A series of essays....

THERE IS PLEASURE THAT COMES FROM TAKING
SOMETHING APART TO SEE EXACTLY HOW IT TICKS!

                      Courtesy of: TODDMCLELLAN.COM



....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

DECONSTRUCTION

is a term used frequently and in many different facets of life in order to break something down or dismantle it into all of its original components in such a way as to be able to examine it thoroughly or expose its underlying make up, bit by bit. Our world continues to move swiftly and often we are connected to, or more familiar with, the end product rather than the means by which it was produced in the first place. With a consumer’s unquestioned acceptance of what is, we throw away the possibility of what was and how we might improve upon or repair it. The more curious among us embrace the deconstruction process as a challenge worth pursuing with positive reasons and ultimate benefits guiding the way.

However, deconstruction in itself is not a new concept and can be applied to many ideas such as human nature, historical fact finding, and even the foods we consume on a daily basis. The research applied to this act of dismantling can charge the senses and rejuvenate the weary soul just as much as creating something from an original conception and building upon it until it is perceived to be a complete and functioning entity. The process of deconstruction is challenging in the respect that the act of ‘trial and error’ has been diminished; the essential properties of a given subject must be accurately examined and scientifically researched until each component is identified, quantified, and labeled. 

With the explosion of cheap plastic products after World War II, life was more convenient and affordable, and who would have thought to exist without their Tupperware, the puffed-up  polymer DuPont later trademarked as Styrofoam, Formica counter, Saran Wrap, vinyl siding, squeeze bottles, Barbie dolls, Wiffle balls, the colorful world of artificial flowers, and countless more items. Plastics promised a material paradise available to all income brackets. Our naivete, marked by consumer bliss following ‘war deprivation’ and sacrifice, exposed a lack of wisdom, good judgment, and concealed  the long-term consequences of these products. It would be a fool’s goal to deconstruct the polymers and acetates associated with the materials we used to rearrange nature in such imaginative and mass produced ways. What we must do is deconstruct the harm that was done to our environment after so many years of usage and eliminate the disposable world that is choking the breath from every living organism.

Who didn’t want to know the ingredients of McDonald’s ‘special sauce’ since fast food entered the marketplace around the same time as worldwide plastic consumption? The advertising market told us that we did. Life moved fast and furious following WWII. Today, we enjoy the art of deconstructing a fabulous recipe consumed during a fine dining experience and attempt to reproduce it within the luxury of our own home in homage to the chef. Culinary students are trained to taste certain food combinations and then deconstruct them by naming each ingredient within its composition. Deconstructing our food allows us the opportunity to rearrange ingredients to serve our lifestyle with a positive approach in order to make healthier choices along the way.

 The counselor, especially a licensed professional, who treats people with emotional and behavioral problems, may advise and encourage their patients to deconstruct their life in order to allow them to recall and better understand all of the major reasons that led them to the problematic world they exist in currently with the hope of making subtle changes toward improvement. The key to unlocking the past is rediscovering it...little by little.

Many of us attempt to comprehend the general dynamics of this current political administration that influences life and death situations, economic patterns, and interactions with other countries including their people, customs, and laws. Step by step we must see the presidency through the eyes of the man himself, which may be difficult for many of us to do. If we peel back the layers, deconstruct his life back to the circumstances that preceded his official capacity as president, we find a person easily manipulated by virtue of wanting to fit in, desiring to be a part of the whole and never quite achieving this goal for himself. We see a pathetic man from the past who has never had a single clue as to how to govern his own life let alone the people of the United States; always driven by his agenda of hate for Barack Obama, our first black president.  

Agreeing that deconstruction is a way of understanding how something was created in the first place, it is interesting to note that, thanks to the Internet, our topics may be easier to deconstruct than they used to be. Our entire world unfolds before us as we type away on a keyboard waiting for the options to appear on a screen to be analyzed and interpreted. Having such vast knowledge at our fingertips allows us to peel back the layers of time, fill in the missing spaces in history, and better understand or deny the ideas behind the stories we have come to believe as truths. 

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

WHAT SANTA REALLY THINKS ABOUT AT THE NEW YEAR!

A series of essays....

SANTA AND MRS. CLAUS WELCOMING IN 2020

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

The remaining cookie crumbs are being cleaned from the counter that the lovingly chipped, Santa cookie jar has graced for the past several weeks. Small hands that decapitated him each time they desired to reach into his tummy for a sweet treat have left him alone for a little while to play with their new Apple products, board games, and participate in the wonderful adventures that enfold within the  pages of books delightfully opened on Christmas morning! 

The crystal snowflakes arrived about a week late but  continue to cover the ground with a fluffy coating of frozen wonderment that I, personally, could live without. Not because of any Scrooge-like tendencies but, it’s something that I thought I would miss twenty-three years ago but learned to ignore and forget about with the exception of our frequent visits up to Michigan from Florida to be with our adult children and young grandchildren in wintertime. Snow can be so overrated, don’t you think?

Our houseguest of several days, Dan’s youngest brother, Chris, made it back home to Georgia safe and sound, if not a bit late after, finally, leaving Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Snowstorm related, don’t you know...! His micro-visits with family and friends in the Kalamazoo area proved highly successful and we learn, once again, how important personal contact is over exclusive social media usage. 

Chris plucked his smartphone (camera) from his back pocket the other day as four adult, female deer meandered into our backyard at dusk and calmly stood looking at the penned-up humans staring out at them while taking their picture from the kitchen window. We must have looked like the proverbial ‘deer in the headlights’ to them! Not desiring the frosty Rhododendron leaves as much as they thought they would, they moved slowly along and followed one another into our neighbor’s yard and deep into the dark, shadowy spaces beyond. 

We kept up with the daily news throughout the holidays, of course, and were slightly relieved by not having the time to glue ourselves to the various television broadcasts as we normally do in less busy times. It was totally insane knowing that the ‘evil person of corruption’ with ties to unsavory leaders such as Putin, President of Russia, Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey, was playing a round or two of golf when a rocket attack killed an American contractor in Iraq, American airstrikes hit an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, and Iraqis’ anger turned back on the United States, culminating with a break-in at its embassy compound in Baghdad on New Year’s Eve day. Could Trump be more smug and arrogant as his display of personal gratification implies? As Rachel Maddow often proclaims, “Stick a pin in it.”

                                             

                                                              Contemplative Monk

Things break....we all know this. However, I am learning that the same things can be repaired. We began watching a very calming show on Netflix called The Repair Shop where the mission is to change our attitude of living in a disposable world. A handful of artisans work to repair or repurpose broken items people bring into the shop to be fixed and  rejuvenated. With painstaking precision and attention to detail, heirloom clocks, toys, porcelain pieces, paintings, and wooden furniture are given a new lease on life. How wonderful it would be to combine this way of thinking to broken hearts, lost souls, negative attitudes, and lack of self-confidence; where love is the basis for all things worthwhile saving and can spread out in a multitude of directions touching lives and making them as close to whole as possible. 

With a few luxurious moments to sit and reflect on life after all of the hoopla of Christmas Eve, Santa makes time to brush away cookie crumbs, speculate on the relevance of snow accumulation, wonder about the doldrums associated with air travel by plane instead of sleigh, and enjoy the absolute happiness of being in the company of wildlife within our own, small, fragile existence. Santa knows a lot about this subject. 

Most importantly, Santa knows that when something becomes broken, misused, or aged and withered away by time, there is hope to be found in the changing of the guard, the onset of time renewed and rejuvenated. The brand new year that hovers right around the corner from Christmas can set the tone for the next fifty-one weeks ahead; sharpen the senses and turn a disposable world into one that is savored and cared for like a family heirloom. The sprinkling of time mixed with a dash of common sense, hope, and love has, already, raised doubts about and impeached the character of Donald J. Trump. 

Relish our renewed faith in the power of good, remain strong, and always, with hope channeling our every move, correct what is evil and make life better for us all. Let us proceed with patience and a vision this New Year, remembering to cooperate with others to make it happen. Stick a pin in it....!

WELCOME IN THE BEAUTY OF 2020

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

AMERICA'S ELEGY?, PART II

A series of essays (and poems)....

THIS LONG AND DEMANDING DAY,
DECEMBER 18, 2019,
REMINDS ME OF THE SKY PLANT:
A DELIGHT OF COLOR, A BIT ROUGH, BUT RICH WITH HISTORY!

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

For: The Administration of Donald John Trump and this historic vote of impeachment. 

THE SCREAM

This is where the underlying sound builds into

a familiar cadence, grows slowly, gently pulsing,

and millions sway in union, in dignity and truth,

to celebrate a death, a new life, or both along their path.

This is where we hear the subtle sound vibrating in our ears

as the sunset bursts with shades of orange and red

and the air has turned to blood pulsing, pulsing,

indicative of a roiling wave of light that changes colors.

This is where the haunting beat picks up the pace

and the people begin to march to a different drummer.

This is where the skies return to a distinct shade of blue,

hearts shift their heavy loads and become softer, lighter.

This is where the people decide to honor life once again,

bring in hope and sunlight instead of fear and hate

and say ‘rest in peace’ to a situation meant to harm us—

living the way our forefathers called on us to understand life.

Jacqueline E Hughes —— November of 2018

Author's Note: Because of the overwhelming voter's response during the election of 2018, this scream can still be heard across the nation and this poem remains as relevant today as it was back then! 

I am sitting in my favorite corner of the leather couch listening to and watching Donald J. Trump who is speaking live just down the road, I-94 to be exact, in Battle Creek. He's just as cocky and nasty as always. In a split screen, Article 1 of Impeachment of Donald John Trump is being voted on by electronic device. The fireplace dances with its golden flames lighting up the living room with warmth and joy as I witness one of the worst days of Donald J. Trump’s life; or, at least it should be. What an interesting juxtaposition of the visual images, emotions, flavors, and snippets of things yet to come....

RESULTS OF IMPEACHMENT VOTING:
ARTICLE 1, ABUSE OF POWER, HAS PASSED
ARTICLE 2, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS, HAS PASSED

“Is it ‘Happy Impeachment’ or ‘Merry Impeachment?’ I don’t want to offend anyone.” —— Author Unknown

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

YOU DO THE MATH

A series of essays....

MASSIVE NUMBERS : DEALING WITH LIFE ON A GRAND SCALE

  

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

I’m not a numbers kind of person by any means and I would never proclaim to prefer any math related class over, let’s say, an English Literature or French Language class. However, I realize how important math is in my daily life whether I’m sewing precisely sized, handmade draperies for a formal living room or spacing Christmas stockings the exact distance apart under the fireplace mantel. Math lives with us all on a daily basis whether we want to believe it or not.

Scrolling through social media this week, I’ve come across several articles related to what I would call ‘massive numbers’ and how they do and will affect all of our lives within a positive and negative degree. 

Allow me to begin on a positive note. 

In an article written by Zee Krstic for Martha Stewart~Life and published on September 5, 2019, Ireland will plant 22 million trees every year in order to combat climate change. Government officials have announced a plan to grow 440 million trees on this already beautiful and magical island nation simply because research has proven that it isn’t lush enough to offset its own carbon emissions and someone is willing to do something about it before it’s too late.

The tree seedlings to be planted will be around seventy percent conifers and thirty percent broad-leaf trees, depending on the location, and will create nearly twenty thousand acres of new forestry across the island nation, annually. And, Ireland isn’t the only place that is relying on trees to supercharge ecological efforts. Scotland has already planted more than 22 million trees in 2018 and Ethiopia planted, according to CNN, nearly 350 million trees in just a single day!!

Published this past July in the journal entitled Science, researchers found that planting more than 500 billion trees (massive numbers, my friends!) across the world could offset much of the carbon in our atmosphere. It’s just one highly attractive approach to addressing global warming and air pollution that many scientists and environmentalists totally agree upon. As simple as it may seem, planting young saplings could be the most effective solution to our massive climate problems. 

And, the irony is that the precious trees of the lush Amazon jungle or moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome continue to suffer greatly from deforestation daily. Threatened by this practice which has been introduced by the greed of large companies and world leaders for profit, is the world’s richest and most varied biological reservoir containing several million species of insects, birds, wildlife, plants, and other forms of life...many still unrecorded by science. The splendid vegetation includes a wide variety of trees such as laurel, palm, rosewood, Brazil nut, and rubber trees. But, most importantly, the Amazon Rainforest is home to some of the world’s last remaining indigenous groups who have lived and thrived there for multiple generations.

Is this the trade-off between mankind’s health and well-being and the money-laden pockets of a few? Why do we still believe that selling our souls for the almighty dollar is more acceptable than preserving all of God’s magnificent creations on behalf of a natural order and to the benefit of all living things? Sadly, the luxurious expanse of the Amazon Rainforest has been suffering from this human induced blight for many years now with the depletion of its intricate purpose looming on the horizon. 

Let’s talk a little bit about the relationship between timing and our government in Washington D.C. in terms of understanding ‘massive numbers.’ As of today, the national deficit has reached the astounding figure of (drumroll please) $1.1 trillion! The 2019 deficit, according to USA Today, is more than double what it was in 2015 and up from $160 billion in 2007, before the Great Recession, bearing in mind that the term ‘national deficit’ refers to the Federal Government’s budget balance from year to year, not the cumulative amount of debt. A deficit year only increases the debt we already have.

Earlier I mentioned the word ‘timing’ to which I will add ‘agenda,’ as well. Running on a platform of debt reduction, the Republican Party assured us that their plan was to cut the nearly $20 trillion government debt by cutting or eliminating programs that they deemed unnecessary such as food stamps, the Affordable Care Act (health insurance), Medicare and Medicaid, Clean Air and Water Acts, Climate Change research, and, eventually, Social Security, and so on. But, that wasn’t enough. As of January 2019, the Treasury Department has asked for, the second year in a row, an additional $1 trillion to support the 2017 tax cuts package proposed by a Trump administration and passed by a Republican Congress and will balloon the deficit by another $2 trillion since he took office in January of 2017. 

The U.S. government's public debt is now more than $22 trillion....the highest it has ever been, even with programs designed and paid for in order to build-up and strengthen our people and the economy now being torn out of the system instead of nurtured and improved upon. Think of how $2 trillion put into place to modernize our infrastructure would be to our advantage as a nation rather than lining the pockets of the rich. 

Did I forget to mention millions of tax payer’s dollars spent on weekly golf excursions, ramped up Secret Service debt, private jets misused by appointed Cabinet Secretaries?....and, this list can go on and on.

As the rich continue to get richer, the poor are suffering. A Trumpian Sh*t Show seems to have convinced some of the poor and suffering that he is their savior and the Kool-Aid is sipped among them like holy water blessed by the egomaniacal god they choose to worship. The irony, deceit, and stupidity here is unbearable. 

‘Massive numbers’ is a game mankind plays with on a daily basis; sometimes with optimum results, but often leaving us mind blown and vulnerable. In terms of quantity, thousands of ‘anything’ can be a staggering amount to me! In terms of millions, billions, and trillions, this begins to encompass the stars in the night sky or the individual snowflakes sifting down from above and landing softly on the landscape; infinite and incalculable.

“You do the math,” is a familiar saying these days, with its background including the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically. Many thanks to the Free Dictionary for their definition of mathematics. 

Perhaps it is because I admit to a more romantic mindset that trillions of dollars in debt frightens me and 500 billion new trees planted does not. It’s not so much the quantity of money that surprises, but rather the true reasons behind creating and handling such large sums in the first place. We must all decide if these actions are for the betterment of everyone involved or just a few tactless and blatantly greedy people who feel they alone should control the world via enormous bank accounts and self-proclaimed dominance.

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

FAMILIARITY

 A series of essays....

COMING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS OFFERS THE
EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY OF FAMILY AND TRADITIONS 

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Familiarity is a spot where knowing someone, being friendly and sociable with them, means that everything is, actually, better than it was in the beginning of the relationship. Seeing these relationships as being multifaceted prepares us as we explore each aspect of someone’s life and personality and begin to blend a new acquaintance into a more familiar one. As relaxed friendliness blossoms between people, they become more comfortable with one another; a sense of informality and naturalness overcomes the initial feelings of restraint and reserve. Enjoying familiarity with a best friend means that we can say just about anything we want around them and enjoy a relaxed and unstressed relationship.

Upon giving birth, a new mother holds her newborn and examines each strand of hair, freckle, crease of their soft, precious skin, birthmarks, minute finger and toenails, all with the desire of becoming as familiar as possible with her beloved child. Reaching this sense of intimacy allows her to immediately bond with this beautiful and miraculous being she has already nurtured and loved for months. This is the beginning of a long, hopefully sweet, and often highly emotional relationship, based on familiarity and love, that continues to grow stronger with each passing day.

Going back after a period of time to your parents’ home is familiarity based on the recognizability of a long, close association; the quality of customariness and being well known. We, once again, enter the ordinariness of relaxed friendliness and intimacy between people. Our busy lives beg to be complimented by the ease of a close family relationship where familiar customs can determine the general flow of our comfort levels. Going home, especially during the holidays, allows us to scrap all of the rigid controls we’ve placed on ourselves and relax to the tune of family singing in the kitchen and siblings arguing over television programming rights! Norman Rockwell may have memorialized the family homecoming in picture form, but it’s up to all of us to keep family traditions and the joy of being together alive and well. This includes all nontraditional or unconventional family scenarios, as well.

A sense of familiarity hits us while becoming acclimated to certain landscapes, cities, roads, and areas after a period of time. Normally, humans adjust and adapt to their surroundings quickly and the sense of familiarity can be marked by various landmarks recognized along our journey as we navigate down a 'path' a second or third time. Initially, visiting Paris may be daunting, but after several trips there, one acquires a sense of familiarity as they feel more comfortable within the lights, landscape, action, and pulse of this beautiful city.    

Familiarity is the state of knowing something very well. An actor has a familiarity with the stage or set. A painter has a familiarity with brushes and canvas. When there's familiarity with a certain job, we are not stressed because we've done it before. 

Hugging someone displays familiarity and refers to a more casual way of acting towards one another with a certain intimacy that denotes a close friendship. We should strive each day to achieve this sense of naturalness and simplicity within our lives with absence of ceremony and a firm direction towards peace and understanding one another. Familiarity, our informal act of expression, is a liberty we should cherish and preserve forever.  

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

THANKFULNESS

A series of essays....

EXTREMELY THANKFUL FOR THE BEAUTY OF NATURE;
MOST GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO CHOOSES TO KEEP IT THIS WAY!

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

THANKFULNESS

and gratitude are the two words that we often use to express the benefits we receive in life. Most people do not fully understand the difference between the two, yet each finds its way into our day-to-day life, one way or another; opening the door to joy and happiness as we go about our daily business. We are thankful for the kind gestures bestowed upon us as when someone treats us kindly and with a smile on their face, allows us to go ahead in a long line, or passes the butter to you at dinner after asking them politely to do so. Thankfulness usually happens as a reaction from someone’s action and is, generally, not an occurrence at random moments when the mind is set on ‘idle.’  Offering a polite ‘thank you’ for a simple act of kindness is a gregarious expression of your appreciation and is a social norm applicable in general situations. Thankfulness is often associated with either words or a gesture of appreciation; a ‘tip of an imaginary hat’ act of kindness to be bestowed upon another human being in good faith.

Gratitude is the special manifestation of spirituality, love, and affection. Being grateful is a very intense sense of feeling that happens at a deeper level and comes from within your heart and very depths of your soul. Thankfulness can often be the first step and then we manifest approval and great emotion as we appreciate the people and things that have been of genuine assistance to us in this lifetime. Perhaps it is being grateful for the faithful pair of hiking shoes that have seen you climb a mountain or two, or expressing gratefulness to a spouse who has always been there for you through the ups and downs that life has to offer, or expressing our gratitude towards the sister-in-law who has devoted much of her precious time to her beautiful Mother suffering from dementia for many years. Gratitude is the act of being authentic towards someone by showing love, commitment, and devotion for the meaningful relationship you share. Think of it as if our minds and hearts give birth to the belief that others help us feel good about ourselves, share experiences, and promote the understanding that the universe has conspired to connect us together, then we can feel grateful from within and express our feelings even without the use of words or gestures. It is possible to express how we feel about our own financial blessings and transfer this feeling of gratefulness on by paying for a stranger’s meal. The act of gratefulness can live on in our memory indefinitely, always there to remind us of those we feel grateful toward many years later; suddenly recalling the importance of our loved ones no matter how many years transpire since the last physical reunion.

To be a thankful person is a benefit in life that we should never take for granted. Practicing the art of gratefulness is a step above and beyond thankfulness. Combined, it is the best way to live a fulfilling and enriched lifestyle and the key to happiness is keeping gratitude at the forefront of everything we do. We cannot afford to be thankless or ungrateful for all of the good in our lives, especially now when many lives are feeling the pressure of despair, depression, and hopelessness within a very thankless world. I will always be eternally thankful for the nutritious variety of food that is painstakingly prepared for our Thanksgiving feast either by myself or in conjunction with the people I love. And, I am most grateful for all of those same people who graciously surround me with their kindness and affection, making this particular holiday so special. When we focus on how privileged we are, it makes it easier to want to bless others and express our deep sense of appreciation toward all of the good in the world around us.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE! MAY YOU ALWAYS BE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE...!

Photo taken in September of 2019 at Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve in Arcadia, Michigan.

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

MAKE AMERICA SMART AGAIN

 A series of essays....

....as seen through my eyes!

 

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

To make America smart again, you would have to assume that it was smart at sometime in the past.  

And, it was....before Washington D.C. became 'the swamp' following the November 8, 2016 election, it had been a semblance of a fair and balanced ecosystem that incorporated all people, faiths, and ideologies within its borders. In a heartbeat, it was being drained of its kindness and left vulnerable and open to greed, fear, and foreign influence!

You would be correct in believing that we've always been vulnerable to all of the above. And, I could now list a litany of opportunities by the USA that many of us believe could and should have been resolved years ago such as the constant struggles with women's rights, racism, gun control, and climate change.

What we are fighting hard for today is to retain our democracy, reinstate check and balances to aid in a more stabilized balance of power, and save our Constitution from collapse by insuring that its general principles remain functioning as our Founding Fathers believed they would in order to protect all of us, not just the few who believe that money is more powerful than kindness and love.

When I see people fighting for our rights such as Representative Adam Schiff who has taken great pains to clarify exactly why the impeachment inquiry is taking place, tears come to my eyes. 

Said Schiff, "When the founders provided a mechanism in the Constitution for impeachment, they were worried about what might happen if someone unethical took the highest office in the land and used it for their personal gain and not because of deep care about the big things that should matter." 

Schiff concluded by saying, "The president believes he is above the law, beyond accountability. And, in my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes they are above the law." We are most fortunate to have this gracious man fighting for us and the Constitution of the United States. 

Thank you, Rep. Schiff and the many others who are fighting to retain our democracy and make America smart again. We do appreciate all of you!

Yesterday was a much simpler time. I was young, accepting of authority, and embraced life through a child's eyes. Authoritarianism, Humbleness, Consolation, Maturity, and Loyalty all helped to mould, shape, influence, and build my character as an adult.  

AS A YOUNG CHILD living with my parents and three brothers, I was young, naive, and authority figures surrounded my everyday life. They wore grown-up clothes which included suits and ties, long black 'habits' that covered everything with the exception of their face and hands, and high-necked dresses adorned with silver chains from which a studious-looking pair of eyeglasses dangled from, often resembling an awkward piece of sculpture resting on their bosom. Authoritarianism

THIS DOESN’T INCLUDE the male authority figure who would preside at daily mass and then hide in a small cupboard as he listened to our sins, offered the forgiveness of God, and sent us out of the cupboard to pray for that forgiveness. I recall being on the playground when this holy man would stride by on his way from the Rectory to the school building. Silence would prevail as we silently prayed he could not recognize our voices, connect them with our faces, and remember what we confessed to him during the week! Humbleness

OUR RESPECT FOR policemen went without saying. They were there to protect us from evil. Although, at such a young age, I really didn't know what that evil consisted of. Those were the days when the family doctor came calling at our house to check my throat and declare I had strep throat.....again, and prescribe bed rest and medication. Consolation

GROWING OLDER, my world greatly expanded and my own thoughts, lifestyle, and habits began to mould and shape my individualism and formulate my ideas as an adolescent and young adult. Maturity

FEAR WAS AN obsolete term for me as I approached adulthood. I may have only applied it to the fact that I feared losing my parents one day....the only authority figures who would naturally have power over my life. Loyalty

I am, significantly, older now. I have lived through so much while making many decisions along with minor/major life changes. I have become book-smart, responsible, commonsensical, often goofy and carefree, with one of my greatest attributes being the ability to listen to what others  have to say. Everyone is important and everyone has something they need to tell someone else. But, not everyone has the patience to....listen to them.

Aging and living a full life has taught me how important life's lessons are, whether good, bad, or indifferent.

While I was living out my childhood under the thumb of the authority figures who impacted my everyday life, I, more than likely, was making mental notes about what was going on within my own small world. Did I know or care about who the President of the United States was, what his job or purpose was? Probably not as much as I should have.

I refuse to go backwards into the future!

Basic control over what others may say and do.....is that what this new administration believes will make America great again? 

The definitive progress made by mankind in the last several decades that was guided by mutual respect and understanding for one another and Mother Earth is about as far back in time as I choose to go. Most of us have worked way too hard to have all of our long fought battles reversed by people who want to shake-up our government, take back jobs that have been mechanized and are now non-existent, who fail to understand that lies and deception are the new rules and guidelines set-up by the very person they voted for, and take the benefits of a decent life of education, health care, earned rights of Social Security benefits and Medicare back into the dark ages.

If 'The Dumbing-Up of America' serves the handful of enormously rich and greedy characters that desire to deny Americans their basic freedoms, hope will go by the wayside. The once great United States of America will tumble into a heap of rubble that cannot and will not be respected by the rest of the world. This decline has already become evident to many of us.

Is it too late, fellow Americans, to 'Make America Smart Again?' If it isn't, we had better get our act together NOW and do something to renew our hope and faith in a nation that is quickly melting into the hands of foreign powers, unhealthy greed, and the frigid bonds of dictatorship.

I offer strength to Adam Schiff and his committee who is working so hard to correct the wrongs and reintroduce the right approach to our future and well-being. 

Author’s Note: Based upon my story published on December 15, 2016, entitled THE TASK OF MAKING AMERICA SMART AGAIN; back when the United States openly and officially lost its status of being Smart....

Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved