IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR

A series of essays.....

THOUSANDS LEAVE A MEMORIAL SHRINE FOR THE
VICTIMS OF THE ORLANDO PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Get ready people because we are experiencing a 'cultural shift' from deep within the daily life and social network we currently hold so dear. Stand very still, close your eyes and you can feel that the times they are a-changing.....

As a child of the '60's Revolution, I can sense how the plates are shifting beneath me once again! The tremors of a powerful and mind-blowing quake is rumbling not so deep beneath the earth's surface, building up steam and preparing to Rock-n-Roll us into a brand new stage of existence. How accepting of it are we willing to be?

Our resident philosopher, renowned prophet, and song writer, Bob Dylan, turned heads around in those days with lyrics like this:

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the time they are a-changin'

We 'Truth Seekers' and students of the world knew what was happening back then and prepared for the long-haul. We encouraged the fight and took the lyrics to Dylan's song to heart and were, in turn, encouraged by them. We were the counter-revolutionaries long before Bernie, finally, charged onto the scene again in this millennium. We were determined to outline the misconceptions and intentions behind our government's involvement in the war in Vietnam and set it straight....even if it meant we were not willing to fight and die for something we did not believe in.

Living in Canada was an alternative lifestyle, freely discussed and often acted upon....consequences be damned!

I remember how we would sit and talk and exchange ideas along the way, for the most part, mindful of our constituent assembly and eager to make or change our political constitution. We were rebels with a cause and felt the time was rife with the need for a powerful change before many lives were lost due to existing policies.

Our generation wanted it done and, we wanted it done as quickly as possible... Having to go through the proper channels may have cramped our style, but we were conscious of the fact that our thoughts and words counted, to a certain degree, and the people running the show would at least hear us out, if not understand.

Impulsiveness. Impulsive behavior is the theme of this current revolution and led by a man whose trait is not thinking carefully before acting. A chameleon of words who changes his persona in order to please each audience with an assumed identity or character.

We have seen the impulsive 'change maker' and felt the negative ramifications of his mighty roar like a seismic shift threatening society as we know it. His impulsive and erratic behavior is based upon and characterized by actions rooted within sudden desires, whims, or inclinations rather than careful thought or planning.

The 'impulsive man' will bring about change. I will not deny that. But, change based upon emotional impulses or whims is brief, loud, and meant for the short term, not continuous for long term stability.

Impulsiveness is what drives the fear and hatred within so many of us, all around the world, in terms of political and religious ideology. Impulsive behavior has spawned new radical beliefs like the idea of building a wall so high that others cannot take away from us anything that is most righteously deserved as American citizens. But, at what cost to others? Impulsive behavior is directly responsible for the annihilation of so many innocent men, women, and children that it has become unconscionable and difficult to   comprehend.

The Republican choice for candidate for the Presidency of the United States is doing so much more than challenging our Constitution; he is denying it and all that it stands for! Whether out of ignorance of its content and intentions, or his own ego and ambition, he is making a mockery out of the hard work that formulated the principles by which we are governed.

I visited the Pulse Nightclub memorial last weekend here in Orlando, my City United. Tears from the pain, hatred, and shock that was the intent of a man fueled by hypocrisy and loathing ran freely down my face. I was not alone. Thousands of us were paying our respects to the innocents who have now become martyrs due to impulsive and irrational behavior.

Soon I will be shedding fresh tears as we walk along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, alongside others who question and wonder about the instability of mankind.

We are being tested. Our values and morals and poor judgment regarding the annihilation of our Planet Earth are on display for all to see, and we are all being tested.....every single day!

November 8, 2016, is our designated exam day as we check the boxes for whom we believe will shed a favorable light upon the United States for years to come. I hope we do well on this test. Our lives and those of our children and grandchildren truly do depend on it.

Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS...

A series of essays.....

A GRANDDAUGHTER'S PERSPECTIVE AND TALENT
~EASTER GREETINGS TO EVERYONE~

......as seen through my eyes!




 By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

My Mother called it constructive criticism. It was, apparently, something that I couldn't 'take' to save my life.

But, take it we did, my three brothers and I, and it became a way of life for us. It was always like the swift kick underneath the kitchen table requesting our silence when something might come spilling out of our mouths that Mother believed should not.

As if being criticized weren't bad enough, nobody wants to be judged via disapproval, especially by their own parents. Then, suddenly, like a padded glove worn to soften the blow to their own character and esteem, the word 'constructive' was slammed into the mix and coupled with the word 'criticism.' Instantly, they became two 'verbal' box cars united for the long journey down the tracks to the ancient city of 'Discipline.'

No matter how laudable, hopeful, or for the good the aim might have been, the spirit of our youthful actions had been gravely criticized by the two people we loved the most. To this day, I believe that by telling a teenager, "You can't take constructive criticism," represents a gross misuse of the power behind these two unique and important words. Spoken with a bluster of insensitive sarcasm, the best of intents towards deriving positive results almost turns into a threat instead.

While raising two awesome daughters myself, many important lessons had been learned growing up under my parent's roof. Perhaps the most important one was knowing to bite my tongue before telling my children that they could not handle constructive criticism. We do learn from our parent's examples....one way or another. I will chalk it up to 'tough love' and leave it at that.


 



The longest way around is the shortest way home....a proverbial saying of the mid 17th century, meaning that not trying to take a short cut is often the most effective way. By taking that first, single step, our longest journey commences; a brand new beginning.

With emphasis on how important a single decision may be, I always think back on how difficult, at least for me, my husband's choice to accept permanent employment in Orlando, Florida, was twenty years ago. No amount of blue skies, swaying palm trees, or the tide's pull of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico could convince me that leaving Michigan was a good idea. Little did I know, at the time, it was the best decision of our lives.

Escaping the heartache of past economic struggles and reaching out towards the light offered by greater opportunities and prosperity, we were like a young couple once again, albeit in our mid-forties, dancing in the springtime rain with joy in our hearts and hope in our steps. We were happy! We wanted to make one another happy.

The sheer joy of being together, depending on one another, and accomplishing things as a team made us feel alive. Eventually, the gentle sway of the palm trees and the warmth of the sun symbolized that giant first step we both needed in order to understand just what the future had in store for us.

Sure, we played with the possibility of sitting on the porch of a log home in Iron Duff, North Carolina, gently rocking back and forth while sharing tidbits from our day and staring out at an incomparable view of green mountains and gentle valleys. Not a bad way to usher in the golden years. Then, there will always be the desire for, what I believe to be, the benefits of living in France for a period of time. Such beauty and grace set apart from our present society lacking, for the most part, in both.

Ultimately, after twenty years of discovering what mysteries lie within our own hearts, home is calling us back. Unable to resist the siren call of the land, our amazing children and grandchildren, and all of the family we left behind in order to follow a better life, the arrow points north, for better or worse.

The appeal of working together on our 'little yellow cottage' and filling it with good times and our five adorable 'little people' up in Kalamazoo, is pulling at us. Delightfully, by taking that first giant leap, another wonderful journey is about to commence.

The act of terrorism inflicted upon Brussels, Belgium, this week applied another deep notch in the 'tree of life' and is, painfully, questioning our credibility as loving human beings once again. 

We can fight it with all the gusto we can muster, but fear keeps rearing its ugly head from around the tree trunk and life, as we once accepted it, has changed. Even though we say it won't take away our freedom and peace, it has; it won't make us think twice before making that next reservation and traveling to lands yet to be discovered, but it will....to a certain degree, anyway. Inevitability is a tough nut to crack.

It sometimes feels like we're playing an elaborate game of Russian roulette where any act, if repeated several times, is likely to have disastrous consequences. Then I ask myself, is this how you want to live out this beautiful, short time we have to enjoy on earth? Of course not, I say, because being truly free is being free from fear itself.

The martyrs that perished or were injured at the airport in Brussels and while riding the Metro beneath her streets....they did not suffer without a purpose. Their lives matter as much as those of Paris or San Bernardino and their ultimate sacrifice will never go unacknowledged or taken for granted. It is precisely because they unintentionally gave up their lives for our freedom, we owe it to them to be grateful and forever conscientious of their gift to us all.

We will keep purchasing our airline tickets (if we can afford to) and utilizing the precious use of the Internet to pick and choose the perfect accommodations for a day, a week, in the future. We will anticipate meeting new people and familiarizing ourselves with their way of life. I will hear new stories, see new sights, and I will continue to write about them for the pleasure (My intent, anyway!) of all to read and enjoy.

And that, my friends, is true freedom!



                                                                                    

FEAR IS OVERRATED

Fear is overrated
Akin to stress and woe
With its odd angles and dimensions
It will infuse into your psyche
Injuring the Spirit and the Soul

Stand tall and proud this very day
Employing common sense and love
Defeating all of the hate-mongers
Demigods hell-bent on destruction
Profiting from our pain

We've been there before and we've done that
It's time to change our course
Let peace and tolerance navigate us
Into a mindset far away
From bigotry, death, and war

If some must hate, then let them
Sometimes there is no recourse
But keep them in our hearts and prayers
For, in the end, life's burdens
Will seem lighter upon our shoulders

Now close your eyes and hear the sound
Of peace and calmness gathering
Into your mind, body, and soul
Like liquid love, it flows and ebbs
Within you and without

Relaxing deeply, concentrate on
A world free of fear
Place hate far away from you
And allow the feeling of happiness to
Open up all possibilities

You will see that
Fear is overrated, akin to stress and woe
Focus on the positive; eliminate the negative
Infuse love throughout your being
Allow its power to grow



HAPPY EASTER TO YOU AND YOURS....



Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved