EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY...OR TWO

A series of essays....

AGE OR SOLITUDE?

....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes 

Walking out of our favorite Viêtnamese restaurant one evening, we were delighted to witness the elongated, early evening shadows cast a surreal atmosphere upon the tiny parking lot behind the building. Their patron’s cars were draped in extended 'palm tree' shapes and bathed in shades of purple, pink, and cool tones of green.

Pho Vinh Restaurant, located just east of Downtown Orlando, is a part of the greater cluster of Little Saigon (Once known as Orlando’s Little Vietnam neighborhood) that exemplifies the offerings of a rather large Vietnamese population in Orlando. In the 1970s, thousands of Vietnamese war refugees fled their native land, desperately seeking a new beginning, free of political persecution for themselves and their children. Many of those refugees settled north and east of downtown Orlando and began opening businesses and revitalizing a fairly lackluster part of the city.

Literally, with one foot in the car, I turned just in time to see, what I deemed to be, a story in the making; a moment in time meant to be preserved and rejoiced in its utter simplicity. The large, plastic crate sat silently beside the paint stripped and speckled, tired looking wooden chair; its ancient ‘bones’ resting against the weathered stucco and its spirit sinking down into a mixture of asphalt shards and stones. 

A fire was lit in my belly as I clicked several shots and fantasized about the stories this chair could tell us. Was it a throwback to the original furnishings of Pho Vinh years before? How many colors possessed it during its lifetime? Did many generations of patrons sit comfortably on it as they dined on heavenly, full-flavored Pho (beef soup) or, my personal favorite, Bun Cari Ga, rice vermicelli with chicken in coconut curry broth?

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MY HANDSOME 'YOUNG' FRIEND

This handsome gentleman made me laugh, feel special, and reconfirmed my faith in the sheer goodness of others...all in a span of an evening at the ballpark. 

Sitting at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports at Disney World, watching the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves play a preseason game, we were freezing as the temperature dropped into the unseasonable low 40’s. “Do you want to be on the Big Screen?” he asked. “We could be if we wave at the cameraman together!” He proceeded to make me laugh throughout the game with his warm sense of humor and boyish charm. I asked him about himself and he wasn’t shy about telling me. We conversed, often leaning into one another to hear our voices, as we looked straight ahead and watched each play of the game. 

About the time my teeth began chattering in my head, his son brought him a fresh cup of coffee from the concession stand below. He asked if I’d like a sip to warm me up before he drank the steaming brew himself. Kindly thanking him, I did opt for holding the cup in my cold hands for a few minutes; his suggestion. 

We said good-bye knowing we’d never set eyes on one another again. That didn’t matter in the least. We fulfilled our destiny as predetermined by the heavenly stars above and all was good and balanced in the world.

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CHANNELING THE MONA LISA

Here’s looking at you, kid! 

I purchased this lovely ceramic, pedestal vase twenty years ago at an antique shop in Orlando. She has never complained about watching over the interior of our home in all this time and I have similar plans for her in Kalamazoo. 

Her Mona Lisa smile and glaring eyes caught me off guard one morning upon entering the formal dining room where her crackled, shining face was spotlighted in the morning sun. I believe she was telling us that it was okay to move her up north. She was more than ready to take on her new position and set of challenges beside us at Hazel Avenue!

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A COLORFUL GATE
FOR A COLORFUL 'PRIVATE' GARDEN

Intricate, iron gates painted in cool jewel tones always intrigue me, especially while traveling in Europe! They represent the keepers of secrets, the personal lives of others, and, in this case, a private garden to be observed only from behind its closed presence. 

The beautiful stone house that resides near the garden made me think of writers and poets looking down from upper windows, drifting in thought between one sentence, one line, to the next; enjoying a brief interlude from their important work at hand.

Then, I imagined looking out from the stone paths, the bold greenery, and drifting shadows within the garden....at myself, the women standing, camera in hand, looking in at this private world and politely stealing one or two frames for herself; enough memory to take back home to Florida and cherish for a lifetime.

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WATCHING TINY FOUNTAINS ARISE
FROM THE POOL

Looking out on the pool has become a habit these days due to the enormous amount of rainfall Florida has been experiencing lately. The raindrops sift through the screen enclosure and still manage to hit the water with great intensity, plunging in deeply and creating craters that spring back up as if they were small fountains rising up to the sky. Mesmerizing!

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These pictures, obviously taken by others, represent the future of mankind; a greater entity than any single one of us, launched by varying circumstances far beyond our control. When strong, positive individuals from all over the world begin to breathe together as one, inhale more energy and strength than we’ve seen for many years, and then exhale their power in one unified breath...you know that something wonderful is about to change the world as we know it!

BEAUTIFUL AND PROUD
MOTHER OF THE BRIDE

                                            Picture courtesy CNN

Mother of the Bride, Doria Ragland, looks on with love and pride as her daughter, Meghan Markle, marries Prince Harry before God, Great Britain, and the Queen as the rest of the world tags along. She is beautiful. She is strong. She represents an ever changing philosophy sweeping the world in that women can stand alone and be strong, vibrant, and contributing members of any society. Why on earth would we ever have believed otherwise?

"NOW LET'S GO GET IT DONE!"

                             Picture courtesy NBC News

Something exciting happened in Georgia this past Tuesday! This soft-spoken, intelligent, and amazing lady won the Democratic bid for Governor of the State of Georgia with the mid-term elections to be held this November. Stacey Abrams brings along her charismatic, cherubic smile as she speaks about being ‘part of the resistance’ in her bid to become the first black female governor in the United States.

NBC News quotes Ms. Abrams after the gubernatorial primary win, “We are writing the next chapter of Georgia history, where no one is unseen, no one is unheard and no one is uninspired," Abrams told supporters in Atlanta Tuesday night at her victory party. "Now let's go get it done." 

Old, white, greedy conservative candidates be advised; there are young, brilliant, and diversified competitors out there who know what they’re talking about. And, it’s about time we listen to them!

"BROTHERS AND SISTERS"

                                    Supplied by Pixel8000

How refreshing to know that there are Christian leaders in this world who pride themselves on delivering common sense messages and spreading the true ‘word’ of God, Love, along to others. Christian leaders who are diversified and pledge to blend the variety of ethnicity in terms of skin color, gender, class, and cultures in order to strengthen the bonds between all of mankind. Reading from his i-Pad, Michael Curry, presiding Bishop and Primate of the Evangelical Church, brought the house down with his passionate, twelve minute speech about the Power of Love.

“When love is the way, we will lay our swords and shields down by the riverside to study war no more.

"When love is the way, there's plenty good room, plenty good room for all of God's children.

"Because when love is the way, we actually treat each other, well, like we're actually family."

Bishop Curry...you have renewed my faith in religious leaders who truly believe in the age-old message of spreading Love and healing vibes to all of us weary souls who nearly gave-up on thinking that you even existed anymore within this sharp-edged world we live in. Keep spreading your message. Keep offering us Hope. You are a Joy and a Treasure for all of us! And, we thank you.

IT'S ALL ABOUT 'LOVE'

                                               PA Press Association

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

THE JOY OF LIVING

A series of essays.....

Paris 2003 ~ Where People Meet To Talk, Eat, Drink, Love, And Watch The World Go By!

.....as seen through my eyes!




By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


You would had to have lived under a rock all of your life not to be somewhat familiar with the French, and highly universal phrase, 'joie de vivre.' The joy of living! Maybe you don't pronounce it quite correctly in French. That's okay. At least you try. Maybe your spelling is off a bit. That's why the Internet exists.....certainly for me, anyway!

This past Friday, November 13, 2015, I reasoned this phrase, this inspiring interpretation of life, must have died along with all of the poor souls that had been so wrongfully taken away from us during the late hours of a charming Friday evening in Paris.....France. I couldn't have been more wrong!

I believe that the spirit and joy of living, enjoying life, people, and the world around us, has, if nothing else, intensified. Everything that 'joie de vivre' implies makes us realize even more how precious this feeling of happiness and excitement about life truly is. Especially when such barbaric attempts to eradicate its 'pure joy' is alive, well, and, seemingly, unstoppable.

Perhaps you were acquainted with one of the victims or with members of their families. In this age of social media, this is even more probable than any other time in our history. The question is asked, "How do we, the survivors, continue on after such a loss?" It's still life......we know it is different now but, it's still life and so many others have become more dependent upon those who have been left behind to pick-up the pieces.

There are children made orphans; spouses abandoned by the loss of their husband or wife; survivors instantaneously categorized as a single parent; older parents losing an adult child and, so much potential for giving back to others lost in moments filled with pure  evil and hate. The carnage was only half of it; so much more seems to be at stake here. I realize it's the human beings left behind, like pieces of a gigantic puzzle, they take on the shape and curvature needed to fill in those spaces created by the loss of each one of those lives. 

You might ask what could possibly be the protocol for rising above such depths of despair? Is there really a simple guidebook or set of rules governing the aftermath of such grave, unexpected loss? Not really. However, in my admiration for the French people and their particular design on everyday life, joie de vivre still shines through the fragile cracks like much needed sunshine after a long, arduous storm.

Afraid, hurting, and reeling from the massacre of their fellow and worldly citizens, Parisians, being themselves, being French with everything applied to this title, cautiously began to fight back in the best way they knew how. Fitting each word together like a novelist creating  her next chapter, Parisians knew that the hate mongers   could not take away the high spirits, gaiety, exuberance, and zest for life they chose to enjoy and define themselves by. At least, not for long. Their next chapter, their brand new story, was not going to be based on the hate they had recently experienced first-hand. Life is meant for the living and the French, especially Parisians, know how important it is to live life to the fullest.

And, this is precisely the attitude that most of us who love and admire the French lifestyle are drawn to. We are moths seeking the flickering, bright flame we associate with owning élan and want to experience the rush of adrenaline served-up to the French as a birthright.

Daesh. Daesh is an Arabic word meaning a group of bigots that impose their will upon others, according to "Morning News USA." I remain uncertain as to why this group dislikes this title so much considering the terminology seems to fit so perfectly. I believe that most of the insane and radical reasons that Daesh chose the particular venues that it did last Friday was its attempt to cripple the youthful spirit and extinguish the bright light of joy and hope that flourishes within the heart of each French person. The flame may have sputtered and almost gone out that night but, the French, Parisians in particular, will never allow that to happen.

My question is this.....  Do we fight hate with hate? Do we allow fear to be the negative beacon that lights our path to a worldly disaster? And, do we allow Daesh to cripple our sensitivities to the point of filling our own hearts with hate, as well? You know that is their goal. If we hate, we will be just like them.

Unfortunately, by not accepting the innocent human beings, the refugees who are attempting to escape the senseless slaughter and injustices inflicted upon them in their homeland, we are heading into a new world that even 'joie de vivre' will not be able to penetrate. The governors of each state in America who have chosen fear over love and common sense when it comes to offering refuge to living breathing souls are falling deeply into the patterns of the same hate dictated by Daesh and al-Qaeda. You can be certain that they will be warming the pews of their religious affiliation of choice this Sunday with more than enough smiles and handshakes to go around.

The general hypocrisy of mankind is based on many things with power, money and the fear of losing the next election being among them. Although, power and money, in my estimation, are one and the same. Fear, hatred, and greed has polarized the United States for way too many years now. It is time to inject our own 'joie de vivre' into the world we call home and live, laugh, love, and even, disagree with one another while we kiss and embrace the moment.

I often tell my two girls about the open-minded concept concerning social topics that their father and I experienced while attending Michigan State University back in the late sixties. It was common to walk through the study areas of your dorm at midnight only to find groups of students hotly debating various ideas generated by class discussions or particular world affairs and events. We didn't have a cell phone attached to our faces and we relied on our knowledge and personal opinions to feed the conversation. Not seeing eye-to-eye was all part of it. Talking with one another and sharing views was healthy and there wasn't a computer to lean on when a discussion got heated. I miss those days for so many reasons. We have lost the art of face-to-face communication and I find this to be very worrisome.

I will be honest when I say that writing about the terrorist attack on Paris that took place last Friday was difficult for me. First of all, I had to calm down a lot and try to make some sense out of a senseless situation. Still haven't accomplished this one yet. I had to employ many of my own beliefs with regard to love vs. hate, good will always overcome evil, having faith and hope in mankind will conquer all, and showing kindness and forgiveness towards others will bring joy into my heart and soul. I questioned myself on all counts just as I had done after the destruction of the Twin Towers in 2001, the realization that the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, could destroy and murder his own people, trying to understand the multiple suicide bombings that have killed thousands of innocent people, and commercial aircraft being taken out of the sky by various means in order to kill thousands more.

I sit back and shake my head in wonder.

Daesh believes it has found our Achilles heel. It has learned that to strike terror in others, it must completely destroy the joy in their life. It must deplete the innocence we were born with and insert fear and hatred in its place. It has learned to attempt to destroy the creative side of our natures by crumbling great works of art and wiping-out the visual history of statues and monuments that represent some of  man's greatest achievements. It wishes to relieve us of our freedom of speech, as well as the sheer joy of sharing thoughts and ideas with one another. Daesh knows that to kill the body is the only way it can be assured of accomplishing this.

Planting terror into the hearts and minds of free thinking people would mean one thing......successfully extracting the 'joie de vivre' that exists there. This past week tells us that the French, Parisians in particular, will never allow anyone to deplete their 'raison d'etre,' reason for being, or dismiss their Joy of Living under any circumstances!


Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

Photograph Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved