempestuousness storms. Spaces offer relief and respite from ourselves. We can be grateful for this downtime. It is meditation for the soul and sanity for the mind and allows us the freedom to gulp fresh air and new ideas before carrying on. As humans, we can perform at our greatest potential if we offer ourselves time-outs, spaces for reflection, as we contemplate our next move, solve the next problem—recreate the world. 

A space in time is our sigh of relief when we exhale audibly in one long, deep breath releasing collected sorrow and weariness; a whispered exhalation suggesting the sound of trees sighing in the wind while we’re on a walk through a forest. The spaces between the trees define the paths that we follow while the space high above us offers an azure blue sky drifting between the bundles of broad leaves forming the crown of the tall, majestic trees. Our collective sighs surround the bracts and catkins that shiver beneath the Trembling Aspen whose leaves quiver in the wind.

Wherewouldawriterbewithoutspaces?

Spaces define perimeters denoting boundaries that we have chosen to respect and abide by. Giving our neighbor his own ‘space’ in which to function as he sees fit is akin to respecting the fence he has installed to secure his property believing that he will respect our own private spaces in return. As some spaces deal with ownership and free will, others imply colloquial language and the basic parameters of daily life: A parking space, a space between your front teeth, the space between residential housing, spacing plantings a certain distance apart, the wide, open spaces of the Great Plains, the space of time between one action to be followed by a similar action, and the three-dimensional area around us, the universe where stars and planets exist. 

Space, as one of the classic ‘seven elements of art,’ refers to the distances or areas around, between, and within components of a particular piece. In art, the use of space can even be used to distort reality. One of the best ways to explain the use of space in art might be: Painters imply space, photographers capture space, sculptors rely on space and form, and architects build space. 

The use of space within an artistic format is sometimes nothing but an illusion; magic for the eyes.

FRENCH ARTIST, HENRI MATISSE, USED
FLAT COLORS TO CREATE SPACES IN HIS
RED ROOM (HARMONY IN RED) 1908.

An intermission placed in the middle of a performance offers the audience a space of time in order to contemplate and process the meaning of the first half so that they can be more knowledgeable when approaching the final act. If this intermission is applied to our own life span, might it be labeled ‘middle-age’ as in one’s prime, mature adulthood, seasoned, educated, and more reasonable than one’s undisciplined and often reckless youthful self? If we solemnly believe this, our second act should be driven by the mature lead of past examples, lessons learned via our mistakes, and the culmination of wisdom and truth that only the passing of time can provide. 

Keeping this in mind, aging should be a highly praised asset 

of accumulated resources that would allow us to share the wealth of knowledge and life experiences with others of all ages. Even though, given the relatively short scale of existence one person has on this Earth, this space of time may seem trivial compared to the span of history. But, it is long enough to capture in memory the heart and soul of every person and pass their ethereal existence down through the passage of time.

EACH OF US REQUIRES PERSONAL SPACE
FROM TIME TO TIME

Researchers describe the interpersonal distances of man (the relative distances between people) in four distinct zones: intimate, personal, social, and public space. The implication of the importance of social spacing has impacted us today with great force, its reverberation can be felt around the world. Out of respect and love, remember to give everyone the ‘space’ they require to feel comfortable and move forward.

Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

THE NEXT CHAPTER

 

A series of essays….

MOTHER NATURE TRANSFORMS, ALMOST OVERNIGHT, THE BUDDING
FLOWER INTO ONE COLORFUL EXPLOSION OF BEAUTY!

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Just as the sweet, tender leaves of trees unfurl right before our very eyes, a moment when the time span of buttery daffodils begin to expire and their trumpets fold back into the earth’s sandy loam to bulbous homes preparing for next season, when Mothers are honored on the second Sunday of the month, and the earth breathes new life from every corner…

You came into our lives.

The blush of your rosy cheeks inspire us. What a time to be alive! Within your enchanting presence, the natural exuberance for life flourishes like Lilly of the Valley across a grand expanse of meadow. Bonding with you every Wednesday, watching hot air balloons float above the roofline and waving to the occupants leaning over the basket’s edge—feeling contentment and a dash of adventure…

And then you turned four.

Becoming a Big Sister suites you. Sharing this amazing world with a human so tiny and sweet; teaching him everything you know about the new world around him. You light up our lives and give us hope when skies are gray; please, please never take the sunshine away. You have no choice, we know. Good-bye to swim lessons in the pool, the condo at the beach, Florida…

Michigan suites you, too.

Flexibility is synonymous with youth. The tall, ancient trees that sway in the backyard will attest to their spirit of rabble-rousing with the mighty wind as gnarled, crusty limbs create craters in the soft earth during a storm. But, your flexible young limbs find a home as the budding gymnast while making friends, coping with endless practices, and surrendering to a unique lifestyle…

Discipline is part of your nature.

Change is often difficult for us ancient ones. Moving back to the Tundra isn’t easy on old bones and skin kissed daily by the sun; following our hearts certainly is. Just as you and your brother adapt to your altered landscape, seasonal climate changes—we return to the world we grew-up in and watch our younger selves in both of you. Puffy snowsuits, tall boots, and watery tracks to the porch…

A.P. classes and driver’s education.

Wearing braces is your thing. The look suits your beautiful expressions; all chunky with a hint of sparkle manifested by the light. Now that they’re removed, life is much more fun, uncomplicated, and independent by your standards. You are growing up so fast, just like your mother, and there is nothing in our power to decelerate; we must cherish each moment in time with you…

Look at you behind the wheel!

Sixteen years pass and the sweet, tender leaves unfurl right before our very eyes. Once again, May unfolds her natural beauty in sights and scents we can only hope to capture in a bottle. Back then, I held you in my arms as the world opened up to so many possibilities. Today, I hold you close every time you allow me to and cherish our two hearts beating as one—even for a few moments in time…

Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

MYSTERY, THERAPY, AND MARTIJN DOOLAARD

 

A series of essays….

“THERE’S A CERTAIN ‘LIVING PAINTING’ ROMANTICISM
TO THE ENTIRE ENDEAVOUR.”
MARTIJN STANDING NEAR HIS GARDEN AT HIS HOMESTEAD
WITH THE TWO STONE CABINS IN THE BACKGROUND

Courtesy Sharp Magazine

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Plunging right into the deep end, I will admit that daily life has felt like a burden for me, lately. Carrying my emotions on my shoulders has taken its toll, taken me along a path I dislike trekking down, if I can possibly help it. When you don’t feel as though you have any control over your life, the mind wonders, the soul responds, and life, suddenly, reacts in mysterious ways by taking you on a trip into the unknown.

Sometimes even small, daily tasks become a struggle. There is always more beneath the surface than you know; waiting to be extracted, tampered with, and teased. 

Admittedly, this unpredictable journey has been a powerfully good ride this time around. Mark my surprise because, generally, this isn’t the case. While entering the dark tunnel of sadness and confusion, I discovered a man named Martijn Doolaard. Have you heard of Martijn? Each time I dig a little deeper into his current story, I find out new and captivating aspects of his life that engage the storyteller instincts within me and season my life with joy and happiness. What a truly fascinating character he is!

First of all, may I say how much I enjoy having YouTube in my life? Never a dull moment with YouTube at your fingertips! That’s exactly where I went and there I found Martijn, high atop a mountain in the Italian Alps, just south of Turin near the French border, strategizing about his restoration of two hundred-year-old stone cabins on a few acres of land that he’d recently purchased.

VIEW OF THE ITALIAN ALPS FROM
BETWEEN THE CABINS

Courtesy Sharp Magazine

Around a year ago, he devised a two year course of action which included doing most of the work by himself. Following his heart, as well as every rule and legal description handed down by the Italian government, Martijn began recording his progress and sharing it with us via YouTube. Sharp Magazine accurately described Martijn Doolaard and his self-sustaining lifestyle in the Italian Alps in an article written back on October 11, 2022:

In practice, homesteading promises self-reliance, a disconnection from the modern world and the traps of day-to-day life. “I think my travelling ignited this. In all the amazing places where I had set up camp for only one night, I thought, ‘how would it be to live in such a place?’. I’d met a lot of people interested in permaculture, exploring new ways of living, combining some parts of a peasant life with modern-day comforts, all while staying connected,” Doolaard explains.

Doolaard is a Dutch photographer, graphic designer, cyclist, and travel writer. Born in 1966, he grew up in a small town in the Netherlands where fishing and camping holidays with his three brothers formed the inspiration for his current outdoor life. At the age of 57, he has brilliantly marked a life of extreme natural beauty, solitude, and modern ingenuity. 

Martijn’s slow, methodical approach to restoring the two stone structures has been compared to ‘watching paint dry’ by several YouTube fans, but in a good way. Every movement is slow, methodical, ceremonious, and purposeful. His quiet, gentle work has been described as ‘Visual Poetry.’

PLANTING HIS FIRST GARDEN

Courtesy Sharp Magazine

Damn, if this display of contentment, hard work, and joy didn’t open up the flood gates of abundance deep down inside of me, at a time I most needed it! As Martijn began to master what was before him within each passing day while surrounded by nature’s beauty, his journey left a deep impression on me and made me want to know more and more. 

Martijn’s talents leads the viewer into his world with a gentle caress and dreamlike meditation that envelopes the mind and the senses with floating clouds, mountain hikes, abandoned villages, and a neighboring Catholic priest saying mass each week online.

Don’t be fooled. Slow, simple living is about finding the joy and happiness in the most mundane moments. It’s about carving out pockets of time to do things that make you happy. These are the rules employed by this soft-spoken man making a life for himself high up on an Italian mountainside. 

MARTIJN BREAKING BREAD WITH FIVE
TRAVELERS FROM ALABAMA
WHO SET OUT TO OFFER HIM SOME HELP

Courtesy Sharp Magazine

So, we make a great effort to apply these (if not, similar) principles within our own lives, struggling to be true to ourselves while absorbing the collectivity of moral and ethical standards; decisions based on truth rather than expediency.At the same time, we must acknowledge that feeling a whole range of emotions is not only normal, but healthy; learning that everyone has their ups and downs no matter how good the mask they wear on the outside may be.

Observing Martijn clear the land, plant a garden, bake bread, build an off the grid solar panel and battery powered electrical system, source clear, refreshing mountain water to live on, and then drop everything in order to take a hike up to the highest peak or speak with his neighbors on a sunny afternoon, brings me such joy. As the clouds roll into the valley and softly obscure the mountains beyond, I close my eyes and dream about the feeling of Zen that Martijn Doolaard brings into my life and I am very, very grateful. 

Watching him break bread with visitors and live a natural life of freedom and purpose, I have found his personal documentary my new source for meditation. Everything he does is like a reverential ceremony. His tall, lanky, Lincolnesque appeal is forthright and charmingly calming. I really can’t remember what drew me to Martijn on YouTube in the first place, especially at a time when I needed something like him the most. I am thankful that I did. Life often works in truly mysterious ways.

Courtesy Sharp Magazine

Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved