THE STRENGTHS AND IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS

A series of essays.....

~~~VOTES FOR WOMEN *** WOMEN OF THE WORLD UNITE~~~

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Our First Lady: A Potent History Lesson

"I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves — and I watch my daughters — two beautiful, intelligent, black young women — playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters — and all our sons and daughters — now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."

***Michelle Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention



Ruline Steininger: A Passion For Politics 

I was born...

...in a home where my Daddy never failed to vote Republican.

At the time I was born, my mother was not eligible to vote in the Presidential elections. That wouldn't happen until August of 1920, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

I was welcomed into the Steininger household of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, on April 14, 1913. They named me, Ruline. I enjoyed a happy childhood with few complaints. I knew how much I was loved. And, seven years later my baby sister was born. It seemed to me that the year 1920 was just chock-full of surprises.

Now, even though a baby sister has a way of changing your life forever, little did I know at the time that the changing tide in our nation and in Washington D.C. could or would affect my life so greatly. But, it certainly did!

Even when I was quite young, I never failed to keep my eyes and ears opened. Why, as a five-year-old, I can remember running to the front yard to wave goodbye to soldiers or passing troop trains headed for World War I.

My Daddy was, in addition to a staunch Republican, the pastor of our local church. I recall someone ringing our church bells everyday that our young men were fighting for us in this war to end all wars. My Mother always believed it was a good thing to constantly remember these young men and what they were fighting for. I can't recall for certain, but she may have helped to ring the bells herself from time to time.

I remember the day the war finally ended....our bells rang out loud and clear all day long! The boys I had waved goodbye to were coming home to stay.

Of course, none of us knew then that this would not be the last time our young men and women would be heading across the sea to fight for their country. Little did I believe that as a newlywed, my husband would be drafted into the Air Force in 1942. I wouldn't see him again until three and a half years later.

                       YOUTHFUL RULINE STEININGER
Courtesy: us.hola.com

   
It's kind of sad that women were so prohibited in their careers back when I attended high school. We only had two options to look at and they were either nursing or teaching. When I graduated high school in 1931, I looked forward to my college career. Sadly, my debts added up quickly and I was forced to drop-out.

These were the years of the Great Depression. Life was difficult for most everyone we knew. But, I was determined to make something of my life and utilize my strengths as an independent woman of my day. After all, I voted for Franklin Delano Roosevelt when I was twenty-three years old and never told my Father about my party of choice.....ever!

I have remained a staunch Democrat since my first presidential election.

I never gave up when it came to my education either. I obtained a degree in art in 1941 and began teaching for the next twenty-four years.

Somewhere along in there I was fortunate to have had my two sons. They both are artists in their own right and I am quite proud of them. I'm even more proud of my three grandchildren in whom I see the bright future of this country.

With 103, yes.....one hundred and three years behind me now, many of them devoted to working long, hard hours for my Democratic Party in one capacity or another, I am witnessing the fruit of my labor: The possibility of having the first woman president in the White House!



              RULINE STEININGER TODAY AT AGE 103
    Courtesy: www.cnn.com

My dreams were dashed in 2008 when Hillary Clinton conceded defeat to Barack Obama. I was still in my first century of life, however. That century saw world wars, two Great Depressions, man walk on the moon, and the grand teachings of Doctor Martin Luther King.

Now that I am in my second century of life, the most remarkable thing to happen would be to see a woman as president!

My baby sister who is going strong at ninety-six told me she won't vote for Hillary because of her e-mail problems. Wish I could change her mind before November. We'll have to wait and see what happens with that one.

If I were to give any kind of advice about what it takes to live a long life, the wisdom I've accumulated would include: Walk for an hour every day; eat organic food; take the stairs instead of anything else, and stay interested in your community, our government, and world events. My passion has always been politics!

Oh, and vote! I am looking forward to voting for the first female president of the United States this November!

***Facts extracted from Ms. Steininger's interview at IowaAging.gov.



"Believe in something larger than yourself. Get involved in the big ideas of your time."

***Barbara Bush



"The battle for the individual rights of women is one of long standing and none of us should countenance anything which undermines it."

***Eleanor Roosevelt



"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated."

"Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation."

Lastly.....

"Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul."

***Three quotes by Coretta Scott King



     
        CORETTA SCOTT KING


Watching the Democratic National Convention these past three nights, many of my own thoughts and beliefs from my past several decades of life ring loud and clear through the words of the men and women gracing that large stage. "Strong women get things done!" is the qualifying theme that resonates the most with me.    

Like the intricate weave of a strong basket meant to cradle objects in a lifetime of service, these strong women open up their hearts and show us a profound love for family, home, and country that's greater than anything we could ever imagine. 

Strong with undaunted beliefs, women are understanding, caring, loving, and never to be underestimated....women have always been equal!! The women on our political front today prove this daily. As the Broadway performers sang loud and clear last evening: "What the world needs now is Love, Sweet Love.......!" For all and by all...always!   



Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

HOPE

A series of essays.....

 TRANQUIL LAKE LOCATED JUST NORTH
OF BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA ~ TAKEN 6-14-2016

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

HOPE

.....is a small and humble word that holds the weight of the world and all who inhabit her above it, merely waiting to be smashed into a million different pieces at any given moment....if we allow this to happen.

Hope is fragile. Hope is personal. Hope is the longing or desire for something paired with the belief in the possibility of its occurrence. It is the idea that if we work hard enough, study intensely, believe in all possibilities, and center our expectations towards a common goal...our pertinacious desires will be fulfilled; our expectations for the future will be achieved.

Hope is seen in the absence of evil or negativity even when we are surrounded by both daily. We delight in the birth of a baby because we take comfort in the purity of soul this young child represents and, once again, in our lifetime, desire that feeling for ourselves. To be free from moral wrong and not corrupted by hate, fear, treachery, greed, and blatant untruths is to have hope in what lies ahead of us. Hope is to be able to start fresh and see the world through the eyes of children where the spectrum of color constantly amazes and delights and is not valued through the skin tones of varying shades of black and white!

Hope is a small treasure we should keep in our pocket (heart) at all times. Like a talisman touched for luck to avert danger, we hold tight to the possibility that it will take us to where we need to be at any moment in our humble lives. We trust, expect, and believe in the power of our hope because without it, our desires will be as unattainable as an illusive dream....bordering on wild fantasy and unrealistic aspirations.

Hope can be universal and not restricted to a single mind or train of thought. Its presence produces connecting threads like the silken strands of a spider's web that stretch out to connect with and support others who seek truth and love around the world. Even with its intricate design majestically outlined by early morning dewdrops that glisten in the rising sunlight, this group effort can be dashed by outside entities programmed to undermine us at every turn. Hope can repair these broken threads as long as we continue to place our faith in its existence and carry on.

Hope gives us the confidence to aspire to greater things. Without it our world becomes small, inadequate, and characterized by despair and life is difficult if not impossible to navigate. Given hope and the opportunity of education, employment, the expectation of a brighter future, and self-esteem....the possibilities become endless. Hope may come in the guise of a mentor, the examples of a loving parent, a teacher, or ministers of the Divine Will. When hope takes us beyond the boundaries of the ordinary and into the realm of the exceptional, we are destined to become the inventors, philosophers, artists, scientists, and leaders that draw us into a brighter future where the imagination rules and hope itself springs eternal.

Hope is a feeling within that guides us in the right direction. Like meditation, hope helps us deepen and expand our horizons and understand how beautiful and whole our lives can be. May hope be our motivator and lead the weary and strong alike into a future that benefits all of mankind through genuine kindness and love.




     THE PERFECT END OF THE DAY ON                     PROVENCE DREAMING
                     LAKE MICHIGAN
       Courtesy of: Corinne Grimm                                                      



Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

"BIRTH OF A NEW SPIRIT IN AMERICA"

A series of essays.....

RACHEL ROBINSON: ENORMOUS  COURAGE AND MORAL INTEGRITY

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


This is a message for all of the strong women out there; past, present, and future. This is a message about repression and its flagrant use throughout the history of this great nation.

Last evening, after the Nightly News was watched, our daily events discussed, and dinner consumed, we decided to watch Part One of the Ken Burns' documentary entitled Jackie Robinson which we had recorded a few weeks ago.

As the credits rolled, we must have spent another hour, at least, discussing what had recently been unveiled before us. As the Brits might say......, we were gobsmacked by the revelations compiled and brought to the screen by this ingenious documentarist, with kudos reaching out to his daughter, Sarah, in the 'writing' category.

KEN BURNS

I must say that I am always deeply happy when my own research takes me far below the surface and into places that I'd previously only skimmed over, or remembered from college courses.

Last evening we were formally introduced to this truly amazing couple, Rachel and Jack Robinson, via the spirit, wisdom, and talent of Ken Burns. I know that Rachel and Jackie, both strong and caring individuals in their own right, would have marked great strides down their independent paths......however, together they were a powerful partnership that blossomed constantly within the goodness they created and the hate they were forced to endure.

The blatant hatred of the color of their skin.......a fact that often eclipsed the intelligence, sound judgment, and innate talent possessed by this team, should and will be a blight on our society, forever!

There had to be a good reason we waited until now to watch this documentary. Following this past week of violence by and directed towards our police, it was time to stimulate our sense of equilibrium with another solid dose of reality. Life has a way of taking things from one extreme to the other and, eventually, meeting in the middle, if we're lucky.

"Robinson couldn't have done it without his wife, Rachel," proclaims Burns in an interview with Newsweek. "Rachel was his confident, his rock, and his only refuge from the incessant abuse he endured."

Burns was able to highlight the strength behind the relationship of Jackie and Rachel, college sweethearts, in an interview with Barack and Michelle Obama. Their 'journey' has been similar to Jackie and Rachel's. "Jackie is the first to go through a door back then. The president is the first to go through a door, and he's saying (to paraphrase President Obama in the documentary), that when people are giving you shit for stuff that has to do with the color of your skin, it’s good to go home to where people love you and have your back."

RACHEL AND JACK ON THEIR FIRST DATE

Rachel would always have Jackie's back! "Home was our place away from the world, and it was central," said Rachel. "We made a point not to talk about every negative encounter that happened. That would have been too much. We treated our home like a haven and when you come into a haven you don't want to bring in painful things. You want to cherish it. You use the haven to get yourself ready for the next day."

Rachel graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in nursing and went on to obtain a master's degree in psychiatric nursing from New York University, according to Wikipedia. Last evening, we saw this beautiful lady, mother of three, constantly protect Jackie's back all through the time when Jackie was breaking baseball's color barrier in 1946 and 1947. Later, with Rachel by his side, Jackie went on to fight for Civil Rights in this country and assist in getting John F. Kennedy into the White House.

Number 42, first baseman and shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie faced adversity from birth: He was born a black man in a white man's world. One of the stipulations he had to comply with as a member of the Dodgers' team was to turn the other cheek when racial hatred came aiming its ugly fist at him. Rachel helped Jackie control his temper and realize exactly why his opportunity/venture into this elite side of baseball was so important to both black and white people alike.

When Number 42 became confronted by racial hatred and bigotry, he defined the moment as the "Birth of a new spirit in America!" He went on to explain that when a white team player defied convention, he was known to possess 'spirit.'  When he, a black player, defied convention, he was noted as 'an uppity n***** or ungrateful.'

Jackie's ability to live a good life with his strong wife and amazing family during this time is a testament to his true spirit. He was an honorable gentleman, family man, and leader who was given exceptional athletic abilities and was able to use them to everyone's advantage. His notoriety as Number 42 helped to launch his career as a Civil Rights advocate and to make his way through new doors as a Black Man who had experienced repression first-hand.

*Fear
*Hate
*Slavery
*Misinterpretation of Religion
*Bullying
*Lack of Education
*Need For Power
*Denial of "All People Created Equal" Under God

*Genuine Lack of Respect For Others
The above are all contributing factors in a world that chooses war over peace, hatred over love, and guns over verbal communication and understanding.

When you can look an adversary in the eyes and say, "I can't treat you right or with genuine respect if I look at you as being inferior to me," you have taken a giant leap in the right direction of understanding racism in America.

Yes, Black lives do matter and should matter to all of us who have never had the color of our skin be a threat to the quality of our life. If Jackie and Rachel Robinson were standing here today, I believe they would say this to all of us who, after so many years, continue to live through these difficult times: "We're all in this together, even if that's not easy."

Greatness, strength, and understanding are ultimately supported from the bottom....up, creating a strong foundation. Respect for others is a right given to all of us at birth. We must never allow others (parents, piers, friends, even high ranking leaders) to take this privilege of equality away from us. Let's teach our children that the color of their skin makes no difference and that we're all equal to one another in this world.

We are eager to absorb Part Two of Jackie Robinson tonight. I will listen, take more notes, and learn from the experience.


Author's Note: Rachel Robinson will turn 94 years young on July 19, 2016. Happy Birthday Beautiful Lady!


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

A HEALTHY DISTRACTION

 A series of essays.....

STAGE 5 OF LE TOUR DE FRANCE 2016

.....as seen through my eyes!




By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

My Fitbit Charge HD is screaming names out at me from its tiny screen: Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan, Tejay van Garderen, Fabian Cancellara, "Little Tommy Voeckler," Nairo Quintana......to mention a few. Believe me, the act of 'shaming' leaves everything to the imagination. As a writer, the understanding and utilization of this concept is a daily practice with me.

My "Election Confession" is this: Like many of us, I need a nice, long, healthy break. I require a healthy distraction from poll stats, others telling me how I should feel and think, and too much raw information, positive and negative, being tossed back and forth like fresh eggs at a family reunion competitive event.

What better distraction than the 2016 Tour de France!
Stages: 21 (Legs within the race.)
Riders: 198 (From all over the world!)
Teams: 22 (Nine men per team.)
Duration: Slightly more than three, beautifully long weeks.
Location: As the 'Title' implies....riding sleek, well-balanced bikes throughout French villages and the breathtaking countryside in real time. (Or, at least, for the rest of the world, at the whim of the French television media system...France TV Sport.)

Beautiful narrow roads, plane trees, blue skies, with blue-white-red flags being caressed by a slight breeze are all witnessed and noted as the rhythmic peddling of each cyclist produces gentle sounds and a mesmerizing swaying motion. Quite often the motorcycle camera person follows the riders from behind, documenting and accentuating this syncopated rhythm created by man and machine; liquid poetry in motion! Each element mentioned above helps to transcend this seemingly simplistic sport into a phenomenal experience of the senses.

I am hooked.....and, have been for years!

The timing of the Tour de France could not have been better this year. When I needed a healthy distraction from man-made, political chaos, I found solace within the competition of music and dance atop feather-light bicycles made for speed.

Convincing my Fitbit that sedentary behavior is warranted for several days, at least, is another story. Flipping my arm up and revealing a downsized number of steps taken, miles walked, and calories burned has taken me a step back in physical progress, but a million miles forward in peace of mind and contentment of the soul.

As the French say.....Vive Le Tour!


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

BASH TALKS TRASH?

 A series of essays.....

DANA BASH IS CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR CNN

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I would be remiss, my dear readers, by not pointing out how exceedingly difficult it has been for me not to sully my weekly post with political innuendos, gossip, lies, and half-truths!

Some of my stories may have been innocently (ha hum, clearing my throat) infused with mild opinions and reactions to various political drivel, especially regarding a name I cannot and will not type while utilizing my precious add-on, i-Pad keyboard. I respect my keyboard and, if required, will use the euphemism 'Drumpf' instead.

Fortunately, my story is not directly about Drumpt. I would rather not be a contributor to his devious plan of extracting free media exposure, even on this incredibly minute scale: My blog post! Trust me, I will continue to sleep quite well tonight and on through to the November elections! And, hopefully, beyond.

My story concerns a female journalist (TVNewser) whose employer is CNN, the Cable News Network, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner.

Not long ago, CNN named Dana Bash chief political correspondent, the network's lead journalist covering the Republican presidential candidates, Capitol Hill and elections. Once relegated to the more shadowy corners of the CNN political news stories, Dana has stealthily advanced along the political battlefields before securing her network Purple Heart by fighting in the trenches. After all, she is covering the Republican Party.

It was a particular analogy Dana used several days ago that ultimately roller-coastered me from one emotion to another within seconds. In referencing Elizabeth Warren's endorsement of Hillary Clinton, along with Warren's recent 'tag-a-long approach' designed to mirror Secretary Clinton and intelligently expose Drumpf (sorry, I had to mention him here) for the person he truly is, Dana compared Warren's position to that of Sarah Palin! What in the world was she talking about?

I was crushed! How could anyone dare to say the name of Sarah Palin within the same breath used to mention Senator Elizabeth Warren? And, Dana was comparing these two individuals as if they had any personality traits that could be compared adroitly with in the first place. So, I sat and I listened and.....I learned.

"If you think about it," she said, as I sat staring craters into the flat screen before me, "Elizabeth Warren's self-proclaimed status within the Democratic Party is quite similar to the one Sarah Palin held for the Republicans." Ouch!! "Both women hold similar positions within their parties that are particularly designed to push, pull, and enhance the positive attributes of the nominee they are supporting."

Okay. Perhaps I can calm down a little bit and try to understand all of this.

"In essence, they serve as cheerleaders for their candidate." I think I see where this is going. "And, with loud voices and passionate outcries, they expound the political beliefs of their candidate and encourage the voters to understand why their vote really does matter."

Now, my poor brain was immediately dressing Elizabeth in her preferred color 'blue' replete with "I'm For Her ---->" sewn-on patches, megaphone, and flashy blue and white pom-poms! Somehow, I failed to dress-up Ms. Palin in my mind because I still couldn't forget the black and silver disco 'go-go' outfit she wore while endorsing (you know who) months ago. All I could imagine was each silver tassel swinging wildly across her chest as she shook and quaked with the fervor of an Appalachian minister on a sweltering Saturday night.

I 'got it.' The analogy was not lost on me and what Dana said made sense. Like good little soldiers, whether we agree with it or not, each cheerleader embraces their candidate's ego with open arms and carries their ideals and beliefs on their shoulders like tasseled, velvet epaulets....high ranking and loyal to a fault.

One must ask if this burdensome task was spawned by a true alliance with the values held by their candidate? Or, are sweet treats and political rewards the incentives dangled in front of them like juicy carrots? We will let our conscience be our guide with this one.

Either way, the role of these two 'cheerleaders' is similar. I will admit that. Their style (message)......as different as day and night.

When Warren, with microphone in hand and steel in her eyes, lets loose with frustration, you can feel the years of hard work and passion that she's contributed to the well-being of each and every one of us. She is a force of nature, just like Hillary Clinton herself, and a person that anyone would be proud to have by their side.

Thank you, Dana Bash, for making it real for me. Each side has drive and ambition, however, the packaging and standards can be, and are, entirely different.

Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

DISCOVERING THE PULSE OF FRANCE: FRIENDSHIPS

A series of essays.....

"I DO BELIEVE......I DO BELIEVE, IN FRIENDSHIP AND ADVENTURE!"

.....as seen through my eyes!




By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


I am not a particularly superstitious sort of person. Although, I have been known to 'cross my fingers for luck' upon occasion. Usually, however, you will find me praying to my angels for help and support in navigating this amazing world we call home.

Last weekend, Dan and I were enjoying a delightful lunch at P. F. Chang's Restaurant in Winter Park Village. Even though I take the time to peruse the menu, I end up ordering the 'Sweet & Sour Chicken' every time. It was delicious, by the way! Along with our check, the waiter offers two folded, edible wafers containing a slip of paper with a printed maxim or prediction written on it. We both succumb to our own curiosity, gobble the fortune cookie, and read the tiny, white slips that had recently nestled inside them.

Several years ago, I began writing a series of essays entitled "The Road to Sablet" where I chronicled the events and personal feelings I experienced leading up to our initial visit to the south of France. The series was emotionally charged and I remember feeling like a small child standing in front of a candy store waiting to be told when I could run inside to fill-up my pail with as many sugary treats as possible. Unquestionably, my anticipation to live in Sablet for a week felt just like that.

Today, as we anticipate our second visit to the south of France, I begin to realize that there might just be something to the predictions printed on those tiny slips. Am I becoming a true believer of these minute forcasts after all of these years?

"Many memorable adventures are in store for you," unfolded before my eyes and it didn't quite 'send me over the moon' considering I've always felt that living and enjoying my every day existence is quite a 'memorable adventure' in and of itself! It did intrigue me, though.

My curiosity was not aroused to its fullest potential until Dan unfolded his slip which read, "Old friends will spark new adventures."

Even though we will be celebrating our wedding anniversary in France again this year (not too shabby, I know), this particular visit has been concentrated around the sensation and general theme of 'reunion.' The intent of our celebration is one of friends coming together to joyfully fill in the gaps of information based on the lack of recent physical presence, and bind together a fissure that was designed and created by space and time itself.

Our story begins.....

Several months ago I heard that a rediscovered friend (friendship), which had been rekindled by social media, but continually fueled by similar interests and genuine camaraderie for the past several years, was thinking along the same lines as we were. Michael, a fellow Francophile, and his wife, Marsha, were hoping to discover the many historical and artistic attributes of Provence this year. At the same time, Dan and I were planning our return trip there.

Provence is the geographical region and historical province of southeastern France. To visit Provence is walking in the footsteps of Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Auguste Renoir, now famous painters who converged on Provence, drawn in by the climate and clarity of the light which is partly the result of the Mistral winds. This particular wind of Provence tends to be cold and dry and often removes dust from the atmosphere which greatly increases visibility.

To explore Provence is to imagine the influences of the Greek traders who lent their name to the Rhône River, the main river of Provence. The fertile land along the Rhône cultivates stellar grape crops that serve mankind well by producing a magnificent variety of Rhône Valley wines.

To understand Provence is to infuse oneself into its history, savor the delicious Provençal fare, drink her wines, and really, really get to know the people who live there.

With an open heart and mind, we wondered if Michael and Marsha might like to share time with us in Provence. We were delighted when they agreed. Within a week or two, at the most, accommodations were booked, a vehicle was slated to be rented, and airline tickets were purchased.

We will be meeting up with them in Avignon, capital of the Vaucluse, an intoxicating city full of history and rich with life. I have often written about the glories of and the gracious 'gems' to be found in this fair city and warn visitors to heed the siren call because Avignon will entrance you and you will never wish to leave.

Accompanied by good friends, from here on out, reunions and celebrations will abound. We are packing as much as possible into our ten days in France while allowing ourselves enough time to breathe in and enjoy the beauty that will surround us there.

From our 'room with a garden view' we will traverse the cobbled streets of Eygalieres and meet up with French artist, Nadine Fourre, renowned for her 'Sculpture en Balance' with a Zen influence of stone, driftwood, and sand. Michael, our friend and talented artist in his own right, will delight in this meeting as we hope to tour Nadine's studio, discuss ideas, and glean a better understanding of the art movement within France.

From our 'room with a balcony' at Le Verger, Chambres d'Hotes en Luberon, owned and operated by our friends, Daniele and Jean-Philippe Rossi, we will once again be completely charmed by the beauty of the Luberon. Dan is savoring a repeat performance of immersing himself in the culinary delights of Daniele's homemade croissants and fig jam! My heart and eyes are aching to behold our friends again after so many years (and numerous grandchildren on both sides) of being apart!

Then it will be off to Arles where we may traverse the Gallo-Roman theater or walk in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh and, with any luck, observe a 'Starry Night Over the Rhone' firsthand.

Our next to last night in France, Dan and I will be meeting up with friends, David and Ray, in the resort town of Collioure, France. David and Ray moved to Barcelona, Spain several years ago from Orlando, Florida. David's invitation included a grand tour of Barcelona which will have to be rescheduled due to time constraints. However, Dan and I, wholeheartedly, look forward to our personal Spanish tour the next time around.

It is off to Nice, and our last night in Provence, to enjoy an evening stroll along the Mediterranean and navigate the narrow avenues of 'Old City' for dinner and conversation before flying home in the morning. Who could ask for anything more?

If we are extremely lucky, we might be able to meet with our friend, Claudine, in Aix-en-Provence for hugs, kisses, and an apéritif along the avenue Cours Mirabeau. You may recall through my earlier posts how Claudine assisted in getting our rental car returned to us after it had been towed away during our last visit to Aix. We have been indebted to her ever since.....

As yet another year of growing together side-by-side is cherished and celebrated, Dan and I know how much we have to be grateful for. We never take anything for granted.

We are looking forward to 'old (and yet to be discovered) friends sparking new adventures.' Michael and Marsha are testaments to this, already!

My personal thrill is holding the pulse of France in my heart via all of these fine people who have and will contribute to the many stories I have left in me. Stories to be written, shared, read and reread as time goes by.

Similar to the Irish storytellers and historians of old, the Shanachie, whose speech and gestures characterized their art, hopefully, the written words of modern storytellers (writers) will encourage and emphasize our need to travel and communicate with others around the world.


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

"ORLANDO UNITED"

 A series of essays.....

BEAUTIFUL RAINBOWS CRISSCROSSING OVER ORLANDO, FLORIDA

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Like beacons in the night, the digital highway signs above us along the 417 were guiding us home with their bright flashing messages of "ORLANDO UNITED!" 

"AMBER ALERT," or "HEAVY TRAFFIC NEXT 10 MILES," or "SILVER ALERT" need not apply here. "ORLANDO UNITED" was showing us the way home tonight. And, we were almost there!

The colliding evening sea breezes between the Gulf and the Atlantic decided to take a late hit as the skies opened up above us along I-95 near Palm Coast a short while before. For the last forty-five minutes our world had been wrapped in a cloak of darkness that was sporadically illuminated by bright flashes of intricate lightening bolts tossed at us from a hostile eastern sky! 

Happy about our final leg of driving after a long, long day on the road, and feeling comforting warmth on the back of my head, I decided to text our two daughters of our imminent arrival. "The fiery red sun is in full bloom low in the western sky and we are between Sanford and home! There are at least three rainbows to the east! And, it's still raining! WOW!" What a magnificent welcoming party! What a glorious sight!

It felt as if the highway signs had teamed up with the sun, rainbows, and rain in welcoming us back to a place we've, literally, grown up in for twenty years. And, true to nature, the growing pains have hurt, as well as inspired us along the way.....

Growing pains. All large cities have them. It's a challenge to keep up with the needs and constant fluctuations of the multitudes that incorporate so many various ideas and desires. Death. It surrounds all of us every day, big city or small town, in one way or another. With life there will always be death. Senseless Death? Hate? Gun Violence? Please help me understand these acts because I'm having a major problem here!!!

Rainbows in the eastern sky. The souls of the recent gun violence victims from the massacre at 'Pulse,' an Orlando nightclub located on Orange Avenue, in the very early hours of Sunday morning, were still making their way Home. The brilliant colors comprising each rainbow, representing their vibrancy and pure joy of life, were vehicles assisting in their climb up to the heavens along perfectly formed arches.....God's elegant gateway to Bliss. 

The 'tears of the survivors' that we have been shedding for these innocent souls are splashing down upon us in the form of rain from the Heavens above. God's way of stripping off the dirt and grime of travel; cleansing us of the filthy, tangible atmosphere of Hate and Fear.

The blood orange evening sun, now large and bold having broken through the angry black cloud cover, coupled with the bright digital signs right above our car, warmly light our way as we pass by the exit to Orlando Sanford International Airport, our personal gateway to Michigan, and over the bridge at Lake Jesup, spanning its calm, lazy alligator-filled existence. These landmarks exist between time and space and embed into one's very being given exercise and time. 

Yes! I truly understand and believe that rolling along the 417, we have become witnesses to this miracle of Life and Death. 

As a 'survivor,' I welcome the challenge that exists for those of us who clearly see the backwardness of our society and are capable of standing up to the idea that a gun-toting, miserable and mentally insane loner can cause such damage to everything we hold dear. Let's check a person's mental stability at the front door of every gun shop, gun show, and NRA meeting that exists today!

And, by the way, the National Rifle Association is an organization, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, founded in 1871 that promotes the legal use of guns and gun safety in the United States. It defends a U.S. citizen's constitutional right to own and bear arms. 

You see....I have a problem with accepting an archaic law that refuses to change or upgrade with the times. Let's pull ourselves out of the Wild, Wild West and actually admit that circumstances and people do change over time. More guns will never make it right! And, just for the record, isn't a large part of "gun safety" about protecting the innocent?

Owning another human being as a machine to provide labor for one's personal benefit and enrichment is ARCHAIC! Telling half of the nation's population (women) that they cannot vote....is ARCHAIC! Pulling your gun from its holster in order to shoot another human being because he or she is taking what you believe to be a personal possession of yours (Such as land, space, gold....) is ARCHAIC and very much related to modern day road rage and pure hatred of those around you. 

You do see my point, don't you? What was written up in the year of our Lord, 1871, may not apply in the same way in 2016. Times change. Circumstances change. The world evolves. People within a society should evolve along with these changes. Laws and regulations need to match the changing times. Many refuse to believe this and continue to act like small children soon to be denied their 'toys of choice.' If organizations such as the NRA convince you that your life is threatened and your 'toys' are required to maintain the wellbeing of your existence.....then, what better way to do so than to convince you that there are terrorists, unstable minds, unmitigated hatred constantly surrounding you?

Create the seed and hashtag it #power and you will find you've created monsters legally possessing lethal weapons.

Create the seed and hashtag it #Love and you will find that Love attracts more Love and can be shared throughout the world....  

Orlando nightclub shooter, Omar Mateen, and the killer of the twenty-two year old singer, Christina Grimmie, this past Friday at The Plaza Live in Orlando, should both be filed under 'mentally unstable' and yet....both were sold guns. Both succeeded in annihilating the innocent lives of those they had targeted for whatever reason. 

CHURCH LOCATED IN BOONE, NORTH
CAROLINA, OFFERING PRAYERS OF
HOPE AND LOVE FOR ORLANDO

As a reasonable human being, I cannot justify this unreasonable behavior. I will not attach a certain lifestyle to a "God given right" if it means the death of innocent people. I refuse to glorify young women and girls posing with handguns and attack rifles in a 'Charlie's Angels' like opening scene. I am still shaking my head after seeing my niece and her young daughter engaged in this imagery on Facebook! 

This is not "I am woman; hear me roar..." material. When women take pride in themselves, we see them flocking to the poles on Election Day, working hard to secure equal pay for the same job done by men, and maybe, just maybe, ensuring the fundamental rights of women over their own bodies instead of taking the lead from men who believe they know what's best for all women. The power I seek will be securing all of the above in my lifetime for myself, my daughters, and their daughters. For ALL women in the future! And, I will be voting for our nation's first female president in November in order to assist in making this country a better place where both women and men can coexist in mutual tolerance despite different ideologies or interests.

Talk is cheap....as the old saying goes. The words and actions of a self-proclaimed racist, egomaniac, and all-around nasty man will fire-up the masses, including those who think along the same vein as he does; their latent hatred being encouraged and served-up on a platter reinforced by Fear itself. May they tumble around in their massive machine of bigotry and denial (often under the guise of religious beliefs) until some sense of reality is forged from their actions. Their power is weak and self-serving. Their leader is, as well. The sad part is that this guy is crazy dangerous with his many twisted lies and opinions that are untethered to reality.

My friend, Amanda Patterson, shared a post on Facebook, written by Gareth Van Onselen for The Rand Daily Mail, suggesting diseases affecting South African politics. I am applying it to American politics, as well. "Entitled: The Instability Itch. Description: Instability itch manifests as a compulsion to disrupt or destabilize order by introducing chaos and uncertainty into a situation. Symptoms: Randomness, irresponsibility, and patronage." I believe it fits in our case quite well.

Light and Hope shined into our car windows just a few miles from our house bringing peace and contentment into my heart. I knew that coming back home to Orlando carried its heavy burden of grief for the lives so indiscriminately taken away from our community. And, for those they left behind. Knowing that I had to decide how to live with the pain and attempt to make the changes needed to make things better, I turned to my writing.

My words do matter. And I will continue to write them for all who are willing to read them and hope for a better life; a better, kinder life in a world filled with change and renewal.

If the written word is a means of replacing or repairing something that is worn out, run down, or broken, then there is a general need for more people to open up and relate how they feel to others. Simply put, we cannot afford to allow bigotry, walls, hatred, the ego, and negative power to take over our lives. 

Coming home to "ORLANDO UNITED" was living proof of this....!

That's the spirit we see in Orlando!

Remember that Love is what will always matter the most!

REMEMBERING THE LIVES SO BRUTALLY TAKEN
FROM US BY SENSELESS GUN VIOLENCE
IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, 6-12-2016

Note: At this time I would like to extend my condolences to the Graves family from Elkhorn, Nebraska, who lost their two-year- old son, Lane, at the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World. Prayers are being sent out to help you carry this burden and let you know how much you are loved..... 

Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

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