2021 DREAMING

 

A series of essays....

TRAVEL GUIDES AND MAPS MAKE-UP 
A LARGE PART OF MY LIBRARY

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

A good friend told me how she is managing the ‘no travel’ COVID-19 world we live in today. Her ideas appeal to those of us who believe that the planning for and anticipation of any trip taken is equivalent to at least forty percent of the ultimate joy we receive after actually making it to our travel destination. 

So, with this spirit of the traveling soul within us, we can be assured of feeling the glossy pages of a DK ‘New Edition’ of PROVENCE & THE COTE D’AZUR on our fingertips; tap into The National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States on a gray and rainy afternoon. While perusing the sights, activities, and accommodations offered by your particular source of information, you might be sipping Lucky Irish Breakfast Tea from your favorite mug or indulging in a crystalline glass of private blend Scotch obtained from your last trip to Edinburgh. I say, do whatever it takes in order to conjure up your particular traveling spirits!

Oh, and online perusing is totally acceptable, as well. Immersing ourselves in the pleasant visual of striking ocean blue seascapes, toes slowly sinking into sandy white beaches, and gazing into the colorful spirit of a blood orange sunset all while swiping to the left is a pleasurable experience. Also, this is truly the best way to see what Bed & Breakfast, Airbnb, VRBO, Hostel, Motel, or European Style Hotel your destination might offer. (Please keep in mind that pinpointing a date and actually making a reservation will have to wait a while longer.) 

My friend has virtually booked mini-trips and weekend extravaganzas in Pure Michigan, organized return visits to some of her favorite places in Spain and Ireland, and dreams about what she might see while hiking through one of our National Parks or walking a trail that cuts through the scenic red rock formations of Sedona, Arizona.

Whether making plans to visit with friends along our outstanding coastline of Lake Michigan or organizing a romantic get-a-way with her husband in the Traverse City, Petoskey area, she fills her heart with memories of lovely times from the past. My friend is decidedly preparing herself for what can be in the future. 

What our worldwide traveling future consists of remains to be seen. Simply stated, there are too many variables that apply during and in the aftermath of a pandemic. I do know that having respect for fellow travelers, as well as ourselves, will always be the main ticket. Within the months and even years to come, we need to weigh all of the facts, rearrange our way of thinking, and make important changes where needed in order to feel safe upon entering a post-pandemic reality. As long as we believe in change and we abide by the proper steps to make this change happen, we will help control the unconscionable death of so many innocent people during this pandemic.

LA TOUR EIFFEL

As our world began to shrink and blend one country into another and the continental United States became easier to navigate due to the general affordability of travel due to planes, trains, and automobiles—we were hooked! Ultimately, there was nothing to stop us from taking our own iconic shots of La Tour Eiffel in Paris or capturing smiles of loved ones at a family reunion after having traveled hundreds of miles to get there. The simplicity of travel has been ingrained in us so deeply that it is difficult to change or remove (even temporarily). Coupled with a modern day attitude of owning our individual rights and freedom, no matter what—this is a recipe for disaster when linked with COVID-19. 

Holiday travel this year has become an embarrassment to our well-being and to the well-being of everyone around us. We simply cannot play games with our lives by refusing to acknowledge the deadly effects of this virus—worldwide. Curbing our enthusiasm for travel today may save many lives in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

Let’s take a few reasonable and highly qualified notes from my dear friend and utilize this time to plan for future adventures and put together as many trips as our hearts desire—in memory or on paper. When the time comes, and it will, and it is safe to take the plunge into traveling once again, we will be content to see as many adventures as possible come alive, bringing us joy and satiating our need for roaming the world. Until then, be patient, be smart, be safe, and respect life—your own, as well as others.

Tonight at midnight we will gladly wave goodbye to 2020 and find our 2021 happy place. Most of us have been dreaming 2021 for a long time. Now that it is right around the last corner, enjoy this time to make peace with the world; find peace in your own heart. Have a safe and Happy New Year!

ENJOY THE PROCESS AND JOY
OF VIRTUAL TRIP PLANNING!

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

IT'S ALL ABOUT LIFE'S STORIES

A series of essays....

A JOURNEY FOR TWO.....
SUNSET AT BARNES COUNTY PARK,
LAKE MICHIGAN

....as seen through my eyes!




By: Jacqueline E Hughes

It continues to amaze me how I can see my father’s nose while looking into the mirror. I’ve always resembled my mother in every way, except in stature, (she stood a mighty    5’ 2” with me towering over her at 5’ 7”). But, dad’s nose is there now....right down to the tiny indentation along the right tip. I only ask that his hyper, elongated ears do not follow me into my near future! If so, I may never be able to wear dangle earrings again!

Age has a way of sneaking up on us; literally changing and drawing us into the history and stories that shaped our lives in the first place. 

KEN BURNS INTERVIEWED BY PBS

Recently, when asked why he chose Country Music as the topic for his current PBS Documentary, Ken Burns replied, “It’s all about the wonderful stories. The words and the songs and the stories of country music will live with all of us, forever.” Storytellers keep the words alive the way all art tells the tale of us coming together by laughing, loving, hating, feeling profoundly sad, hoping, dreaming, and showing kindness towards one another.

This is my latest story...

Driving back to Kalamazoo this past Sunday after enjoying a weekend of wedding anniversary celebration near Petoskey, we decided we were hungry and the town of Hastings loomed on the horizon. Hastings had always been a town we drove through to get to another place and had never stopped to eat or shop there before. Slowly driving through the downtown area, it was a crapshoot as to which restaurant was even open on an early Sunday evening. Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro looked promising.

We had been seated in a booth along the far wall and while waiting for our beverages to arrive, we discussed our weekend of hiking, witnessing spectacular sunsets over Lake Michigan, our drive through the Tunnel of Trees just north of Petoskey, and walking under the canopy of some of the tallest pine trees we’d ever seen at Hartwick Pines State Park. 

THE HOUSE ON THE HILL

Our beautiful French farmhouse in Ellsworth was appropriately named, The House on the Hill, as it overlooked Saint Clair Lake and golden sunrises that seemed to set the shimmering water on fire. The B&B’s close proximity to everything we wanted to experience in that area of Pure Michigan served us well.

After setting our drinks down and placing our dinner order, Heather, our waitress, came back to our booth and looked a bit shy and awkward as she smiled down at us. Finally, she said, “I am not at liberty to tell you who It is, however, your entire meal has been taken care of this evening.” 

Say what? 

“But we don’t know anyone here in Hastings,” Dan said, looking stealthily around the large room. My gut reaction was expressed by asking, “How does anyone here even know that today is our anniversary?”

“It is?” our ponytailed, young waitress queried. “This is exciting and this will be passed on to them, for sure. They will be so happy and amazed.”

Evidently, sworn to secrecy, Heather smiled and left to see if our dinners were ready. My only hope at the time was that our mouths didn’t stand agape with incredulity for too long. Not the most appealing look, for sure. Perhaps this would have been the reaction our unknown benefactor was looking for. Well, he, she, or they were not disappointed then!

VIEW FROM OUR PORCH

CHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN

Speculation was rampant on our part and we realized that it was an interesting and semi-uncomfortable feeling to be watched by others and not be able to reciprocate the eye-to-eye contact with a corresponding look in their direction. Let alone, not know exactly who to thank for such a kind gesture.

Having built several multi-family projects in the area many years ago, Dan imagined that someone who may have worked for him had recognized him after all this time. He then reasoned that they would want to make contact and say hello if this were the case. I could see Dan’s eyes searching for clues, faces aged by nearly thirty years of living, or someone giving us a fleeting glance of recognition. However, absolutely nothing....

This is when the eyes secretly dance around the room while the head remains perfectly still. The brain (voice of reason) automatically asks the question, why us? And, after several moments, the heart begins to fill with warmth and gratefulness and you speculate that maybe, just maybe, someone does this on a regular basis because, quite simply, they want to. Secretly observing the various reactions of their surprised recipients may give them pleasure and something to look forward to.

Just as our fertile brains began to piece together our unexpected yet totally delightful circumstances and time left us to wonder what the criteria was in making their final selection, we were eating our last few bites of fish & chips and warm chicken sandwich. Suddenly, our waitress glides up with a large piece of cheesecake laced with berry compote and rich caramel and places it on the table between us. We immediately noticed that the letters, HA (Happy Anniversary), were emblazoned in caramel along the inside of the stark, white dish. 

READY FOR DESSERT

“They were delighted it is your anniversary and would like you to celebrate with dessert.” By now, we felt like we’d become old friends with our entertaining ‘twenty-something’ and her conspiratorial half smile still lingers on my mind.

Like two kids sitting at the local soda fountain, we leaned in, forks at the ready, and savored each blissful bite.

Heather returned to our table to ask if there was anything else we required and wished us a very happy anniversary, once again. If we could not thank our benefactors personally, we asked if she would be kind enough to do so for us, to which she wholeheartedly agreed. 

“They must be regulars here at the restaurant,” I stated. Heather nodded in agreement.

“Yes, they love doing this and when we see them come in, one of us on the staff knows we’ll be passing their gift of kindness to another table during the evening. I don’t know why or how they choose who they do....they haven’t told us that. But, they were delighted that you were celebrating a milestone in your lives and told me this has never happened before. This made them very happy, too!”

“Please let them know that their gift truly made our day extra special,” I said. 

“Yes,” Dan agreed. “And the total surprise of being treated so kindly will never be forgotten.”

Smiling, Heather’s eyes sparkled and we could tell that this whole thing made her and all of the staff as happy about being a part of it as anyone else. Wow, what a win, win, win situation this was.

WALLDORFF BREWPUB & BISTRO

BISTRO SEATING

You can believe Dan and I talked about everything that transpired over and over again on the comparatively short drive back home. The answer to the question of why us?, as well as digesting the myriad of circumstances that led us to that town, down that street, to that restaurant, at that particular time, remain phenomenal and, of course, unanswered. 

But, when all is said and done, Dan and I ask ourselves, “Why not us?” We know we will be eternally blessed by this experience, anxious to do the same for someone else one day, soon, and always willing to open our hearts to the kindness of others. Fortunately, as a storyteller myself, I am able to share our anniversary blessing with all of you. 

Like the continuous stories created through country music that get passed along from generation to generation, the simple stories of storytellers will help to preserve a way of life that may otherwise be forgotten and lost to all of us...forever.

DAN STANDING NEAR TALL PINES
AT HARTWICK PINES STATE PARK

LOOKING UP INTO THE CANOPY

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights preserved

Photos Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes