RESILIENCE

A series of essays....

EVEN IN A LANDSCAPE OF BEDROCK AND ITS VAST CRACKED PAVEMENT
OF GLACIAL-ERA LIMESTONE, THERE IS HOPE OF A THRIVING LIFE!!!
                                                            .....THE BURREN IN COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

RESILIENCE...

...is a word that applies to everyone these days, especially when used in a practical sense regarding the act of survival. It is this positive self-concept and application of self-confidence in our own strengths and abilities that can often help to answer the question of “Who Am I?” and lead us down the path of sorting things out and, ultimately, keeping us on the right track towards healing ourselves from the inside out; snapping back into our original shape after being stretched, pulled, bent, or compressed by the weight of adversity and depression. This resiliency is shown by many who have lost a home by wildfire, flooding, or the means to pay the mortgage and, amazingly, weathered the adversity with a buoyancy spawned by self-worth and determination, time and assiduous reserves of confidence only to survive and live another day. 

Our challenge today is inside each one of us. Being vulnerable reveals our human nature and demonstrates our susceptibility to being emotionally wounded or hurt. Harmful vulnerability can be challenged by our personal resilience to such harm and the knowledge that our fears are conquerable if we believe them to be. Not surprisingly, this quality of being flexible is not something we are born with. And, this is where our challenge starts as we begin to see positive emotions walking hand-in-hand with resilience. Humor, optimism, and setting forth goals in order to cope with negativity are powers we can learn to utilize in order to control stress and access the power we require to survive. From birth moving forward we clench our teeth when faced with something unpleasant and must learn courage and resolve in order to strengthen our character. 

It is difficult to survive without the trust and positive examples placed before us through family and friends. Early relationships that provide care and support help us develop a positive self-image and teach us to manage strong feelings before they get out-of-hand. Ego control and self-esteem help to discourage self inflicted harm (suicide) through the power of knowing how to take care of our mind and body, feeling good about ourselves, exercising body and soul, and paying attention to our own needs and feelings. If we respect the positive influences that surround us and learn to be resilient when it comes to all of the negative influences (mistreated children, loss of employment, and alcohol abuse, for example), we can learn to cope with the disasters and hardships that infiltrate our lives and come naturally to all human beings throughout their lifetime.

When we become aware that by promoting resilience it allows us to recover readily from adversity, illness, depression, and remain flexible each time while enabling us to return to our original form, unharmed and much stronger...we will then become released from a personal bondage that only serves to stifle our comfort and growth. Believing that you can rather than you cannot and encouraging others towards this train of thought boosts morale and organizes a support group capable of strengthening our coping mechanisms. 

We must remember that knowledge is power. Our goal should be to become more resilient, promote resiliency, and harness the power of resilience in order to adapt to our ‘roller coaster’ whirlwind ride called life. We must teach a child to be resilient from the beginning of their life, to go with the flow, to interact with their environment, adapt to change, and meet their lifetime goals head on. A world filled with less bullying and more caring would be a kinder, more loving place to live in. To learn to be resilient towards the bullying would help us adapt and survive life's negativity. 

Author’s Note: This essay was inspired by an article entitled, Put down the self-help books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour, written by Michael Ungar, contributed to The Glove and Mail, and published on May 25, 2019.

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

HOMECOMINGS, INDEPENDENCE, AND CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

A series of essays....

RED

WHITE

BLUE

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

As the years go by, it’s easy to see how the Fourth of July, Independence Day, has leveled the playing field when it comes to sharing Christmas as one of the most family oriented holidays of the year!

As children growing up in the Midwest, we anticipated eating hot dogs and hamburgers cooked on the grill and accompanied by Mom’s homemade potato salad, playing hide-and-go-seek with all of our cousins, and waiting until it was dark enough to enjoy the fireworks display at Potawatomi Park before coming back home to light sparklers in the driveway and air-draw our names into the pitch black darkness of night before crawling, gratefully, into bed. 

Life, summertime, was much simpler back then. Families, generally, lived close enough to one another that within a half an hour’s drive the backyard grill would be hot and ready for whatever meat selection was provided, kids were clustered on porches playing board games, and adults were gearing up for raucous sessions of Euchre (a trick-taking card game) at the kitchen table. The men secured sweating, long-necked bottles of local beer from a cooler while the woman, usually, sipped iced tea or homemade lemonade with plenty of ice.

Family and friends were able to get together so often because all they needed was right at their fingertips all summer long....the easily acquired company of others, a little bit of planning, and the ability and desire to have a good time while together. 

Getting together at a moment’s notice can be a bit more complicated for many of us today. Even though the desire to spend time with family has not, necessarily, diminished, family dynamics, the force that stimulates change or progress within a system, has impacted most of us in one way or another. The world has become smaller with job opportunities offered on a global scale and travel made more available and, for the most part, more affordable than it has in past generations, family cells have divided and spread across the map with long distance and international living considered the norm instead of the exception. 

Sitting here, I’m thinking about all of our friends who have children scattered all over the United States and the world. They are living, working, examples of how families have spread their wings and ventured out far away from the family units I remember from my youth. 

What we learn through all of this is just how adaptable humans can be. Solutions to family closeness aren't always ideal as we often define ourselves as living in a Jetsons world of talking screens and preprogrammed meal selections. During the past several years we lived in Florida and away from the grandchildren, I was known as ‘tiny grandma’ since most of our interaction was done via Skype and, eventually, FaceTime. 

What a longer distance apart has created are more elaborate and exciting homecomings with relatives flying in from other states and countries to be together for the long, holiday weekend or, if fortunate enough, an extended week or two. A homecoming generally attributed to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but because of its warmer, kinder weather, July frequently serves as a prime time for traveling and sharing time and space with those we miss and love throughout the year. 

After all, Independence Day is the birthday of the greatest country in the history of mankind! And, nothing or no one can or will demean our greatness via their own narcissistic behavior. The Stars and Stripes symbolize our freedom and not a dictatorship built on personal greed. Our military might is well known and respected and should not be paraded down the streets of Washington D.C. like cheap costume jewelry. We are so much better than this.

But, I digress.

Many anticipated family traditions have originated due to the small windows of togetherness that the modern-day family units have to look forward to. Some of my friends opt to take the yearly ‘family portrait’ in July while everyone is together. Occasionally, families will choose to rent a large home in a central location for everyone to meet at and enjoy being together with over the 4th of July. And, if travel is an impossibility for many of us during any particular holiday, we have invited others of all ages and backgrounds over to our home for good conversation, family reminiscing, and delicious food to help ease the space between visits with their own relatives. 

With the 4th of July inching its way onto the important list of travel expectations for many families every year, it’s easy to see why it is becoming more and more significant in terms of bringing relatives and good friends together. Independence Day is bursting with sparkling colors and ideas that serve to keep the heart young, meaningful traditions germinating, and many of us well fed and provided for right in the celebratory hub of summer activities. Its importance is catching on by leaps and bounds and is truly becoming our Christmas in July!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and joyful 4th of July and a momentous Happy Birthday to the great country we live in!!

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

THE END OF CONVERSATION AS WE KNEW IT....?

A series of essays....

SADLY, THE NEW ERA OF PERSONAL COMMUNICATION

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I know. If you have been an avid reader of mine, you might believe that I harp on this topic more often than I should. But, if I were asked what my biggest pet peeve was....my answer would be encapsulated within the picture above. 

Every now and then I like to go back through some of my pictures with the understanding of why they had been taken in the first place and then write a story about it. This particular picture sent out alarm bells and bright red, flashing lights back when taken, and still does for me today!

May I suggest you zoom in on these four individuals and then, kindly, continue reading.

We are looking at a mother and daughter sitting side-by-side on the left and a middle-aged, married couple, allowing a bit more space between one another, to the right. Each set of participants appears to be waiting for something to happen. Something more exciting than what I am witnessing while seated across the room from them. 

The scene above was taken on June 6, 2014, in the entrance to the chain restaurant TGI Fridays, but could apply to so many instances today. As most of us have observed, this scenario has become more typical everywhere you look, especially as technology becomes notably embraced by everyone!

Dan and I had recently begun the demolition required in our outdated kitchen while living at 1648 Morgan’s Mill Circle in Florida and, with life inundated by chaos and hunger, we decided to go out for a burger on a Saturday afternoon. Any given Saturday in Orlando can be jam-packed with humans resembling worker ants attempting to complete their complicated tasks such as foraging and taking care of the youth. We desperately needed a respite from rehab and an opportunity to fill our tummies.

People watching and communicating with others are two of my favorite pastimes. Considering we had to wait a short while to be seated, we utilized our downtime to unwind, exchange stories about our children and grandchildren up in Michigan, and strategize about how best to use our time productively the rest of the weekend. Together, we had experienced the ‘weekend warrior’ routine two years earlier while remodeling our Master Bath/Closet and knew how important following a good plan would be.

The foyer of this particular TGI Fridays restaurant was comparatively small, just big enough to allow several people to sit comfortably and escape a summer shower, if need be. The six of us occupying this enclosed anteroom were handed a small, black, plastic square per couple and told it would light-up as the next table became available. 

The six of us occupying the hollowed space created an unusual sense of quietness after several minutes when Dan and I curbed our own conversation after realizing our softened voices echoed back and forth across the tiny room. As we sat comparing notes in whispered tones on our side of the space, it was apparent that absolute silence prevailed on the opposite side.

What was each person accomplishing while caught-up in their own little world? 

Were they texting friends, checking their messages, deleting unnecessary emails, or determining the score of one of many sporting events happening that particular afternoon? 

With quiet keyboards, there wasn’t even the sound of ‘clicking’ to stir-up the atmosphere. We were witnessing the complete lack of enjoyment of verbal interaction with one another. Exchanging human contact via words and smiles was substituted with cyber interfacing instead. With minds compartmentalized by their own devices, mother and daughter, husband and wife sat silently while deep within their own private worlds....for a very long time.

Slowly sliding my own iPhone from the small, inside pocket of my purse, I decided I needed to capture the moment. My cautiousness stemmed from the fear of disturbing one of them or embarrassing myself by being so blatant about taking their picture. I needn’t have worried; my precautionary intent towards their privacy was totally lost on all four of them! Not an eye blinked (not that I could even see their eyes) or an eyebrow raised during the making of this photo.

I began picking-up on the specific body language of each of my subjects. Each face lacked expression, the lips were straight and pressed tightly together, and all eyes were downcast and seemingly closed. The old adage that if you cross your arms over your chest it symbolizes that you are silently protecting yourself from negative vibes or words tossed at you by others. It most definitely applied here. Something was surely ‘crossed’ on each one of them....with mother and daughter sporting the more painful leg-over-leg position while my Billy Joel lookalike and his wife, a bit more cautious, with only their ankles being modestly crossed.

Suddenly, buzzing waves of sound vibrated from across the room and bright red lights began to pierce the moment sending their glow up the back of the cool, black Naugahyde bench. Billy Joel and his wife were being summoned, not by a human voice, but by the small, plastic square device equipped with its red running lights. Like robots programmed to respond (Pavlov would have enjoyed this exchange) the couple entered the restaurant to be seated. I could only hope that their Internet reception proved even better once inside. If not, who knows, an actual conversation might have to be exchanged between them while eating lunch!

Not surprisingly, my mother/daughter team failed to even look up when married couple exited the same bench. I don’t know what happened next with them because Dan and I were being summoned by our own flashing red lights.

Progress is usually and hopefully a good thing as its definition suggests. It implies moving forward through development, growth, and improvement. When progress impedes eye-to-eye contact and the enjoyment of personal relationships and communication between human beings, I believe we are moving in the opposite direction of progress...and that is, most definitely, backwards.

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

I DON'T KNOW IF....

A series of essays....

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I don’t know if I have the energy anymore, both physically and mentally, to wake-up smiling. I feel like a person taking too many drugs and having them interact in a very negative way with my body. I know a little bit about this. My father took what seemed like fifty pills a day, all prescribed by his doctors. It wore him down so much that I often wonder if the drug interaction was more harmful than the physical ailments he was taking them for. Most likely, they were.

I don’t know if 45 is reaching his goal of wearing down our defenses by creating, not only a world of MAGA zombies, but a population of good people who tried but failed at making him go away. I do know that everyday he remains in office, our less than perfect society becomes even less perfect and we find ourselves digging out of an ever deepening hole.

***AS OF ONE O'CLOCK P.M. ON MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2019***

I don’t know if I can tolerate another 582 days under 45’s spitefully jealous and sadistic regime.

I don’t know if survival is even an option anymore.

I don’t know if the world, as we thought we knew it to be, will ever be that way again. When I think of the Holocaust, the mass murder of Jews under the German Nazi regime during the period between 1941 and 1945 when more than 6 million European Jews, as well as members of other persecuted groups, were murdered at concentration camps such as Auschwitz, I think of change. I think of the survivors who were changed forever and their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and how they must always claim the horror, terror, and nightmares associated with such a burning and cleansing of the European population of Jews and their supporters; lest we ever forget the blistering inhumanity and narcissism of even one individual right here in our own lifetime.

I don’t know if the Jews can ever truly forgive the United States for not offering them the mental and physical relief of sanctuary while so many of them were being put to death. The U.S. had a long-standing restrictionist policy on immigration specified in The Immigration Act of 1924. It set the standards for immigration quotas to the U.S. that limited total immigration to about 164,000 people per year and was designed to “protect” America from “undesirables” including Jews, Asians, and Africans. This excuse is Not Good Enough...! This could never happen again in the new millennium ~ not in 2019! Certainly, we’ve become wiser, more understanding, and loving people by now! Didn’t the Hitler/Nazi regime teach us anything?

I don't know if giving-up on our freedom and all of the basic principals that this great nation was initially built upon is even an option. 

I don’t know if greedy, amoral people will ever be able to change, especially when money, power, and the evil extracted by having too much of each can take a basic fool and turn him into a believer in his own 'godlike stature' which, in his mind, includes power, physical beauty, and magnanimity for the rich....those for whom he deems worthy of it.

I don't know if I fear the greed-based tactics employed by 45 more than the detrimental, life altering maneuvers of a soulless Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr.  

I don’t know if changes can be made within our constitutional laws, rules, or regulations to help protect us in the future from the sheer abuse of power reflected in 45’s corrupt regime.

I don’t know if there is a kinder future...at least, a future familiarized by the essence of faith, hope, love, trust, and freedom. I don’t know about you, but I’ve become gun-shy over the past few years. To experience first-hand the hatred, divisiveness, and abject cruelty of others within our society without much relief, how could I not?

I don't know if I'm in like or strong dislike of Robert Mueller right now. 

I don’t know what is in store for all of us. However, my hope is that decency for the moral standards of life and genuine respect for others have not been indefinitely tarnished by the lowest standards represented in Washington D.C. today. I do believe that there remains enough of us who truly care about maintaining a higher ground of morality and will always fight tooth and nail to keep it that way. 

Author’s Note: Facts regarding the Holocaust are according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

NOSTALGIA: TRIGGERING THE PAST

A series of essays and photos....

WALKING BACK HOME UNDER MY FAVORITE TREE

....as seen through my eyes!

BY: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Taking pictures is one of the best ways of capturing the moment, preserving a piece of the present in order to, eventually, define the past. 

PRESENT?

PAST?

We all take them, especially given the convenience of Smartphones, and we all look at them after the fact. Each one of us will process our pictures in a very personal way. Taking a selfie and texting it to your friends may define our personality and lifestyle. A particular snapshot or video of a furry friend, a frightening mishap, or a mishap involving a furry friend may go viral and be seen by millions if we choose to utilize the power of social media! A photo taken of a mountain landscape, a trip to the county fair, or of you seated between your grandparents during a summer picnic might evoke or trigger childhood memories of other trips, relatives, and locations.

THESE ROCKS ARE LOVED AND
APPRECIATED FOR THEIR BEAUTY 

HEARING STORIES ABOUT
THE FARM'S HISTORY

Each time our friends invite us to stay a night or two at their farm near Jackson, Michigan, it never fails to surprise me just how instrumental their homestead is in triggering the past for me. Dan and I go there to enjoy the great company and hospitality Jan and Fred provide. We nourish ourselves with good food and conversation and take long and leisurely walks along country roads, farm lanes, and sun dappled wooded paths. Playing a few friendly yet competitive games of Spinner, the game of wild dominoes, might be in order while sitting at the wooden game table near the large picture window overlooking the expansive fields to the south.

 

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THE FARM!

Slipping our Smartphones into a pocket of choice right before a walk ensures our connection with the outside world (specifically our children and grandchildren) and allows us to chuck out the present for a walk down memory lane. I recall a time when cousins giggled while running through gigantic corn stalks playing a game of tag, and curious ‘little ones’ followed grandma, basket in hand, to the chicken coop to collect breakfast eggs. Grandpa would follow behind us to make certain we were careful as we rambunctiously ran to the ‘old barn’ to jump from lofts into bales of hay stacked on the barn’s floor.

ANGLED FENCE POSTS
LADEN WITH CHARACTER!

Life is simple and curiously exciting when you’re a child spending time at your grandparent’s farm!

Life can be relaxing and curiously exciting when spending time with good friends at their farm!

By the time the four of us make it out under the lattice arch that leads into the barnyard and outbuilding areas, I catch my breath while engaging in the first glimpse of the tall oak tree living on the lane that leads us back into the deep, dark woods. Her new leaves waving at us in the springtime breeze is like observing a dazzling gateway to a kinder, gentler world. She is one of the main reasons I pluck my iPhone from my jacket pocket and begin lining up the first photograph from our walk. 

WILDFLOWERS ALONG
THE PATH

CROPS FROM ANOTHER TIME

CAPTURING A MOMENT

KEEPING IN THE SHEEP

Then there are.... Angled fence posts laden with age and character, piles of stones newly released from their sandy loam depths, and colorful wild flowers being kissed by the bees. 

ROCKS, ROCKS...EVERYWHERE!!

MORE BEE BUTTS

So many pictures are taken in such a short amount of time! They are, undeniably, my triggers to a flood of beautiful memories that are sometimes misplaced...but, never truly forgotten.

 

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

ANOTHER BRANCH HAS FALLEN FROM THE GRACEFUL MAPLE TREE

A series of essays....

THE BEAUTIFUL MAPLE TREE
STANDING STRAIGHT AND TALL

....as seen through my eyes!

A personal tribute to my friend and mentor, Danna Ephland

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Move aside my fragrant Eastern White Pine standing tall among the mighty Michigan old-growth forests, symbol of peace, lending credence to being the most widely utilized and sought after species within the various forest growths of the Northwest. You are a tough act to follow. Nevertheless, my free thinking, five-year-old self will always remember the true heroes from her Midwestern childhood.

Two graceful maple trees stood guard in front of our rental home in South Bend, Indiana. My Mother said they were there to be tall and elegant, help to buffer the sound of the busy boulevard we lived on, and protect us while Dad was away for work during the week. They soon became my friends and favorite trees.

Yes, they were surely female entities, distinctive living creatures, curved and stately soldiers never abandoning their honorable posts with their untiring arms stretched out to protect us day and night. Donning massive headpieces, soldier’s helmets of green and silver that became animated in the slightest breeze, they could sway and dance all day to the music of the moving vehicles with mechanical notes calibrated in random beeps and honks.

They may have had names back then; that particular memory has long slipped away. 

Sitting for hours on the paint-chipped, wooden steps of the small front porch, it was so easy to become mesmerized by these beautiful ladies. Well fed brown squirrels traveled the tree's abundant hardwood highway system and their chatter echoed while they stopped at major intersections along their route. Robins felt safe building precious nests among the crooks of their strong, slender arms, high above street level. The maples never competed for the most action happening between one another because nature always felt comfortable harboring within either one; both trees fulfilling their job as refuge, shelter, sanctuary, retreat, and port in a storm.

And there were storms.... One does not live in ‘tornado alley’ or near the lake-effects spawned by Lake Michigan and not experience them. Midwestern storms are a parody of life itself. Maybe I didn’t realize this as a child way back when, but the tornado that swept through the neighborhood several blocks to the north of us one spring afternoon awakened my senses, grasped my full attention, and changed my life forever.

By the time the debris had settled and the sun shone back upon our little community, tears of grief for the victim’s homes and innocent joy for the safety of our own flowed abundantly. In my own mind, the safety I’d once known would be forever altered. Life had taken its twists and turns and mocked the security I once knew and replaced it with the symbolic death of what was once a solid element of my young life.

The first time I met Danna was my first day of poetry class last fall. Having arrived early, she and I had time to properly introduce ourselves to one another and I recall falling instantly under the spell of her gracious smile and warm personality. It was as though we’d known one another for years. Not knowing exactly what to expect from the class, she had a way of settling my nerves in order to draw me into the fold. I was smitten by her kindness; captivated by her knowledge and intelligence. Danna’s love for her craft and ability to infuse her knowledge within others so seamlessly, contributed to her expert teaching ability and brought out the very best in all of her students. 

As the classes proceeded, Danna became my mentor and helped guide me back into a life of poetry, something I’d nearly abandoned years before. I had found a mighty maple tree in the form of this vivacious, petite woman whose smile could launch a thousand ships....and, most likely has. 

I would quickly learn to nest comfortably in the crook of her knowledge and rest high above the ground by balancing the ups and downs of my life, the twists and turns of my small world within the poetic lines of the many female poets Danna introduced us to, as well as my own re-emerging sounds of indefinite instead of definite pleasure. The opportunity to delve into Danna’s own works of poetry was another highlight in getting to know her as a person, a poet, and as a friend.

I knew of Danna’s illness going in to meet her. The ability to stay strong and think positively about it was due to her guidance and perseverance. Mighty maple trees have a tendency to do this. She was able to dance to the melodic notes of positivity and instructed her seedlings to do the same. After periods during which maple trees experience stress, such as a harsh winter, they can grow a greater number of seed pods.....and, we seedlings, helicopters, whirlers, whirligigs, and samaras danced to her music and twirled down from the mother plant to land firmly and solidly into the ground.

SAMARA: KEY FRUIT OF THE MAPLE TREE

Our fall class was to be completed at the end of October, into the early part of November at the latest. Our mighty maple tree pushed herself to accommodate us even as her poor body was working against her. She managed to spread out our classes enough to fulfill her lesson plan and listen to all of our works in progress or completed. Danna enjoyed life, her work, the pleasure of passing her knowledge and love on to family, friends, and students, to shade and protect us by wrapping us in her strong, slender branches and watch us thrive.

After learning of her evening passing nearly two Saturdays ago, I experienced an interesting vision. Running up from the basement after the horrific storm as a child, and pounding my white sneakers through the brush and debris left behind by the powerful winds, I rushed to the front of our house to find that my two graceful maple trees were still standing guard over us. Many of their striking leaves thickly blanketed the wet grass below but our little, white bungalow was intact with the exception of a shingle or two, along with one broken limb that pushed itself into the soft ground of our front yard. The underbelly of my maples proved vulnerable. A part of one of them lay at my feet and I began to run away as quickly as my small feet would allow. That's when I realized I was crying.

Many people have influenced my life, for better or worse, since that fateful tornado. And, hopefully, children do grow-up learning how to weather the storm, even out the playing field, and cope with the inevitable. Danna brings these lessons home simply by living the best life she possibly could live, fighting the good fight, imparting her wisdom on to others, loving her son beyond anything else, while demonstrating that the example of her own vulnerability is her legacy of strength and gracefulness.

The silver maple is a graceful, fast-growing type of maple tree that does best planted in moist locations away from buildings because they do tend to drop their branches. Recently, another branch has fallen from the mighty maple tree. The spirit and strength of this graceful tree will live on indefinitely through beautiful souls like our dear friend and mentor, Danna Ephland. You are my teacher.....and, I will always remain your humble student. 

You are so missed.

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

ANTICIPATION

A series of essays....

ANTICIPATING WHAT AWAITS US AROUND THE CORNER

....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Anticipation is the hope that spreads throughout the body and sends silent tremors from the brain down the arms and legs to the fingertips and lowly toes until the power that surges through us reaches its pinnacle and climaxes into a brilliant crescendo of sound, colors, and textures. Like a frosty morning waiting for the warmth of sunrise, we humans shiver in dawn's chilling embrace while crouching in a fetal position, naked to the world and exposed to the elements. We are left completely vulnerable, unprotected, and waiting...waiting for the morning sun to penetrate our mortal souls. With the light, our hope becomes real. With the bird's song, our heart sings. With the morning breeze kissing our lips, we clothe our nakedness in expectations, great and ordinary, looking forward to what this bright, new day has to offer.

Being human, we can take another path and make our way through the discordant notes of imagined or real foreboding, presentment, until the feeling of discontent looms above our heads like a menacing, black, cartoon cloud capable of precluding brighter prospects. Some days are better than others. Other days, we are confronted by certain scenarios that might be so negatively charged they allow our inner demons to take control of our mental functionality until we no longer have a voice and our options have diminished. Despondency. The dull ache that rips open the soul but is fully anticipated without the least comprehension of reason or purpose. Can the prospect of personal dysfunction lull the mind into a state of adverse comfort with its cold, inimical voice singing acidic words deep within melodies composed of beating drums leading funeral marches to the gravesite? Some of us sit by on the sidelines oblivious to their pain and suffering, lacking the knowledge or reasoning behind such personal conflict and fail to assist or understand them. In hindsight, we will chalk it up to our own shame, denial, stupidity.....!

Remember the written words of Mr. Alexander Pope in his Essay on Man, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast," and extract from these words what you will, what brings for you "the soul's calm sunshine" and the idea that each one of us can achieve true  happiness while on this earth. Oh, to remain open-minded and receptive of this concept every day of our lives would truly be a goal worth reaching and as priceless as the newborn infant entering naked into a world filled with unknowns, but with a clean palette of hope and possibilities! May this child grow strong and healthy, hear and feel the gut-wrenching 'Boom' of each exploding firework while witnessing the majestic spray of glittering and colorful glory high above as new ideas sparkle and swirl gently down around her. Humans are adaptable. The blinding rain that covers us in fear and self-doubt one day, will turn into rays of sunshine tomorrow.

Carly Simon's second album entitled, Anticipation, and released in November of 1971, is an explosive reminder that innocence of mind, purity of heart, and the promise of new love can become a 'tour de force,' a breath of fresh air to those who might have forgotten that passion and love are the true overlords of mankind, not necessarily reason or logic.



Note: This essay was originally published in August of 2014.


Copyright   2019 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved