A series of essays….
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LIVING IN A BLUE HOUSE SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPY! |
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
Many years ago in a land far, far away (actually, it was Chicago) enough magazines and holy trinkets were sold (not intended to be sacrilegious) to offer me the opportunity to attend Sodality and stay at the Conrad Hilton Hotel for four nights and five days. That’s the year I fell madly in love with the Windy City and vowed I would live and work there one day.
The time was the early sixties and we had recently slid out of the Beatnik era, known as the Beat Generation, with its slouchy, dark clothes, open mic poetry reading, and finger snapping.The American youth was gathering social momentum as drugs, free love, and rock & roll (not to mention bell bottoms and the peace symbol) were becoming synonymous as influences and choices for us to take or leave. But the early sixties were kinder, less radical than this, and the Roman Catholic Church was attempting to guide our innocent souls into a world of fellowship, fraternity, and comradeship.
Sodality was meant to bring us together through its many classes and social gatherings and allow us to discuss the Church and our feelings regarding its teachings and beliefs. Kids from all over the Midwest gathered there and, looking back, it was definitely a coming of age moment in our young lives. I always felt the mindset of the priests and nuns who were responsible for its production were part of a grand recruiting program for potential priests and nuns.
The music of the time captured our attention; we were all still so young and naive. The Beatles had yet to cross the pond to America and songs like Michael Row The Boat Ashore performed by The Highwaymen, If I had a Hammer (The Hammer Song) and Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There Is a Season) both by Pete Seeger, and Judy Collins singing Both Sides Now topped the Best of the Hootenanny charts.
So many kids brought their acoustic guitars to Sodality and the hotel provided perfect carpeted alcoves on each floor near the elevators where we’d sit lotus-style, in a circle, while singing in harmony, for the most part, for hours. For me, this was the true meaning of Sodality; we were like-minded teens who would soon be approaching the backlash of the Vietnam War but, for now, were blending together through the hopefulness of song and camaraderie.
One evening, around twenty of us were deep in song when the elevators opened and out walked eight smiling, gentle giants; very tall men donning short, silken jackets emblazoned with gold stars and red and white stripes on a sea of blue. Towering above, like bright stars in the galaxy, they stopped long enough to sing with us and just long enough for us to read the names of Curly Neal and Goose Tatum. The largest smile was owned by Meadowlark Lemon and time stood still as the Harlem Globetrotters absorbed all of the energy our little gathering had to offer.
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MEADOWLARK LEMON |
Poof! Just like that — they were gone! Flowing down a river of beige carpet, they were lost in the curvature of the meandering corridor while, quietly, tossing a basketball back and forth…stifled giggles lingering in their wake.
All of the memories of this time as a young girl absorbing the wonders of a big city I loved while experiencing life with eyes wide open and on my own terms — leave me breathless to this day. So, when a friend invited me to her Blue House Poetry and Music gathering, which she decidedly coined “Salon meets Hootenanny”style get together for poets and musicians and their friends and families, I asked Dan if he’d like to join me for the evening.
Arriving at Nancy and Robin’s Blue House, a handsome turn-of-the-century Victorian, well loved and beautifully maintained, I discovered friends not seen for awhile. Dan and I were introduced to Nancy’s family, two charming daughters, Sarah and Emily, and husband, Robin. They were so genteel and accommodating with an abundance of humor all rolled into a complete package that exuded their love and respect for one another.
Nancy’s gardens rivaled many I’ve seen, private and professional, with small pockets of serenity defined by aging picket fences and studded with comfortable benches nestled among the masses of colorful flowers and grasses. Around the perimeter of the property, mature trees and one ancient catalpa tree in the front yard stand tall and glorious as if protecting the Blue House and her inhabitants. Like my memory of the Harlem Globetrotters that evening in Chicago, these gentle giants offer protection and mark time while observing little girls playing hide-&-seek, young men coming to the front door to pick-up their dates, and young ladies packing their belongings in the car and heading off into their future.
Nancy and I are members of Voices On the Margin, a Kalamazoo poetry group who honors all poets by selecting a poet each month to learn about their background and study their published works. Ultimately, we write our own poems based on the poet’s particular style and use of techniques. We’ve studied poet laureates, poets we have not heard about beforehand, and many Michigan poets who have made their mark in the ever growing and popular genre of poetry. We believe that poetry should move us. Poetry should change us. Poetry should make us see the world in a new and totally original way.
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NANCY’S SMILE: BRILLIANT & SINCERE |
Nancy taught poetry within the Portage Public School System in Michigan and has recently retired from Portage Northern High School. She devotes her time between family and continuing her quest to enlighten others drawing from the deep well of her many years of accumulated knowledge. Robin has taught music for many years and has been involved in theater and theater production. Sarah and Emily are artists, musicians, and educators, as well. It was so easy to fall in love with The Incredible and Talented Nott Family.
So, eating amazing food while seated on the pool deck, Robin is creating a huge fire in the stone pit located behind the pool shed. The Hootenanny vibes begin to grow stronger as we all bring our chairs and begin to form a large circle around the blazing fire. Musicians bring out their acoustic guitars, a cello, and handmade wooden flutes. Many vocalists, including Robin and Emily, provide a singalong atmosphere while playing guitar and encouraging everyone to sing along to familiar lyrics. The “Salon meets Hootenanny” theme thrives within a circle of talented people swaying back and forth to the gentle rhythms of timeless music and gentle voices reading and sharing their original poems. One by one — and the circle is complete.
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CATCHING THE SUNSET BETWEEN POETRY READINGS AND SONGS |
With the stars lending their concentrated illumination above, rejoicing in the lack of pesky mosquitoes, and savoring the anticipation of driving home and discussing the evening, we felt like kids, once again. We existed, if only for a few hours, within a time warp, caught between our youth and the many memories acquired in one’s lifetime. In true Mitch Miller style, we followed the bouncing ball, read our poetry, sang, and played to or heart’s content; all within the joy and bliss of friendship.
Nancy, Robin, Sarah, and Emily have given credence to the idea that within the shadow of the giant catalpa tree coupled by the engaging smile of Meadowlark Lemon beaming down from the heavens, peace and tranquillity can be found on a beautiful July evening surrounded by family and friends.
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| Moving On…2013 - 2023 |
Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
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