OUR MIGHTY SYCAMORE TREE

 

A series of essays….

OUR SYCAMORE TREE REMINDS ME OF THE PLANE TREES LINING
THE SMALLER ROADWAYS AND VILLAGES OF FRANCE;
TALL, STRAIGHT, AND MAJESTIC!

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Yes. Life is all about, at least it should be, watching two squirrels scramble down various rutted tree trunks and chase one another across the backyard. Taking the few seconds of time out from a busy morning to take this all in seems to be the biggest challenge for most of us. 

Even at my age, my mind is filled with ‘to do’ lists, schedules, and Zoom meetings. Heck, by the time those furry-tailed tree rodents scratch their way down to terra firma and make a run for it, I’ve begun my morning schedule of daydreaming, imagining different scenarios, plotting, all while attempting to put these thoughts into coherent and interesting sentences. 

Now that many people are easing out of the pandemic that has taken over our lives for the last several years, tiny stirrings of what I presume to be normalcy erupt inside me. I am encouraged by this. But, even as we begin sticking our toes into the nearly forgotten waters, we are chilled to the bone given all of the uncertainty about life that has to be dealt with if we desire to, actually, take the final plunge.

Even though the room I write in can change on any given day (as we continue the work on improving our little cottage), I have felt comfortable within the scope of my working existence for over two years and have found solace in the act of creating my stories to share with others. I humbly thank you, my dear readers, for allowing me time to get my head together before continuing my journey along this inspired path.

Each morning becomes a new adventure; each adventure brings new promises, often based upon my life, growing-up, and existing in a world of my own particular circumstances. It’s rather cozy here in my own skin. This is where I feel safe every morning—no matter which room I happen to be in or what the news has to offer.

It’s fairly certain, especially at my age, that the dark hand of death would be gripping my wrist and pulling me into the reality of one of life’s greatest promises: all living things will, eventually, pass on and we should be grateful for the time we have on this earth. We must make the most of it and improve with age like a fine wine or a brilliant French cheese! Many of us concentrate our best efforts at productive thinking towards the end of our lives and, I don’t believe this is, necessarily, the wrong thing to do. 

Slipping into a comfy groove, routine, after years of further education, employment, having and raising children, having these children marry and begin families of their own—feels very satisfying to me. Grandchildren have always been my priority and one  reason for living in Michigan, today. Sadly, three grandchildren have become as illusive as a David Copperfield performance with our daughter preferring her parents to be magically transformed into a lengthy disappearance act. Life can be disappointing, irrational, and absolutely unpredictable no matter how hard one tries to do the right thing; work on making things right, once again. Sadly, this is another story for another time.

No one has a perfect life. There are too many things that impede it. As it’s been said before, life itself tends to get in the way of perfection. But, if we can concentrate on what feels good, what makes us happy, or what makes others happy, we might just have a chance to experience the closest we can come to perfection in this lifetime. This is why my writing, especially at this time in my life, has become exceedingly important to me. Putting into words my feelings and beliefs in story form gives me a reason to exist; a purpose for spending time interacting with others and visiting unknown places in order to find others who believe in these same things. 

My heart goes out to all of the families who have unconventionally lost someone they love so dearly! We can, almost, come to terms with the fact that decease takes lives away from us on a daily basis. Aging is a process by which our bodies begin to deteriorate and leave us at their mercy. However, to witness our youth being deprived of their future and the promising possibilities of hope, is beyond comprehension. 

Within the past few weeks, I have had several relatives pass on. Children of friends have succumbed to cancer. Innocent grandparents and even a father purchasing a birthday cake for his son have been lost due to gun violence. Students and their teachers have been taken from their families because someone brandished a weapon of mass destruction and shot twenty-one innocent souls in a Texas elementary school. While the families grieve for their loss, authorities who won’t accept responsibility run and hide; spoiled adults being enabled by their peers who hold offices of importance within the very same community. No backbone. No shame.

This past Sunday, a good friend in her eighty’s left an open wound in the hearts of those who love her and must exist without her. May you Rest In Peace, my friend. The world has lost a very talented and beautiful lady!

It is difficult for me to take any of this lightly. It would take an extremely heartless person to do so.

Sitting back in my chair, once again, two squirrels, one black, one gray, repeat, with Indianapolis 500 speeds, their race to the bottom of the sycamore tree that lives outside of the window and has its roots under the surface of the ravine that exists alongside our house. And yet, our mighty sycamore tree stands straight and tall as it towers above most of the trees along the block.

What a long journey for my acorn loving neighbors to make on this lovely spring morning. With the gusto of fresh eyes and a willing disposition, the scene before me hatches over and over again as if it were Groundhog Day. Gladly taking a few seconds out of my busy morning, I savor the opportunity to witness nature’s little scramble along with its plethora of earthly colors and delights. 

Copyright © 2022 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved.                                                 

SEEING THE LIGHT: KEEPING A PROMISE TO MYSELF

A series of essays.....

LIGHT SHOT THROUGH CUT GLASS CRYSTAL
~MORNING LIGHT SHINES THROUGH OUR
WATERFORD VASE IN THE FOYER~

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Just as light reflection shot through perfectly cut glass crystals bring out the best ‘sparkle’ and can be so luxuriously pleasing to the human eye, keeping promises made to yourself from the deepest depths of your being can make you shine like the brightest star in the heavens. 

I am shining on both the inside and outside these days because I have kept a promise to myself for over a year now and I will not waiver from it until the outcome I hope to see has been, undeniably, achieved.

Before I explain the promise I made to myself, please allow me to set the stage by taking a moment to run by only a few things that are happening in our world today:

The worst flu epidemic to happen in years.

The annihilation of the Republican Party by the most incompetent leader of the Free World.

Weather patterns above and beyond what has been considered ‘normal.’

The Women’s March growing by leaps and bounds after chalking-up its 2nd year!

Sadly, gun violence and mass shootings becoming the norm within our social make-up.

Many of us, for the second time, living through the threat and fear of a nuclear holocaust.

Puerto Rican school children cheering for ‘the light’ after four months of living in the darkness without power.

Acknowledging that equal rights for all has yet to be achieved. Will that day be in my lifetime?

The financial and social status of one percent of the population is actively attempting to obliterate the rest of our nation’s population including the elderly, the weak, the poor, as well as annihilate the structure of the middle class. Attempting to take away our Social Security Benefits, health insurance, our right to clean air and water, and ignoring scientific facts and findings regarding global warming.

The cruel and unnecessary plight of the Dreamers and DACA recipients. 

I could go on and on and on with this list. It drags me down to think that in 2018 our country is not progressing as it should, but instead we are retreating into the past; a past that this present administration considers to be Making America Great Again. With the power of a dictatorship such as the likes in Russia today, their dictator, Vladimir Putin, has been directing and controlling this current president like his own personal marionette in order to attempt to break apart what the United States has always stood for: Democracy! Freedom! Individual Rights! And, the right to speak openly and freely without fear or recrimination! All the while the words ringing in our ears straight from the poetic pen of Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Do you recall ever having read a novel that described the perpetrator getting away with what might be considered ‘the perfect crime?’ As you read along with the storyline you begin to realize that many factors are involved in the apparent success of this intricate plot to rob, murder, or discriminate against another human being or institution. The talented author expertly weaves the various contributing factors into the plot denoting apparent perfection by pointing out fastidious planning, behind the scenes backing (including Big Money), perfect timing, and hitting the mark when people and situations appear to be at their most vulnerable.

Certainly, timing was everything for this foreign dictator as he plotted and planned out one of the greatest takeovers of Democracy today, concentrating heavily within the United States but encompassing Western Europe, as well. 

He needed the perfect pawn available and found him in Trump. With Trump’s propensity for greed, the manipulation of others, and desire to be looked upon as powerful and brilliant....the task of buttering him up was minimal. Trump was ripe for the taking. The vendetta he holds against the goodness and intelligence shown by Barack Obama is obscenely apparent throughout his ‘Birther Movement,’ as well as the simple fact that Barack’s strengths and popularity have galled Trump for years. Having the opportunity to retaliate against the 44th President was the cheese set out as bait in the Putin rat trap. 

Dividing the main principals of the people of any country through the means of fear and hatred weakens its chances of being strong from within; making it highly vulnerable to any outside influence. The last few years of extreme police brutality and massive gun violence with obvious disrespect for human life, has been breaking down the existence of law and order and weakening the fine line between good cop/bad cop, right and wrong, and enhancing a ‘gestapo-like’ influence of free-for-all Wild West brutality. This, unfortunately, is evidenced in the increasing power and brutality used by ICE (U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement) officers, Border Patrol police, and White Supremacist groups that believe in a political, economic, and cultural system in which whites overwhelmingly control power.... 

And why not? They’ve been given a free, anything goes, pass by their great leader, Trump, who has displayed his indiscriminate tendencies of racial profiling and hatred for many years. 

THESE STATS ARE DATED AS OF YESTERDAY,
JANUARY 24, 2018, AND INCLUDES DEATH, INJURIES,
AND NUMBER OF INCIDENTS REPORTED AND
VERIFIED  ~ THIS NUMBER CHANGES
DRASTICALLY EACH DAY AND
DOES NOT INCLUDE SUICIDES!

Looking at the chart above, you have to realize that we are only in the third week of this brand new year. 

Couple this attitude with the powerful backing of the NRA (National Rifle Association) and you have a steaming shit cocktail that’s guaranteed to disrupt and change all previous rules of law, order, and civility. By circulating its power throughout the various organizations who are paid to protect us, not brutalize us, and giving the 'green light' to the hate mongers, monsters are created and existing miscreants thrive. Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, understood early on that following the ‘money trail’ would shed the most light on understanding the motives behind the Trump administration and its connection to Russia, Big Money, and Power!

What on earth sparked this colossal revelation of mine today in the first place, with this day being just one more in the continuing clown show we call our government?! It feels bazaar sitting here gazing up at the vertiginous sky, mind wandering around in circles like a child lost in the middle of Time Square. Honestly, it was the simple act of remembering why I have not changed my Facebook profile picture in slightly over a year.... And, firmly vowing not to do so as long as we have these selfish, demoralizing people in the White House. When he and all of the similar ilk around him are formally expelled for many or all of the reasons I spoke about above...It will be a pleasure and a blessing to remove this badge of courage and exchange it for one filled with beauty and love (pictures with my grandchildren); vendetta having been recognized and, ultimately, rectified.

Already we see an upsurge in the number of women running for elected office from city mayors to Congresspersons, Senators, and Governors of the states they live in and will be proud to represent in Washington, D.C.  And, as long as that glass ceiling remains, virtually, intact, the sky is the limit for each and every one of them. 

My heart swells with the knowledge that many men regard female strength with such openness and anticipation, as if they have known for years that the simple act of injecting fresh, new ideas into the positions formerly held by (old/white) men would spark a major effort towards change, fill the cracks with a bit of softness, and allocate plenty of determination and new vibrations throughout the land. Bless all of you fine gentlemen! Gratefully, I know quite a few of you.

In my firm belief that Women Can Stop Trump, this symbol will remain right where it is as my profile picture, proudly displaying my innermost feelings while representing my steadfast belief in the power of women all over the world! The day it is removed and changed will be a day of celebration acknowledging the calculated progress into the future of our Democracy!

Author’s Note: It is better to enjoy life than to let it eat you up. So, I will celebrate life by believing that the truth will overcome. In honor of life (and speaking the truth), we are off to see and listen to Vice President Joe Biden next Monday, January 29, at the Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts in downtown Orlando! Embrace the moment! 

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

THE ART OF COMMUNICATION: SEDUCTIVE AND IMPERATIVE

A series of essays.....

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Be not afraid, but understand it takes inordinate amounts of courage, common sense, and humanity in order to survive peacefully in today's world. Two days ago, these three attributes might have been, essentially, enough. In the aftermath of the Las Vegas massacre, I am obliged to add communication to this list.

Let's be totally honest with ourselves here. We could add understanding, kindness, giving and forgiving, intelligence, and many, many more traits to the list and still be able to come up with more. However, courage, common sense, humanity (benevolence), and communication will breed all of the above and still cover the base requirements for a positive life while representing the core values that should be taught to all of us beginning at birth!

Sadly......, they are not.

Sunday afternoon I was exercising my right to communicate while enjoying life, asking questions, learning things I'd only assumed to have known before, and, once again, listening, listening, and listening some more to what someone else had to say. I cannot stress enough just how important the art of listening to others is. And, I don't mean listening to someone and then waiting for their final words only to offer them the privilege of listening  to you attempt to 'one-up' their story with one of your own. A pet peeve of mine; let's just say, more like a major annoyance!

But, you are right. Communication consists of two or more individuals being able to open-up to one another verbally, by crafting the written word, through the art of debate, the utilization of sign language, or through the use of the application of the arts in the form of painting, sculpture, theatre, and so on, via discussion and purpose. Oh, what a beautiful form of communication the arts can be! May I suggest allowing the arts to broaden the mind, soothe the soul, and enlighten the senses a little each day of your life.

For goodness sake....read a book and go find someone to discuss it with! It can be just that simple.

 "Agree to disagree" is a phrase that has reached new heights in our daily discussions and refers to the resolution of a conflict (usually a debate or quarrel) whereby all parties tolerate but do not accept the opposing position(s). It generally occurs when all sides recognize that further conflict would be unnecessary, ineffective, or otherwise undesirable. They may also remain on amicable terms while continuing to disagree about the unresolved issues.

Yes...., in an innocent, more naive acceptance of the world, you might be able to get away with agreeing to disagree for awhile.

Our world is far from perfect or innocent and is exceedingly difficult to navigate. By merely agreeing to disagree will not solve what is wrong here. We need to come up with mutual solutions to some very major problems that confront all of us with gun control being high on our priority list. If Sunday night on the Las Vegas Strip doesn't convince you of this, we have so much communicating ahead of us and, we better be in it for the long haul, too!

But, what if we didn't try? What if we only disagreed with everyone else? We would have a pétri dish filled with incubating negativity and hate to deal with. What if we made it a point to only agree with others, forgetting about ourselves and our personal point of view? Then the world would be a very boring, backwards place to live in, my friend.

Initially, my story today was conceived with the 'art of interviewing' in mind. As most writers understand, there is a clear, concise recipe for being able to pose questions to others in such a manner that you receive full, expressive, and interesting answers in return. Especially if the interviewee holds any reservations, whatsoever, with regards to sharing his or her thoughts. 

Interviewing someone can be a most seductive form of communication. Your words must be soothing and your questions should be able to entice someone into a desired action or state thus extrapolating as much from the conversation and, ultimately, inferring something that might be completely unknown from something that is known in advance. If done seductively with an abundance of charm and a manner that is pleasing or flattering to the heart and ego, you end up with a remarkable amount of material to work with. And, the interviewee is left in a happy, comfortable place after the fact.

Often, when interviewing someone you must have skin as tough as an elephant's and a demeanor that's as gentle as a Mother's loving smile. You must always be aware that it is your job to be real; your job to be inquisitive; your job to be likable and authentic. But, most importantly, and I will say this once again, it is your job to be a good listener!

I will never look at the act of interviewing others as sexist; changing the questions explicitly because someone is a male or female, or even playing to that fact, is wrong. If you maintain the requirements I've listed above at all times, it will not matter anyway. Reaching and maintaining a 'comfort zone' around yourself and the people you are interviewing will usually determine how open and honest the conversation will be.

After I began to write this story, I realized I was picking-up on a much broader scope of our human presence in this world and decided to expand on my thoughts because, you see, Las Vegas happened on Sunday night....

When major tragedies transpire such as mass killings of innocent people, we the survivors become more energized; more opinionated. We, quite simply, cannot help it. Emotions are running at breakneck speed and the emphasis is concentrated on solving the problem by any means possible. But, in order to solve it, one must denote what has created the problem in the first place.

If we are to emerge victorious in finding solutions to the problem of gun control in this country, it becomes imperative that we talk about the problem, day and night if that's what it takes, as we employ common sense along the way. Step one is looking at these assault rifles, bigger magazines, the amount of ammunition you can purchase, and understand that common sense tells you that the higher the difficulty one may have in obtaining this kind of weaponry, the odds of eradicating mass murder may be far greater. Maybe this could be a proper starting point of conversation. 

But, hold on one minute. I hear what you're saying. We've tried all of this before, right? 

The parents of the Sandy Hook students vowed, along with President Obama, to place limitations on assault weapons, employ universal background checks, and mental health checks, but to no avail. Unfortunately, even after the deaths this past Sunday, politicians are evading this debate by simply saying....it's too soon ("premature") after this tragedy to talk. We're not giving birth here, Mitch McConnell. Unless it is the birth of long, lost 'gun control' conversation, delays in talks and changing the current laws should happen sooner rather than later.

What on God's green earth does it take to place politics, payoffs, major favors implied or otherwise, aside and see that life should always take precedence over materialistic greed? Obviously, not even mass murder will do the trick!
  

Avoiding talking about this problem until later is only a means of hoping that it will be pushed aside and placed on the back burner for as long as possible. Such is human nature. That is exactly why we cannot afford to waste precious time.

Just like the 1950's Mom used to say, "Wait until your Dad gets home. He'll give you the biggest spanking ever!" As the saying goes, "We've come a long way, baby!" If the wayward child is not reprimanded and the altercation between Mother and child not addressed immediately, the power of communication is spent by the time Dad gets home. Besides, Dad wasn't there to witness the wrongdoing in the first place. I never thought that was fair for anyone involved, anyway.

It is IMPERATIVE that we address gun control immediately, before the memorials for God's newest angels are completed, before the power of communication is spent, and before this political diversion is set in motion. Believe me, the families of the victims of Las Vegas will soon decide to take part in them and understand that 'momentum lost' is equal to 'opportunity lost.'

We must do everything we can to openly discuss all loss of life in this country via gun violence. Let's quickly return to discussions about intense 'background checks' and mental health regulations, reinstating and strengthening the federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, exposing all elected officials who have ever secured personal funds from the NRA (National Rifle Association). There are always good reasons not to back a sound, 'common sense' cause that would only help protect our citizens from unnecessary harm: Big money! 

Money will continue to be as sweetly seductive and often more powerful than even the memory of the face of a beautiful young child taken from us through a senseless act of gun violence.....!

Take part in community discussions about gun control. Open up your own discussion with family and friends. Keep the sacrifice of the many victims of gun violence alive and purposeful; they died for a reason. Contact your Congressperson and Senators and discuss your opinions about gun control. Participate in marches, sign petitions, and cooperate in any way you possibly can in order to stop this senseless killing. 

This time....we cannot afford to 'Agree to Disagree.' We must take a stand. I pray we continue to move forward and not delay this process. Circumstances are calling for a change today.

Love....

Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

"ORLANDO UNITED"

 A series of essays.....

BEAUTIFUL RAINBOWS CRISSCROSSING OVER ORLANDO, FLORIDA

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Like beacons in the night, the digital highway signs above us along the 417 were guiding us home with their bright flashing messages of "ORLANDO UNITED!" 

"AMBER ALERT," or "HEAVY TRAFFIC NEXT 10 MILES," or "SILVER ALERT" need not apply here. "ORLANDO UNITED" was showing us the way home tonight. And, we were almost there!

The colliding evening sea breezes between the Gulf and the Atlantic decided to take a late hit as the skies opened up above us along I-95 near Palm Coast a short while before. For the last forty-five minutes our world had been wrapped in a cloak of darkness that was sporadically illuminated by bright flashes of intricate lightening bolts tossed at us from a hostile eastern sky! 

Happy about our final leg of driving after a long, long day on the road, and feeling comforting warmth on the back of my head, I decided to text our two daughters of our imminent arrival. "The fiery red sun is in full bloom low in the western sky and we are between Sanford and home! There are at least three rainbows to the east! And, it's still raining! WOW!" What a magnificent welcoming party! What a glorious sight!

It felt as if the highway signs had teamed up with the sun, rainbows, and rain in welcoming us back to a place we've, literally, grown up in for twenty years. And, true to nature, the growing pains have hurt, as well as inspired us along the way.....

Growing pains. All large cities have them. It's a challenge to keep up with the needs and constant fluctuations of the multitudes that incorporate so many various ideas and desires. Death. It surrounds all of us every day, big city or small town, in one way or another. With life there will always be death. Senseless Death? Hate? Gun Violence? Please help me understand these acts because I'm having a major problem here!!!

Rainbows in the eastern sky. The souls of the recent gun violence victims from the massacre at 'Pulse,' an Orlando nightclub located on Orange Avenue, in the very early hours of Sunday morning, were still making their way Home. The brilliant colors comprising each rainbow, representing their vibrancy and pure joy of life, were vehicles assisting in their climb up to the heavens along perfectly formed arches.....God's elegant gateway to Bliss. 

The 'tears of the survivors' that we have been shedding for these innocent souls are splashing down upon us in the form of rain from the Heavens above. God's way of stripping off the dirt and grime of travel; cleansing us of the filthy, tangible atmosphere of Hate and Fear.

The blood orange evening sun, now large and bold having broken through the angry black cloud cover, coupled with the bright digital signs right above our car, warmly light our way as we pass by the exit to Orlando Sanford International Airport, our personal gateway to Michigan, and over the bridge at Lake Jesup, spanning its calm, lazy alligator-filled existence. These landmarks exist between time and space and embed into one's very being given exercise and time. 

Yes! I truly understand and believe that rolling along the 417, we have become witnesses to this miracle of Life and Death. 

As a 'survivor,' I welcome the challenge that exists for those of us who clearly see the backwardness of our society and are capable of standing up to the idea that a gun-toting, miserable and mentally insane loner can cause such damage to everything we hold dear. Let's check a person's mental stability at the front door of every gun shop, gun show, and NRA meeting that exists today!

And, by the way, the National Rifle Association is an organization, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, founded in 1871 that promotes the legal use of guns and gun safety in the United States. It defends a U.S. citizen's constitutional right to own and bear arms. 

You see....I have a problem with accepting an archaic law that refuses to change or upgrade with the times. Let's pull ourselves out of the Wild, Wild West and actually admit that circumstances and people do change over time. More guns will never make it right! And, just for the record, isn't a large part of "gun safety" about protecting the innocent?

Owning another human being as a machine to provide labor for one's personal benefit and enrichment is ARCHAIC! Telling half of the nation's population (women) that they cannot vote....is ARCHAIC! Pulling your gun from its holster in order to shoot another human being because he or she is taking what you believe to be a personal possession of yours (Such as land, space, gold....) is ARCHAIC and very much related to modern day road rage and pure hatred of those around you. 

You do see my point, don't you? What was written up in the year of our Lord, 1871, may not apply in the same way in 2016. Times change. Circumstances change. The world evolves. People within a society should evolve along with these changes. Laws and regulations need to match the changing times. Many refuse to believe this and continue to act like small children soon to be denied their 'toys of choice.' If organizations such as the NRA convince you that your life is threatened and your 'toys' are required to maintain the wellbeing of your existence.....then, what better way to do so than to convince you that there are terrorists, unstable minds, unmitigated hatred constantly surrounding you?

Create the seed and hashtag it #power and you will find you've created monsters legally possessing lethal weapons.

Create the seed and hashtag it #Love and you will find that Love attracts more Love and can be shared throughout the world....  

Orlando nightclub shooter, Omar Mateen, and the killer of the twenty-two year old singer, Christina Grimmie, this past Friday at The Plaza Live in Orlando, should both be filed under 'mentally unstable' and yet....both were sold guns. Both succeeded in annihilating the innocent lives of those they had targeted for whatever reason. 

CHURCH LOCATED IN BOONE, NORTH
CAROLINA, OFFERING PRAYERS OF
HOPE AND LOVE FOR ORLANDO

As a reasonable human being, I cannot justify this unreasonable behavior. I will not attach a certain lifestyle to a "God given right" if it means the death of innocent people. I refuse to glorify young women and girls posing with handguns and attack rifles in a 'Charlie's Angels' like opening scene. I am still shaking my head after seeing my niece and her young daughter engaged in this imagery on Facebook! 

This is not "I am woman; hear me roar..." material. When women take pride in themselves, we see them flocking to the poles on Election Day, working hard to secure equal pay for the same job done by men, and maybe, just maybe, ensuring the fundamental rights of women over their own bodies instead of taking the lead from men who believe they know what's best for all women. The power I seek will be securing all of the above in my lifetime for myself, my daughters, and their daughters. For ALL women in the future! And, I will be voting for our nation's first female president in November in order to assist in making this country a better place where both women and men can coexist in mutual tolerance despite different ideologies or interests.

Talk is cheap....as the old saying goes. The words and actions of a self-proclaimed racist, egomaniac, and all-around nasty man will fire-up the masses, including those who think along the same vein as he does; their latent hatred being encouraged and served-up on a platter reinforced by Fear itself. May they tumble around in their massive machine of bigotry and denial (often under the guise of religious beliefs) until some sense of reality is forged from their actions. Their power is weak and self-serving. Their leader is, as well. The sad part is that this guy is crazy dangerous with his many twisted lies and opinions that are untethered to reality.

My friend, Amanda Patterson, shared a post on Facebook, written by Gareth Van Onselen for The Rand Daily Mail, suggesting diseases affecting South African politics. I am applying it to American politics, as well. "Entitled: The Instability Itch. Description: Instability itch manifests as a compulsion to disrupt or destabilize order by introducing chaos and uncertainty into a situation. Symptoms: Randomness, irresponsibility, and patronage." I believe it fits in our case quite well.

Light and Hope shined into our car windows just a few miles from our house bringing peace and contentment into my heart. I knew that coming back home to Orlando carried its heavy burden of grief for the lives so indiscriminately taken away from our community. And, for those they left behind. Knowing that I had to decide how to live with the pain and attempt to make the changes needed to make things better, I turned to my writing.

My words do matter. And I will continue to write them for all who are willing to read them and hope for a better life; a better, kinder life in a world filled with change and renewal.

If the written word is a means of replacing or repairing something that is worn out, run down, or broken, then there is a general need for more people to open up and relate how they feel to others. Simply put, we cannot afford to allow bigotry, walls, hatred, the ego, and negative power to take over our lives. 

Coming home to "ORLANDO UNITED" was living proof of this....!

That's the spirit we see in Orlando!

Remember that Love is what will always matter the most!

REMEMBERING THE LIVES SO BRUTALLY TAKEN
FROM US BY SENSELESS GUN VIOLENCE
IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, 6-12-2016

Note: At this time I would like to extend my condolences to the Graves family from Elkhorn, Nebraska, who lost their two-year- old son, Lane, at the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World. Prayers are being sent out to help you carry this burden and let you know how much you are loved..... 

Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved