UMMC

I don’t like hospitals; in fact I detest them with every fiber of my being.   However, I do feel the need to write about this one in particular, this is the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.   I was born here and so were my mother, and many other members of my family.   I have seen too much of this place recently and I feel the need to write about it in hopes that it will appease the powers that be so that the universe rights itself and no one in my life has to enter  through it’s doors for a reason other than employment.   

 So let the appeasement begin.  

UMMC is one of the best hospitals in the state of Mississippi, and it is probably the only hospital that I trust.   While it isn’t perfect as most hospitals aren’t, but it is a bit different than most others in the area in that it is a teaching hospital.  This means that it is not run solely for profit, so it is one of the few hospitals that will work with you and offer reasonably attainable financial aid if you can not afford normal care.   (You see the fact that the American Healthcare system is a for-profit industry is something I find morbid and frightening… but that is a rant I’m not going to get into.) This hospital is the only level-1 trauma center in the state of Mississippi and has been the hospital of choice in my family for generations.  

I have seen a lot of this hospital recently, as my mother has been in and out of it since March.   It has been a long ordeal and we still have a long way to go, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  

Alligator mississippiensis

These creatures haunt our swimming holes and our dreams they are frightening, fascinating, and interesting.  The American Alligator is one of the biggest predators in the area, and they are common in my neck of the woods, thank goodness this one was behind the glass at the Mississippi Natural Science Museum.  

Weeping Dixie

Clouds are harbingers of rain and storms and much to often recently in the area I call my home, the southern USA otherwise known as “Dixie,” clouds have been the bringer of Death.   Cities like Joplin, MO all the Way to Alabama and many places in between.   Even Jackson, MS has been hit by a Tornado this year.  It is a very horrific situation that such beautiful clouds can cause so much pain and destruction to so many.   My thoughts are with those who have lost homes and loved ones in the Tornados and the current Flooding that is still devastating so many.   

If you would like to help, please donate to your local RedCross or in the US text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10.

This beautiful sky was photographed yesterday at Jackson-Evers International Airport (JAN.)

Gothic Tone

The Lamar building in downtown is one of the more interesting buildings in downtown Jackson.   The gargoyles are what make it unique, and add a gothic feel that most buildings in Jackson lack.  

For more monochrome fun, click here....

Good Life: A Photographic Glimpse at 2010

This is a view of my world from my eyes through just a few of my favourite photos from 2010.

Mississippi

Many states and countries can tout of beauty fair,
with their large cities where people hurry past,
or snowcapped mountains rising far on high.

Most people who visit are unaware,
and many consider us last,
they can not see the greatness in front of their eyes.

From the Gulf of Mexico to the fertile delta land,
To tall homes of Natchez and the somber battlefields of Vicksburg,
the swamps and rivers sing as the hills in the north bloom.

Our people greet you with an open hand,
warm friendship under the song of the mockingbird,
sharing sweet tea near the fresh picked magnolia in our living room.

I look around under the warm sun,
At the beauty that can be found.
I know that no justice can be done,
For this sacred fertile ground.

The one named for a river wide and strong,
Mississippi where I belong.


Photo: The Mississippi State Capital, in Jackson.

Skippy

The blue sky frames the Lamar Life Building in downtown Jackson, MS during Skippy’s visit in October. Skippy is a stuffed Kangaroo that hails from Perth Australia, he has visited many countries and spent some time with me last fall. He was a lot of fun, and we had some adventures and took many wonderful photos. He and his cousin Allie are always looking for places to go, adventures to have, and people to meet…

Regions Building

Jackson is the capitol and largest city in the state of Mississippi, by many standards it is a rather small city. This is the largest building in Jackson, the Regions building (nee AmSouth/Deposit Guaranty/First National building.) It was built in the 1970s and rises above the landscape, just a little higher than the other buildings, however it is rather unique enough to be recognizable as a symbol of Jackson.

Random Pretty

I love finding beauty in even the most common places, and if you look… it really is not that hard. This is the reverse side of the neon take out sign at Jason’s Deli in Jackson, MS. It is one of my favourite places to eat, as it offers the best salad bar in Jackson. I absolutely love it, as I love this random shot of pop-artish beauty.

For More Signs Please Visit, "Signs Signs." 

Looking to the Sky

One of the greatest thrills is air travel. No matter how many times you do it, when you look out that window and see the Earth below you, the beauty is astonishing. All types of air machines fascinate me; no matter if it is a plane or a helicopter and everything in between, to be up in the air with the birds is something I love to do. Granted in this photo the plane is definitely on the ground, but the sky is calling.

We Are One

My state and country has a sad history of ignorance and racism. I am not proud of this portion of history, it is a sad fact that many of us still deal with in many ways. I have seen the racism of my own race, and I have experienced racism of other races. I will never understand the hatred that people can have for each other, and how one can think of other humans as inferior… this kind of thought escapes me. I once read that scientists believe that every human on the planet is at least 50th cousins to each other human on the planet. I like this, it means that if we all want to be or not, we are one family… we need to start acting like it. We need to learn to put differences aside, and past history into the past, and we need to move forward together.

Medgar Evers understood the complete stupidity of racism. Men like Medgar Evers stood against the United States and the specific states that supported legal racism. He lost his life, but he did not die in vain, he achieved true acceptance for his people… and an honoured place among the great men in History.

However his fight lives on; just as the fight of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Emmett Till, and Martin Luther King, Jr, will never die as long as racism and hate lives on in the world.

"When you hate, the only one that
suffers is you because most of
the people you hate don't know
it and the rest don't care."

~Medgar Evers

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

(The photos are from the Medgar Evers Pavilion at the Jackson-Evers International Airport.)

Reflections

Jackson does not have a large downtown area; it lacks the huge buildings that many other cities have. It does have a few semi-tall buildings though, and the tallest is the Regions Building. This view is that of the downtown Marriot hotel reflecting into the side of the Regions Building, it was one of those moments that I realized was just too perfect to miss out on. When I see it, it reminds me that no matter how you think of something, (Jackson is usually looked down on for being run-down and crime infested.) There is beauty, and I know that with the many restorations downtown, others will see the beauty that exists in our Capitol. And maybe, they can see themselves in a new light as well, if we can change the perception of Jackson, then we can change the perception of ourselves.

Burrrrr

Snow does not happen in Mississippi all too often, so in early December when we were graced with the powdery sky dust… we were all a bit shocked, and assumed that would be our winter, from there it would be as mild as usual.

We were wrong. Temperatures the next few days are colder than they have been in over a decade. (Today a high of 29F -2C with a low of 18F -8C.) These frigid temperatures are not known to most Mississippians, and we have to deal with things we hardly ever have to deal with, like ice, and wind chill. I do hope that all my fellow Mississippians are safe and take proper precautions, as well as the rest of my fellow Americans on our frigid North American Continent in the massive cold that is sweeping from Canada to Florida, I also hope that everyone in other places stay safe as well. Best of Luck and Stay warm!

Rebirth of a Hometown

Jackson, Mississippi is my home. I was born within the city limits, and I have lived within 10 miles of its city limits for most of my life. It is the largest city in Mississippi and is by far the most problem plagued of all Mississippi cities. I can honestly say that Jackson is slowly fixing some of its many issues; it is becoming something I think we can all be proud of. It starts with the downtown, and the once dormant and dead King Edward Hotel, and it will radiate out.

When I was walking downtown two days ago, and I visited the King Edward; it was starting. Many of the abandoned buildings surrounding the King Edward were undergoing construction, they are being rebuilt. I’m not sure what it will lead to; I sincerely hope it will lead to a downtown similar to what was there in the 60’s, a thriving shopping center full of restaurants and stores. We can hope that from a new downtown, that it will radiate out and Jackson will once again be a place that we can be proud to call our capitol city.

Long Live The King Edward!!!

The King Edward Hotel in downtown Jackson, MS was once the grandest hotel in the area… until its doors closed in the 1960’s. The building sat in a state of decay in Jackson for forty years; it was the symbol of what Jackson had become. In recent years there was a call for either demolition or renovation, and I was all for renovation. It was a historical building that was a symbol of Jackson’s lost potential.

Yesterday I had the distinct honor of walking into the now-opened lobby of the king Edward Hotel. I was amazed at the beauty they had managed to coax out of the once decayed structure… I was very impressed... Now I can’t wait to stay in it… or afford one of the penthouse apartments!!!

For more information on my past discussions of the King Edward Visit:

19-Mar-2008: https://enduringhorizon.blogspot.com/2008/03/hotel-king-edward.html

My Mississippi

This video is patriotic to say the least. I have spent the last year discovering many things about myself, and I have done so by finding out how beautiful my state really is. Mississippi is not known for being the most beautiful, but people forget what is really there. I personally am very guilty of wanting to escape Mississippi, but I now have a unique admiration for this place, and I truly am glad to be from such a wonderful place.

The images in this video were all taken in 2009 and happen to all be in chronological order, the wonderful Enya “Wild Child.” This Video was inspired by My Dear Friend String ( http://creativealchemy.blogspot.com/2010/01/solstice-to-solstice.html ), and her “Solstice to Solstice” video.

Home

Through our lives we will call many places “home,” but consistently we forget what home is. I’ve found myself looking for home recently, and I have yet to find what makes me feel at home. There are many places that I once felt was home, but they are all in the past… presently I am lost… not sure where to turn…

About the Image: Although I have lost the feeling of “home” my home state is Mississippi, it is a beautiful place in many ways… this Cyprus swamp is on the walking trail to Mays Lake at Lefleur’s Bluff State Park in Jackson, Mississippi.

Little Britain USA

Britain… Britain… Britain… That’s how it starts my favorite comedy series, Little Britain, with its American counter part Little Britain USA, the funniest thing was that that Little Britain USA’s very first skit took place in Mississippi. Well I had to share this view of the Lamar Life Building featured in the very funny second Lou and Andy Little Britain USA Skit!!!!! It is really odd when your favorite foreign television show comes to your back yard!

Dead End

Life is full of roads that you must travel; unfortunately most of these roads are dead ends. You must not allow yourself to become jaded and start to believe that life is nothing but dead ends… if you come to a dead end you must retrace your steps and try another path; you never know what you may find, you may find your dreams.

This is a view of the Old Mississippi State Capital looking up from Capital Street in Jackson, Mississippi.

The Top

The top is where everything looks different, it all comes into perspective. Suddenly everything that is such a big deal is so small and insignificant. The top takes many forms; it can be the peak of success or just the peak… I have reached a peak and I hope to ride this out for a while. Like sitting atop a Ferris wheel, looking out at the events below.