LIVING LIFE LIKE A ROCKSTAR

 

A series of essays….

BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWERS ALONG THE
ROADSIDE IN SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA!

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

It was a pleasure taking this particular picture along the roadside in Southern Pennsylvania. The colors are so vibrant. The natural blend of flora represents the mixture of wildflowers that line most of these two-lane roads that host many small farmsteads, grazing animals dotting the hillsides, and even abandoned buildings that once were the homes of growing families obliged to work the land and live life on a day-by-day basis.

This photo, for me, encapsulates all of the above, as well as one more factor that, if you look closely, epitomizes the true beauty of life coupled with humankind’s all-too-human foibles. Funny how it wasn’t until going through my shots later that I realized just what I had captured. Protected, as it seems, by nature’s infinite beauty is a can of Rockstar Energy Drink that appears to blend almost seamlessly with the natural beauty of the colorful flowers. 

JUST UP THE ROAD….!

Interestingly enough, I initially had my poor husband inch over to the side of the road and park our running car so that I could jump out and take a picture of an abandoned log cabin that lived about fifty feet back off the road. I’ve been told that I have a very wicked and uncontrollable habit of asking Dan to pull over and stop the car, often, so that I can experience a certain photo op along our backroad travel routes. Even with the off-the-beaten-track vibes of this road, it became super busy very quickly.

It was bad enough that my posterior protruded out into the road just beyond a wide curve not far behind us but, I was seriously close to the oncoming traffic which happened to include camping trailers pulled by half-ton trucks and an eighteen-wheeler tractor trailer barreling its way to Columbus, Ohio, Detroit, or Chicago! Evidently, throughout my adventure Dan was desperately trying to grab my attention while flailing his hands in a feeble attempt to entice me back into the car. 

Miraculously, with shots of the ancient log structure secured, I made my way back to the car, hazard lights flashing blindingly, and a very nervous looking husband behind the wheel. He proceeded to remind me that he is always willing to oblige my artistic endeavors as long as they don’t involve loss of limb or our very lives in the process. Humbly, I agreed with him. 

A LOG CABIN,

ONCE A HOMESTEAD,

IN THE PENNSYLVANIA  WOODS.

Having no recollection of driving through the beauty of this part of Pennsylvania before, with its rolling hillside and green pastures, you can bet there were a few more impromptu stops along our way. The distinct and remarkable attractiveness surrounding the convergence of mountains, streams and lakes, trees, and pastures where the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania meet contributes to the natural charm of this area of our country. 

Our travels, whether domestic or international, are often based upon answering one very important question: “Could you live here?” My answer regarding this particular trip would have to be a resounding — YES! The joy we received by navigating the backroads under a canopy of ancient trees and highlighted by the striking wildflowers that outlined them — was captivating. Some of my most interesting extemporaneous photo ops include the unique craftsmanship of local artists represented by their random pieces displayed in parks and various open spaces. Giving back to the community in such a pleasing way indicates to me how happy they must be to live in a place that offers them so much joy in return.

JOIE DE VIVRE!

VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS…

BLUE SKIES, VALLEYS, RIVERS, AND 
MOUNTAINS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE!

If having a ‘Rockstar’ nestled among the colorful roadside flowers makes an appealing statement, just this once, I find myself grateful for the energy it took for someone to toss it from the car window for me to find. This minor weakness or failing of character exemplifies the yin and yang of the nature of man’s coexistence with all things natural and fragile. Ancient Chinese philosophy describes yin and yang as a concept of dualism, describing how obviously opposite or contrary forces may, actually, be complementary, interconnected, and independent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.

If this philosophy rings true, this particular Rockstar can, tossed onto the side of the road by a human devoid of respect for himself and his fellow humankind, may have inadvertently influenced this vivid imagery of a place that captured my heart. Even Dan agrees and promises to stop whenever and wherever feasible in order for me to continue my intoxicating journey into every nook and cranny this impressive world has to offer!

YIN AND YANG

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

ABANDONED AND FORGOTTEN

 

A series of essays….

AN ABANDONED ITALIAN VILLA ~
A SHIMMER OF PINK MARBLE AGAINST A BLUE SKY

Courtesy of pinterest.com

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

We held our breath without realizing it. The need to exhale, slowly, methodically, came as he entered the portal—into the unknown. His blond hair brushes the thick cobwebs that have had permission to accumulate over vast amounts of time. With one gloved hand maneuvering the camera, its attached light illuminating the dinginess, he turns night into day. His other hand opens drawers and cupboard doors revealing dust encrusted, often mundane, household items — abandoned for decades.

Anything neglected or left unkempt for a period of time will have the tendency to sink into a period of solitude and predictable decay. A period when the natural elements thrive in overdrive and civilization rides shotgun with a perfect view of its own demise.

This young, blond man, Maureno Wellens, hails from the town of Maastricht in the Netherlands. He conducts his explorations under the name of Explomo and streams the results on YouTube. His friend and working partner, Remon Vogelaar, accompanies him and together they shine a light on a forgotten world made up of personal collections, treasures, and artwork worthy of a place in many exhibitions and museums. Sadly, these items, along with the ordinary articles that make living day-by-day simple and efficient, are being lost to the elements and common vandals. Maureno and Remon handle everything with a soft touch and replace anything moved or examined to its original position before moving on to another area or room.

MAURENO WELLENS INVESTIGATING
AN ABANDONED CHATEAU 

Courtesy Maureno Wellens

Did these young men secure permits or permission to search these abandoned castles, palaces, and châteaux once inhabited by the upper classes of society in Spain, Italy, and France? Maureno often alludes to the fact that he does not and fully admits to trespassing. If true, this only adds to the mystery and intrigue his extensive probes provide. I admit that there is something fascinating about offering us a peek into a world left behind by relatives unable to pay the exorbitant inheritance tax on a property that once thrived with the help of unprecedented numbers of servants and employees. 

The personal legacy of generation upon generation is left behind only to be devoured by nature as vegetation creeps through windows and doors; a certain by-product of neglect. What is a direct assault to my senses is the deterioration of the works of fine art allowed to hang on fading, silk covered walls as black mold spreads itself around and through them! Beautiful wood beams cut from local forests hundreds of years ago, honed to perfection, become skeletal remains exposing the floors above them. Water, humidity, and time have worked their way deep into these cavernous rooms allowing the artisanal craftsmanship to be savagely obliterated, books bloated, personal papers scattered, and fine, handcrafted furniture to rot in place.

A particular chateau located deep into a French forest greatly disturbed me as I entered the realm of YouTube and tuned-in to our blond adventurer to see what finds he had for us that day. This nearly pristine chateau had cradled its final Master in her stately arms up until his death a decade before. Having no children or other blood relatives to will his earthly possessions to, he died knowing that this gorgeous lady was to be abandoned by him at death and left to her own devices.

As our friend revealed the grand entrance hall by pushing the obligatory cobwebs from his path, the scene before him was most unusual compared to the suffering of other beauties he’d explored in the past. Nature had not only been especially kind to this chateau, but it was as if she were patiently awaiting the return of her Master—after all of these years. Her loving arms were held wide open welcoming life, once again, as only she knew it could be.

CARVED HEADBOARDS SIT IN PLACE AS IF
WAITING FOR THE ROOM’S OCCUPANTS TO
RETURN FOR THE NIGHT

How can I aptly describe what we saw? Gilded-framed masterpieces of all sizes hung by the hundreds on every wall. Intricate tapestries adorned any remaining spaces. Crystal chandeliers hung from their lofty positions overlooking each room like sparkling sentinels that triggered the eye to absorb the colorful, hand painted and well preserved ceiling frescos that looked not much older than the young explorer filming them. 

Elegant plates stacked high with matching serving dishes lined the inner shelves of burled-wood veneered breakfronts in the dining room. Another cabinet door opened to expose crystal glasses in varying heights lined up like obedient soldiers waiting in time to once again serve refreshments to the rich and powerful, industrial magnets and political leaders, who gathered there from all over France. I imagined them to be filled and then gently clinked together to toast a lucrative new deal or promote a ‘gentleman’ into an office of particular importance and power in Paris.

Artisan carved headboards lorded over unexpected made-up beds of colorful, rich materials that still resided in the ornately arched alcoves so reminiscent of French design. Rows of clothing hung from racks while pairs of shoes neatly lined the walls within the two walk-in closets that bookended the bed alcove and gave one the idea that the Master would soon be retiring.

There were books and more books everywhere! They sat openly on nightstands and tables. They were displayed in both glass-fronted and enclosed breakfronts in every room of the chateau. Children’s rooms burst with animated stories on every shelf, table, and nook of the neatly appointed rooms. They were as prolific as the dust particles and cobwebs that had recently become an undesirable focal point of the chateau’s decorative design.

THERE ARE BOOKS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK. THESE TREASURES
ALONE ARE WORTH SALVAGE EFFORTS!

Photo by James Charlick

Our host and fellow explorer handled each item, turned every doorknob and latch, replaced each newspaper and personal letter he used to secure dates from, with love and the utmost care. He gently replaced everything he temporarily disturbed in its original place and position. His shock at having not a single looter plunder the contents of this chateau after the Master’s demise was as genuine as our own. I thought that if he was fortunate enough to have found this place to explore and delight in, others would be certain to follow. That thought disturbed me. He is careful never to give out any clues as to the location of his abandoned finds and genuinely marvels over how anyone or circumstance could allow for the eventual loss of such importance and beauty to happen.

I imagine a curator of most any museum, if watching our friend on his missions of discovery, would swoon over the artifacts Maureno is bringing to light. I don’t know anything about French law, but I am aware of how protected the homes of the French citizen are from any intrusion of strangers walking in and proclaiming rights to the property and its contents. I first became aware of this fact when abandoned Paris apartments, somehow overlooked by German troops invading Paris during World War II, were recently discovered with their incredible contents untouched, but silently ravaged by time. An ornate wooden door has finally been unlocked and opened after nearly three quarters of a century of obscurity and silence!

SUCH BEAUTY AND HISTORY SHOULD
NOT BE ALLOWED TO FADE INTO OBLIVION!

Perhaps this is the mission statement for the work of our fine, young explorers as they point out the need to protect these beautiful and vulnerable properties. By bringing attention to their sheer existence, Maureno and Remon hope that someone responsible will intervene to preserve these historical treasures and their invaluable contents.

There is so much in this life that gives me pleasure. These trespassers for a good cause keep me riveted to my seat and in constant awe of their findings. I can only hope that a percentage of these abandoned properties are saved in the near future — and, maybe, resurrected once again to the glory that they so righteously deserve. I applaud the efforts of Maureno Wellens to help make this happen!

FADING INTO OBSCURITY 

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes 

All rights reserved

RETIREMENT IN KALAMAZOO AND TAKING TIME TO REMINISCE

 

A series of essays….

OUR HOME AND GARDEN IN KALAMAZOO ARE PROGRESSING
NICELY. LOOKING FORWARD TO SHORT, PLANNED GETAWAYS
IN ORDER TO JUMPSTART OUR NEW TRAVEL LIFE.

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

No one warned me that after my husband retired, and despite already spending over one year within Covid-19 precautionary conditions, that we would be busier than ever! 

Retirement is only a word. It is not a death sentence or even a number that defines who we are in relationship to how many years we have already spent on this earth; how much time we have left to spend. If we think or believe in finite terms only, we have already written our later years off as unimportant, unproductive, and not worth seeing through with dignity and self respect.

Finding a decent blend between working at whatever you love to do and taking breaks from everything you do in any given day, is highly important. Even if a break consists of a few minutes of meditation or sitting out on the back deck to watch golfers pretend that they are good at the game, the mental downtime is so worth it. This break reminds us of the importance of resuming whatever it is we’ve started. Being both physically and mentally sharp as we strive to do our best along the way, contributes to a much needed sense of balance in our lives.

Spending several hours each day writing is as natural to me as drinking my coffee in the morning. I can get lost in time during this period, very early in the day, and find that three hours have passed by as if I’d merely blinked them away! One of my first published poems was, ironically, entitled Time, as if losing myself between the click, click, click of the ‘second hand’ was always going to be a part of my life and I’d realized this fact a very long time ago.

Dan has lived a highly productive, full life within the construction business in various places around the country and has adapted well to learning the trade no matter what the terrain. He understands first-hand how building apartments in the middle of a snowstorm in Michigan differs from having to dynamite rock in West Virginia in order to create buildable space, and what an important role the water table plays while building in Florida. 

Today, he is spending his time remodeling our little cottage here in Kalamazoo. After everything he’s accomplished in the field of construction, you might think this would be a fairly simple task. Well, not really. Change orders still inundate his work day—only now they are coming from his wife as his client, (critic), and co-worker throughout various projects. I am the design person who relies on the brawn and expertise that I know he can deftly supply. I’m not so naive as to believe that he always feels our working relationship to be ideal, but I do know that it all seems to be working out for us with each project we complete.

Recently, with more people becoming fully vaccinated, we’ve decided that taking a short break from construction and routine could be more than sitting on the back deck relaxing and taking in the view. It’s been almost three years since we left our life and friends in Florida and It’s time to pay that life a visit and reminisce for a little while. So, with Covid-19 realities in mind, the planning stages have begun, and I couldn’t be more excited!

BRILLIANT SUNSET OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO

While we plan, life goes on and several big ticket items have definitely shaken us to the core. And, like most retirees, we question if spending money on this trip is feasible right now. Our car is in the ‘shop’ being worked on and the air conditioning unit for the house has decided it no longer desires to keep us cool and comfortable now that we’re heading into the heat of summer. (Enormous hugs and thanks to our friends who offered their air conditioned homes to help guard us from a possible meltdown. You know who you are!!) But, we still have smiles on our faces and understand these challenges to be stepping stones rather than giant boulders blocking our future plans.

I saw a post recently that featured a famous quote by the Italian filmmaker, Federico Fellini, which read: “One of the greatest handicaps is to fear a mistake. You have stopped yourself. You have to move freely into the arena, not just to wait for the perfect situation, the perfect moment… If you have to make a mistake, it’s better to make a mistake of action than one of inaction.” Sound advice for all of us who have reached retirement age and beyond.

I was fascinated by this quote because I know what it feels like to be paralyzed and do nothing while being afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. This tactic kept me from finishing my book by feeling I was not good enough; I believed I was doing the wrong thing and not following all of the rules. I was afraid of doing or saying something “wrong” so, I did and said nothing at all. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that these so-called mistakes and fears are as bad as the mistake of doing absolutely nothing. 

I am learning—even at my age, I am learning to take action for my own life and make those mistakes with the confidence of someone who knows that she learns by her mistakes. Like a room filled with every color imaginable, I will extract energy from these colors and continue on. 

CHIMICHANGA FROM DON JULIO’S MEXICAN KITCHEN 

 CHICKEN WITH COCONUT CURRY BROTH ~
PHO VINH VIETNAMESE DINING

So, on with our plans to revisit the haunts that we loved so much in Orlando: restaurants, independent book stores, tea shops, wine bars, sandy beaches (along the Gulf and Atlantic coastline), walking the campus of Rollins College, having pedicures, and shopping at Publix grocery stores, again. Oh, how I miss my Publix! Often it’s the simple things in life that motivate us straight into our happy place. 

Dan and I like to call this trip back to Orlando our ‘littlest adventure’ that will lead the way back to epic adventures as time goes by. It’s our first set of baby steps that are walking us out of this pandemic and into a healthier future. Let us all plan away and release ourselves from the tentacles that have held us in place for so long. Besides, road trips can be as much fun (sometimes even more so) as a cross-country flight. It may take a bit longer to arrive at your final destination, but you have such diverse attractions along the way.

Please get fully vaccinated and then plan your first trip with the peace of mind that we all deserve while venturing out into the world, once again. Enjoy life to the fullest each day—because that’s what living is all about.

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photos Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

AS SIMPLE AS CHANGING THE CHANNEL

 

A series of essays….

A SURREAL MORNING OFFERING PLENTY OF SURPRISES 

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Waking up one morning this past week to write, daydream, and listen to the world so early in the day, I was struck by the offering of softness and mystery right outside my window. Enchanting is the best way to describe this particular experience. Please allow me to explain.

If you are fortunate enough to have ‘a room with a view’ and this view is chameleon-like with subtle changes happening with each passing moment, life can be enriching and beautiful each time you turn your head and glance outside to capture a new image before you. My view represents a world that never stands still and often delights the senses in many rich and interesting ways.

My outlook onto the world beyond my French doors can be as stimulating as caffeine in the morning, as beautiful as a grandchild’s smile, and as natural as a scene from Sir David Attenborough’s narrative documentary, Our Planet. The rain falling gently onto the new plantings of our garden generates softness. A maniacal northern storm with lightening ripping through the multi-gray toned cloud cover suggests danger and excitement. The powdering of the first snow in November enriches our sense of well-being and the thought of how all things must rest before bursting back into life in the springtime.

THE TREES BEYOND THE FENCE
GENERATE A FEELING OF SURREALISM

My view startled me that particular morning as I suddenly felt like I was under the sea and lost in a swirling rhythm of shadows brought about by gyrating grasses and filtered light. The trees beyond the fence generated a feeling of surrealism by the irrational juxtaposition of images making the scene feel unworldly and almost fragile. I was transfixed by the visions before me. 

Finally able to think beyond the floating trees held in place by the mist of an early morning fog that engulfed everything in sight and reaching for my camera, I was able to capture a simple portion of the multi-layered scene stretching out beyond the glass. Trees I’d become familiar with in the distance turned into mere shadows as the trees in front of them marched to a stronger beat until the trees near the fence seemed as black as the eternal darkness of a moonless night. And then, I felt movement.

SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS POSING JUST FOR ME!

Out of the dense fog, like a choreographed scene from a Disney movie, waltzed Bambi’s mom, in all her glory, staring through the elongated triangles of chain link and right into my eyes! With her curves and lines softened by the misty surroundings, she posed like a professional model until I slipped the camera away and watched her saunter along the fence line with ease and grace.

Following closely behind her was the remainder of her coffee klatch that morning: two additional doe lingered in her gentle wake as all three made their way east and, eventually, out of sight.

THREE FRIENDS HAPPILY SURVIVING
WITHIN THE WILDERNESS OF
AN URBAN GOLF COURSE

Being fully aware of their presence many times before, we’ve come to believe that the golf course is their refuge, their home; a fenced-in park that’s groomed and maintained specifically for them. I have seen these three traverse the long fairways crosswise, prancing between golfing foursomes as if they were threading a needle that stretched five fairways wide. That morning, they had the park all to themselves and they were luxuriating in this fact.

Our window to the outside world beyond the deck is amazing. As easily as remotely changing the station on a television, set-up with multi-channel cable capability, we experience sunny, foggy, rainy, and snowy backdrops. The deer and rabbits continue to munch on our vegetation as if they were grazing at the sample counters of the local Costco. A family of raccoons are born in the hollow of one of our tall oak trees and four tiny noses peek out from high above. The bulbous, bright pink peonies sway in the gentle breezes. And, spectacular sunsets illuminate the evening sky, often rivaling those I’ve witnessed on visits to Sedona!

THE TREES NEAREST THE FENCE SEEMED
AS BLACK AS THE ETERNAL DARKNESS 
OF A MOONLESS NIGHT

Each season, each month, each week, and each day offers up a new selection of entertainment. All we have to do is look for it and acknowledge the life and beauty that surrounds us. How fortunate we are to find such comfort, peace, and love right in our own backyards.

Author’s Note: Warm congratulations to our beautiful niece, Caitlin, on giving birth to her daughter on June 9, 2021! Wishing all of you a world of 💕 Love.

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photos Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

“IF IT HAPPENED ONCE, IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN”

 

A series of essays….

ONE OF THE MANY MURALS THAT CAN BE SEEN ALONG THE
CITY’S WALLS IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, TODAY, IN
MEMORY OF THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE

     Credit: slate.com

….as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

The goal was to lighten the story and to intentionally forget the lingering damage of the event.

What incident within the history of our country would you believe the line above might be referring to? It could be about each mass shooting that has heartbreakingly touched our lives over the past two decades beginning with the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999 which obliterated thirteen innocent lives and left many others both physically and mentally damaged for life.

I have a grudge or beef with someone. I have access to guns or the capability to buy them. Therefore, I have a license to kill. 

We are a gun toting, axe grinding, Wild, Wild West kind of society who values gun rights over human rights and the past two decades of carnage, death of innocence, and destruction appears to be just the tip of this monstrous iceberg.

Having lived in Orlando, Florida, when one man of color, George Zimmerman, decided he had the right to take the life of a black teen, Trayvon Martin, and another shooter, Omar Mateen, slaughtered forty-nine innocent young adults and wounded fifty-three more while they were enjoying the evening listening to music and dancing at the Pulse Nightclub; I recall being caught in the middle of this nightmare logistically and emotionally and they both weigh heavily on my mind to this day.

 

  GEORGE ZIMMERMAN          TRAYVON MARTIN

Sadly, the ‘brush it under the rug’ defense for many of these massacres has been a part of this nation’s mindset for a very long time. So much so that our school textbooks (my own high school U.S. History textbook), indicate that the publishers of these books have chosen for years not to include instances of hate crimes affiliated with white supremacy under the assumption that all men are not created equal! For decades our students have been cheated of the knowledge of actual events that could and should have helped to shape their lives in one way or another.

Listening to a middle-aged, black lawyer being interviewed and referencing his lack of knowledge of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 until recently and having him admit to the fact that even within his own Tulsa educational career, nothing was mentioned about this monumental event—sends chills down my spine. He did not know about the history of his own people and he lives in the city where it all happened! Think about that for a second. Our educational system certainly has some catching up to do on Black American history!

The goal was to lighten the story and to intentionally forget the lingering damage of the event.

You might think that as slave stories were kept alive through sermons and hymns throughout the years, something this horrendous might be emblazoned upon the minds of those having lived through it no matter what color their skin happened to be. So tight was the noose around the necks of these unconscious souls, their fear for their own lives cut-off the oxygen of reason to the brain that caused them to conveniently forget the lingering damage of this event while feeling that, “If it happened once, it can happen again.”

100 YEARS LATER, 107-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR
OF THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE, VIOLA
FLETCHER, WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER..

      Credit: Viola Fletcher, By cartoonist: J.D. Crowe

If the history books failed to include the murder of possibly over 300 Black men, women, and children, many of whom were thrown in mass graves like rabid animals after a slaughter, similar to the Jewish population in Europe during the Holocaust, and having recently lived through the race riots and the major pandemic of 1918–what other events have white supremacists intentionally forgotten to mark down in page after page of our history books? How many new horrors have yet to be discovered and brought into the light of day? 

The blatant disregard for all humans and their rights has made it easier for haters to show their faces and take-up arms against what they consider to be the Establishment. Case in point would be the insurrection at the Capitol Building this past January 6, 2021. 

The goal was to lighten the story and to intentionally forget the lingering damage of the event.

Prompted by the most noted white supremacist today and grand leader of the hatred for all persons of color, our 45th president had preconceived ideas within his agenda long before entering the White House; long before his electoral collage election of 2016. His goals were transparent and consisted of ridding the nation of persons of color, resurrect white supremacy across the land, and establish himself as dictator of the United States while using his status to monetarily rape middle class and poor Americans along the way. His unconscious pawns carrying guns, knives, poison sprays, and sharpened objects became his warriors-in-hate and took up arms against the Constitution of the United States and those who chose to uphold its written laws. 

MADNESS ON CAPITOL HILL ~ JANUARY 6, 2021

                 

            Credit: TVLine

And, just like those who lightened the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, certain elected officials are doing so today in the hope that we will forget the lingering damage of this event. As if the videos of this coup do not exist, they would like us to believe that this mob was there to take selfies in front of the Capitol Building as mementos for their children. They live in a fantasy world artfully directed by the money, power, and lust of powerful individuals determined to control us.

Where were the videos of the Tulsa Race Massacre hidden for all of these years? The videos illustrating deputized white men holding guns and rifles as they led Black American citizens, wrists tied with rope, along the smoldering streets of their own town to their imminent deaths. Where were the still photos of this massacre kept from us nearly a century in time? Photos of Black families thrown across their front fence like death’s jewelry for all to witness; an elderly Black couple kneeling by the side of their bed in prayer while being shot in the back of the head, execution style; a man tied with rope around his waist and dragged behind a vehicle, his head bouncing along the pavement; and people of all ages, zombie-like, walking the streets that were laden with dead bodies and debris.

Just as the mass graves of this massacre are being dug up today in order to determine the identities of the victims placed there one hundred years ago, the videos, photos, and information about this massacre have only recently been uncovered in the year 2001, but were brought to light by Michelle Price, the executive director of the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum, in 2012.

President Biden will not allow us to forget this dark history that actually exists, whether we believe it to be true or not. We will learn more about it, retain what we discover, teach it as a part of Black American history, and focus on controlling the hate that allowed it to happen in the first place. This is a game plan for people who believe in the Constitution, respect all people no matter their race, religion, or economic status, and believe and trust in the equality and justice of a true democratic society.

“IF IT HAPPENED ONCE, 
IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN….!”

The Biden administration will not allow us to forget why and by whom our own Capitol Building was attacked. We will always remember when officers and civilians died in their own attempts to protect or destroy our democracy. We must never fail to recall the insurrection of January 6, 2021–no matter how much the far right would like to ‘lighten the story’ and have us forget.

Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved