REAL HEROES: DAVID HOGG AND OUR POSTMAN'S SON

A series of essays.....

PARTIAL VIEW OF OUR LIBRARY VIA THE FRONT DOOR

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Enjoying the opportunity to begin writing around six-thirty every weekday morning has its ups and its downs. Kissing the husband good-bye as he heads off to work, grabbing my mug filled to the brim with freshly brewed coffee, and making my way over to snuggle on the couch with i-Pad nestled on my lap.....is pure heaven for me. Now is my time to become totally immersed within the world inside my head, for better or worse.

One ‘down’ for this particular morning is having to listen to a crew ripping off a neighbor’s shingles, two houses down from us, in preparation for a new roof. They have decided to take advantage of our earlier sunrise and promote the resounding echos generated by the fruits of their labor which are bouncing around the subdivision like gigantic, rusty chains being scraped along metal grates!  Add a little sandy grit to the mix and you can imagine the detrimental effect on me in terms of unanticipated distraction! Can the disagreeable rhythm of powerful nail guns be far behind?

There’s, also, the fact that I tend to hang-out in my sleeping attire far longer than most people are able to. As long as nobody requires me to open the front door for any medical emergency....I’m set to go, feet resting on the soft, beige ottoman and time becoming irrelevant to my current state of mind. 

As with most of us who make a deliberate effort to care about the world and her people, the subjects of gun control, Dreamers, Immigrants, corruption and greed, bigotry, illicit affairs, and hate plague our thoughts on a daily basis. I believe that if we can find one ‘shining moment’ every day and concentrate on it for at least thirty minutes, this process will help to enlighten our moral outlook and keep us moving in a forward motion.

Last Thursday’s ‘shining moment’ presented itself to me in a unique manner. Not only did I keep it in my thoughts for a very long time, I decided that this enlightening moment had to be shared. It happened to be fortuitous that I’d already showered and changed into daytime clothing before it all went down!

POSTAL LETTER CARRIER
UNIFORM  ~  SUMMER BASEBALL CAP

He rang the front doorbell. You would like to think that anyone standing on your front stoop would not take advantage of looking directly into your home via the sidelight but, he did. 

Placing my i-Pad off to the side, I walked around our ‘Grandpa’s Chair’ (purchased for its larger yet cozy capacity for sitting and cuddling with Grandchildren) and into the foyer to gaze out at my unscheduled guest from my side of the sidelight before opening the front door. His broad smile along with a cap and shirtfront displaying the recognizable Seal of Delivery of the United States Postal Service gave him away. I opened the door.

“Are you Jacqueline Hughes?” he inquired in very good English but with a thick accent reminiscent of a Spanish speaking native who has lived in this the U.S. for many years. “Yes,” I replied. Next he was handing me a tiny machine and asking me to sign my Etch-a-Sketch signature before signing and printing my name on the registered letter itself. As I was signing my life away for one elongated, white envelope, he peeped through the open door and exclaimed, “Oh, I love your library!” Could he have endeared me more to him by saying anything else, I ask you?

“Thank you. You must be an avid reader,” I said.

“Oh, yes I am! I love books. I love to read. And, it’s so rare to see home libraries anymore. Your library is beautiful!” His excitement was contagious and heartwarming.

My new friend was beaming and I could sense that there was much more to this story than a huge smile and extreme fawning over our cozy library would tell me. And, there was....

“My oldest son was accepted to Harvard! He was just informed yesterday! We are so proud of him!” he blurted out in what seemed like one, long exhaled breath. “He’d been accepted at MIT, as well, but has always had his heart set on attending Harvard!” All five feet and close to five inches of him was shaking with pride and love and all of those happy, wonderful emotions that we parents feel and display so readily when it comes to the unique accomplishments of our offspring.

~~SPRINGTIME AT HARVARD~~

                                   Photo: Courtesy USA Today

“How wonderful that is for your son and for you, too!” I said while feeling myself bobbing up and down in mirrored rhythm to his ‘joy and happiness dance’ enforced by his exuberant vibes. “I am so happy for you and for your son and family. The hard work he has had to put into everything he does is paying off for him.”

“I know. I know. He has earned a partial scholarship and that is supplemented with various grants he’s applied for. It will be a long road, I understand this. But, he is strong and knows exactly what he wants in this world and that will help make a difference.”

I continued to bounce along with him as I looked into his sparkling eyes and thought about all of the kids from Parkland, Florida who have resumed their own high school studies this past week. They are the so-called ‘privileged’ white kids who, if accepted into Harvard or MIT or Northwestern University, may not have to depend on the supplemental grants to get them through their college careers. They may not have to take-on a part-time job in order to afford any little extras along the way. 

Their baggage, however, now includes taking-on the memory of hate in its purest form. By having dodged the bullets of a deranged person hell-bent on leaving a legacy of death and destruction, they carry the burden of this hatred around with them for the rest of their lives. Judging by what I’ve read and seen, this baggage has already served to strengthen their moral courage and is directing many of them to stir-up change in current political policies that will help protect them and others from haters in the future. I think many of us are waiting for the November elections this year. Undoubtedly, much needed change will happen then.

SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAVID HOGG HID IN A
CLOSET WHILE SHOOTER KILLED SEVENTEEN PEOPLE
IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL.
PARKLAND SURVIVOR HAS TURNED ACTIVIST.

And, really, are they that much different than my postman’s son in the long run? The world rests upon all of their young shoulders. It doesn’t matter what personal struggles helped to shape their lives, when their educational values kick in and they become the new leaders of this world, the fields of Arts and Science, Education, Mathematics,Trade Schools, Industry, and so much more, will blossom like fresh new flowers on a warm and sunny spring day with energy and color bursting forth for all to see, learn and profit from, and enjoy!

Before my postman, sporting his thin, dark mustache and brown, penetrating eyes, could leave my front stoop, I wanted to reach out to him one last time and said, “Please know how proud we all are of you and your son. I know for a fact that a much brighter future revolves around him and the youth of this country. We need to let them all know how much their strength and intelligence is appreciated.” I was so grateful at that moment for this fellow human being, slave to his many emotions, who was unafraid to display them all to me!

Just by the look on his face, I was certain he knew exactly whom I was in reference to in this particular case; his son, as well as the Parkland students who will always remain near and dear to us and in our daily thoughts and prayers. I knew this because he stopped, turned back towards me and said, “Yes. Yes. They are the strong ones. We must help them along their journey....” And, he issued me a standard ‘thumbs up’ on his way back to his vehicle.

To think that my book-filled shelves helped to promote this entire conversation only encourages me to constantly support the power and wisdom behind a good education. This jubilant postman opened his heart to me and related one of the most auspicious moments of his family’s life. Together we delivered an homage to this young generation who are television and Social Media savvy warriors and will serve to catapult all Americans into the kind of world we wish to live in. #Progress #Youth #Resist....!

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

DEAR READER......

Captured on my iPhone.....

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

                                                                                                                                  Number 1 in a series


Dear Reader,

Every now and then I like to go back through some of the pictures I have taken throughout the year with the idea of understanding why they were taken in the first place.  The above picture is a prime example.  However, Dear Reader, I request your help with this new endeavor, enterprise, undertaking of mine....and, I'll get to this a bit later on.

Now, I suggest you enlarge the above photo and zoom in as close as possible on these four individuals.  That's right.....close.  We are looking at a daughter and mother sitting side-by-side and a middle-aged, married couple, allowing a bit more space between one another, sitting and waiting for something to happen and, hopefully, something more exciting than all four of them combined!!

The above scene, taken on June 6, 2014, was captured in the foyer of the chain restaurant TGI Fridays, located at Waterford Lakes on the east side of Orlando, Florida.  As we all know, this scene is becoming more typical everywhere you look as technology becomes notably embraced by everyone!

My husband and I had recently started the demolition required in our outdated kitchen and, with life in turmoil, hunger calling, we went out for a burger on a Saturday afternoon.  Orlando Saturdays can be jammed and packed with wall-to-wall people.  This day was no exception.  We needed a respite from rehab and our tummies filled and waiting a short time for this to happen was no problem at all.

Considering that talking with and watching people are two of my favorite hobbies, we utilized this downtime to unwind, exchange stories about 'the kids' up in Michigan and strategize about using our time productively the rest of the weekend.  Dan and I had experienced the 'weekend warrior' routine two years before when remodeling our master bathroom and knew how important following a plan would be.

The foyer of the restaurant was comparatively small, just big enough to allow several people to escape a summer shower, if need be.  The six of us occupying this enclosed, hollowed space created an unusual feeling of quietness after a few minutes.  As we sat comparing notes in whispered tones on our side of the space, it was apparent that silence prevailed on the opposite side. 

# Texting a Friend
# Checking Messages
# Checking Game Scores
# Deleting Unnecessary Emails

Absolute quiet.  With silent keyboards, there wasn't even the sound of 'clicking' to stir-up the atmosphere.  Were we witnessing a complete disregard for the unique enjoyment of interacting with those physically nearby?  Exchanging human contact with cyber interfacing instead?  With minds compartmentalized by their own devices, literally, mother and daughter, husband and wife, sat silently, deep within their private worlds.....for quite some time.

Slowly lifting my iPhone in order to capture this shot, I was fearful of disturbing one of them or, embarrassing myself by being so blatant and obvious about taking their picture.  I was only kidding myself because my precautionary intent towards their privacy was totally lost on all four of them!  Not an eye was blinked nor an eyebrow raised in the making of this photo!

Then I began picking-up on the specific body language among my subjects.  All four faces were without expression with lips straight, eyes downcast and seemingly closed.  The old adage of if you cross your arms over your torso it's as though you are silently protecting yourself from negative vibes or words tossed at you by others definitely applied here.  Something was 'crossed' on each one of them....with mother and daughter sporting the more painful 'leg-over-leg' position and my 'Billy Joel lookalike' and avid sports enthusiast and his wife a bit less cautious with their ankles only modestly crossed.

Suddenly, sharp, little red lights began to pierce the moment sending silent waves of color up the back of the cool, black Naugahyde bench.  Billy Joel and his quiet better-half were being summoned...not by a human voice, but by a small, square device equipped with red running lights, no sounds attached.  Like robots preprogrammed to respond (Pavlov would have enjoyed this conditioned reflex), the couple silently entered the restaurant to be seated, slipping side-by-side between the oversized, double glass doors.  I could only hope that their Internet reception proved even better once inside or, with any luck, an actual conversation would engage between them while eating lunch!!

Not surprisingly, my mother/daughter team failed to even look up when 'married couple' exited the foyer.  I don't know what happened next with them because Dan and I were being summoned to be seated by the flashing red lights right on the heels of 'married couple.'

Progress is always a good thing as its definition suggests....moving forward; development or growth.  When progress impedes the eye-to-eye, personal relationship and communication between human beings then, at least in my opinion, it's moving us in the wrong direction.....backwards!


This is where you come in, Dear Reader.....

*I need you to help me caption my photo above.  The caption does not have to reflect my opinions from this story.  It's all about YOU!  Please leave your captions in the comments below on this Facebook post.  The caption with the most "Likes" will caption my photo!
**My Google+ and Twitter Followers are urged to participate, as well, at each of these sites.....! 

*Do you believe that people are losing the ability to speak comfortably face-to-face?

*Physicians are finding a new syndrome characterized by our constant use of technological devices that can harm our spinal chords and cause chronic pain.  Do you agree or disagree with this finding?  Please state your reasons why or why not.

*Would you consider giving-up all of your 'tech devices' for a 24 hour period?  (This includes ALL video game consoles, my friend!)


Thank you for all your help and feedback because I really do appreciate it! 



Copyright © 2014 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved