A series of essays….
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LLANSILIN, WALES — SUNRISE COLORS! WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HAPPY SPOT THIS MORNING. |
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
In my humble opinion, based on having lived and interacted on this earth for many, many years, life, basically, consists of a long series of contingency plans, compromises, and concessions. These assist us in coping with change, dealing with others, and understanding our too often feeble attempt at making things run as smoothly as possible.
Our daughter and granddaughter ran with it, so to speak, this past Monday morning, high school picture day, when the power went out around five in the morning. How would she curl her hair, apply make-up, and attend to the final touches attributed to all teenage girls towards the process of grooming, especially before school pictures are taken?
With her mom’s expert help, she showered by flashlight and straightened her hair (major compromise). Make-up was applied using several strategically positioned mirrors, a cell phone light, and flashlight as her mom choreographed the performance. Not that there weren’t words of frustration exchanged or many tears shed, but they both got through it and survived.
A spur of the moment contingency plan made a huge difference and, I will almost bet, Brenna’s high school junior pictures will be the prettiest she’s ever taken!
How about playing cat and mouse with the airline carrier you paid good money to in order to get you to your vacation destination? If you read my post from last week, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. To make it to England at all, Dan and I made compromises and time concessions in order to continue with our trip even though we had, unfortunately, lost an entire day and money pre-spent on accommodations.
While function coordinator at Dusty’s English Inn, located near Eaton Rapids, I worked out highly strategic contingency plans with brides and grooms when it came to planning an outdoor wedding event. The unpredictability of a Michigan day and evening took precedence when planning these special events and often it was difficult to convince a starry-eyed couple of the necessity of these plans. But, it always seemed to work out for everyone in the end.
Many aspects of pulling building permits for clients in Celebration, Florida, required compromises by them, as well as on their behalf. Working diligently with Osceola County and the Building Department helped to secure that both sides were accommodated and everyone was, eventually, on the same page. When working with clients who often believed that Mickey Mouse would be coming to live with them in their new home—life was often quite challenging and very interesting.
Just as women have had to conform to and function in a man’s world for eons, we have yet to equalize the working, personal, educational, or basic balance of life and opportunity between men and women. With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the scales have been tipped further into our nation’s past by reintroducing the uncompromising and solemn world of our Mothers and Grandmothers into the twenty-first century and placing on hold the forward motion and progress of woman’s rights. One step forward; two steps back.
Women have had to compromise with and concede defeat to powerful men who believe that by working in equality with women, somehow their power and/or masculinity would be diminished. Please tell me when this archaic seesaw of rationalization will be put to rest once and for all? I’ve had my fill of stupidity for one lifetime and I certainly don’t wish my granddaughters and great-granddaughters to still be fighting this basic fight in the years to come! My patience is running out.
Thank you. I needed that. Fortunately, my husband is sympathetically attuned to equal rights in general and has embraced this concept ever since I’ve known him. This has helped to make life better, far less confrontational, and much more realistic. Both of our daughters have learned and embraced invaluable lessons from him throughout the years.
As a younger writer, I had self-imposed compromises upon my time due to a myriad of responsibilities and obligations I deemed personal and important. (Having and helping to raise a family.) As I grow older, and I concede to the fact that my time has become more and more valuable to me, my quest is to use it wisely and complete the many projects I’d begun so many years ago.
Since I fail to find an appropriate contingency plan for ‘old age,’ I realize how important it is to pick-up the pace, make things happen, and continue my working life with a bounce in my step and joy in my heart.
Change will come naturally. Change for the betterment of all of humanity will weave contingency plans, compromise, and concessions into its fabric all day long. But, it will always be through the kindness, understanding, and love for people that things will happen smoothly and get done in order to, ultimately, benefit everyone.
Final question for everyone out there: Is there a contingency plan, a Plan B, we can utilize to combat stupidity? If so, our democracy may depend on it.
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| MOVING ON….2013 - 2023 |
Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes
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Photo Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes
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