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

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