... a second-person narrative...
You methodically gripped your Moka pot from the stovetop at the onset of the gurgling sound. Holding your favourite blue dotted espresso cup, you strutted barefoot across your back garden to a secluded spot, where you sat quietly facing the 05:00 PM Sun.
Focused and present at the moment, you inhaled the pleasant aroma of your Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, which emitted from the spout of the Moka pot.
With your senses activated, you listened to the rhythms of chirping birds, which sounded like a happy conversation that you wished you understood.
You gently placed your coffee cup on the ground, and carefully filled your cup to avoid soiling your dress - a souvenir you purchased in 2005, at a souk in Marrakesh, where you spent 10 days of holiday in Morocco. You were pleased that you got to wear the dress for the first time, 17 years later.
At the busy souk, you approached a man at one of the clothing stalls seeking a traditional Moroccan dress. The vendor observed you, and he presented you with a navy blue dress with gold trimmings. Perusing the dress, you enquired from the vendor if he by chance had another of the same dress with neater stitching. The vendor replied: "It's not Cartier or Gucci! It's made by hand. Don't expect perfection."
You smiled and bowed to show your agreement (and apology), and you asked the vendor to explain just how the traditional dress should be adorned. The vendor proceeded with a yellow headscarf, which he said complemented the dress nicely. The kind vendor demonstrated to you exactly how the traditional dress should be worn; something that was not obvious to an unfamiliar foreigner.
From that day forward, you realised that perfection could be a hindrance which could result in lost opportunities.
You tried to apply that principle to different aspects of your life. Even though, doing things right the first time, with no space for errors, was what your life demanded at that time. You held on to the brilliant idea and slowly tried to let go of striving for perfection.
Sipping your coffee which was known to be of a smooth texture, you smiled as it touched your lips. It must have been a clean, light but rich, sweet flavour; you appeared delighted. Your body eased further into relaxation, as you reflected on how tense you were in the past... Not by nature, but by your societal influences.
While living in the Netherlands in 2007, on a lovely spring day you cycled through the town on the prominent street in Leiden called the Breestraat. Aimlessly, you were people-watching and eye-shopping, when a strange sudden feeling came over you, and you froze.
Not recognising yourself, you pulled over and disembarked your bike. A sad reality hit you that it was the first time in your life that you had let your guard down. You were relaxed; Without fear or looking over your shoulders. That was a new beautiful experience that made you aware that you were living in survival mode and had become somewhat hardened.
You became self-aware and took moments to self-reflect on your emotions, your actions, and your feelings. You were determined to take better care and become responsible and not let your environment change you no matter what fears or circumstances you should face.
You discovered the need to disconnect from the negatives around you and you pledged to yourself to find a balance in protecting and standing up for yourself but never letting society harden you.
You'd set your camera on a timer while stretching and enjoying coffee, and through your peripheral vision, you saw that neighbours were watching from a distance. You laughed at yourself and nearly spilt your cup, but you continued to do your own thing in your world.
You were always in your little world, doing what made you happy.
You had an identity.
You were yourself!
Like the time on the seafront in Moalboal, Philippines in the year 2019. You went for a stroll at sunset...
You have always found sunsets magical.
You were homesick.
You looked out at the sea longing to be in Jamaica.
You were filled with mixed emotions.
You felt small. Like a tiny dot in a vast universe.
Thoughts of your childhood made you blissful.
You longed for your backyard.
You missed your mum and dad.
You felt terrible knowing that your parents were yearning to see you.
You forced yourself to be optimistic.
You hoped for the best.
You were just around the corner from the gate to your home, when a fishing vessel came to shore.
It was a red sunset evening, and you had your hair in a big afro. Bewildered, by what must have been a strange silhouette, the fishermen squinted their eyes in an attempt to see clearly.
Jamaica they exclaimed.
Your heart smiled.
You waved at the fishermen.
2022; You have finally made it back to your happy place. You sat behind the fence close to the river where as a child you sat on the banks alone; vulnerable, but safe.
You are so happy that you could kiss the soil.
You are full of energy, focus, and determination, as you always are after enjoying your coffee.
Wherever life takes you, you will always have a deep connection with your backyard. No matter how many times you fall, you'll always stand tall.
Whenever you're home, you'll continue to fuel your energy, inner strength, and gentle fierceness, by drinking your favourite Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, the drink of gods and goddesses.
Your true love. 💟
The Coffee Goddess
Oh @millycf1976 friend, my congratulations for that demonstration of writing ability... These lines are eloquent, human and deep... Are also a journey through a wonderful part of you... It's something nice read this... ¡Bravo!...
"You discovered the need to disconnect from the negatives around you and you pledged to yourself to find a balance in protecting and standing up for yourself but never letting society harden you."
Good heavens... I feel reflected in this part!... Thanks for sharing!...
Greetings and blessings!
PS: What a beautiful dress! ;)... You look Like a Jamaican queen!
!PIZZA
I'm humbled by your kind reply and very happy that my story connected with you.
I appreciate that 😍
Funny thing is, when I lived in the Netherlands, everyone always guessed my nationality to be Moroccan, and I also remember what my GM said to me before I headed to Morocco:
"You actually look Moroccan."
Life has some mysterious connections, but I'll take Jamaican Queen any day 💚
You are just too gorgeous, Milly.
And even more so in that dress. Love your story. Love your photos! All of 'em.
Smiling all the way here. Thanks for sharing your beautiful self. 😊
Hey Nicky,
Happy Sunday 🌼
Thank you so much 😊
You do make me feel good 🙏
Take care of your sweet self xxx
😍🤗
!LUV
Thank you, Wes :)
You work as a time machine or something?
What a cool way to represent yourself in different situations in different times, but after all it’s Jamaica that you have ever dreamt for.
Home is always the best place ever!
Yeah, you didn't know? 😉
Thank you for your compliments 🙏
I do love exploring and experiencing different cultures. There's always something that you take away with you.
I think the Philippines is the place that made me miss Jamaica the most though. Maybe it was too similar but only felt like a substitute 🤔
This is one gorgeous post, and a very interesting form of storytelling! You look amazing in that dress and headscarf! Like a priestess!
😊😁 thank you 🙏
🤣
It's quite the journey that you've been on. Its nice that you are back in Jamaica after all of these years. You've come full circle in a way, back to your roots.
It's a nice dress. It's awesome that you kept it after all these years. 👍
Nice writing style. That was a unique read.
✅
Thanks 😊
I should have warned you 😆... I'm happy you enjoyed it:)))
Lol good song for the occasion 🤣
Hehe! I haven't seen that video in a long while... It made me smile 😄
Hi there, @millycf1976. 😃 This is a nice way to enjoy some cups of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
Can I just say I love your dress? It matches your yellow scarf! 😃 That's one important life lesson from a Morrocan dress vendor that has positively impacted your life. Sometimes, it's not about perfection but enjoying the little imperfections. 😊🤗
Hello @ladytitan
Thank you 😊
Yes, the vendor gave me a reality check, which I needed 😅
I used it for the better 🙏
That's so very true:)))
I loved this, Millie ❣️ And you know, in most aspects of my own life, perfection is not something I need to have... but where I find it hard to deal with... is in my own writing. Now, I love reading other peoples' blogs, short stories,what have you... and I am not highly critical. I do not expect or demand perfection. In fact I simply appreciate the pieces that I read. But with myself? It's a different story.I hold myself to a higher standard. And it is not perfection... because I realise that my own writing is far from it... but I do want it to be as good as I can possibly get it... and on platforms like Hive, that is my Achilles' heel... because if I didn't focus so much on tightening as much as possible, on getting the grammar right, the readability improved etc etc ...the list is so long... then I would likely publish most days... but my pieces takes a good few days to research, produce, edit etc etc... (I guess I am a Mom to 2 young boys too... so it also makes me short on time!)
But I do so enjoy the process of producing my written pieces too so I don't mind so much. I have been told by a number of people that I should just hit the publish button sooner... that the extra hour or two or evening spent on a piece does not warrant the extra eyes or rewards.... but for me, it isn't even about that. It's about trying to put out my best work on any given day that I hit the publish button... It's just about me and my writing... and the only time it goes out not exactly how I want it, is if I am publishing at the deadline of a contest lol... cos then...well then I have literally run out of time hehe.
But I love that you have learned the art of living life without perfection. That is a special thing to achieve 🙌😍 And the story of your dress is so cool and awesome... who would have thought that your actions all those years ago would bring you such great joy today. And you look beautiful in it!!!🤗You rock the dress, the yoga poses, and the coffee !LOLZ
Much !LUV
Hello @samsmith1971
Thank you 😊
I get what you speak of totally. I do like to take time to draft and prepare my blogs too. I believe effort goes a long way, and it took me a long while to get over perfection.
An example is: when I was in high school, I could draw or cut the straightest lines without a ruler, and all my artwork was perfectly finished. That was something that marvelled everyone else in my class. Years later I realised that going for perfection with everything else that I did was holding me back.
The reason for that is that my mum teaches art... and when I was doing art in school, it was all about getting things perfect and neat instead of just going with the flow and letting the creativity come out.
I used to also wait until I mastered something before presenting it. Now I'm able to roll with the basics and improve along the way, so I'm constantly learning and applying, and mitigating problems along the way. It works better for my personal growth.
I would say do you with your blogs because whenever I stumble across your work, it's also impressive.
It's amazing when I think of it 🙏
Yes, perfection does indeed have it's price. Sometimes it is worth it, at other times not. And thank you, Milly, I appreciate your kind words... I guess I will keep doing what feels right to me... and if my process evolves organically as my writing improves, then I will take that as a win 😍 !LUV
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They eventually fired him.
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You are too funny 🤣
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Thanks for all the love 🙏💕
Thank you:)))
Thanks, and I'll make note of that #lifehappening tag too:)))
Which beg the question. Now that you are back home, where is your mind taking you, and what are you longing for?
Jamaïcain Blue Mountain should hire you for their ad campaign!
Ah! My mind is like a scrambled jigsaw; Now that I'm back it's like I can finally exhale, and just be "here"...
I know that my mind is searching, but it's not yet at a place where I need to guide it, so I'm just letting it roam. I think the answers will come in time 😊
Yeah, I should send them the ad 😁... Maybe they'd give me free coffee in return 😆
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Jamaican Blue Montain Coffee sounds like it's delicious and if the goddess of coffee says so, it has to be very good😊
Very inspiring as you have written this post. At some point in my youth, about perfection, I got a little frustrated until I learned to embrace life's imperfections and my own, to love them and feel comfortable with them.
The dress is beautiful and it suits you very well. I love the colour. It's good that you kept it all this time, it was worth it:)
Keep enjoying your time in Jamaica 🤗
I wouldn't lie.😁 It is delicious, and I'll miss drinking it. Still, it gives me something to look forward to whenever I'm here.
The dress; I remember the day I met the vendor like it was yesterday... the way he looked at me and dug for that dress from his collection. At the time, I thought, really?...
I think I've "grown" into that dress, and now I wear it with pride 😊🙏
Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely day:)))
😊🌻
!CTP
Well, well, if it isn't the Goddess of Coffee herself. 👑
Looks like the vacation so far is going great, trying new things and actually enjoying life, the writings and pictures here says it all. ☮️
And do bless me with some tips for making better coffee at home, Milly, because my recent few coffee experiences have just been horrid lol.
Haha! What a funny gif 🤣
Yes, my time here is going well, and I'm gonna miss the coffee.
It's been great to reunite with my parents, and I feel blessed that they are alive and well.
I am like a grown child back here in my backyard just like the good ol' days.🔮
That's my face after trying my own homemade coffee in the past few days. I guess I forgot how to make a decent cup of coffee at home. 😬
I'm glad you're having a great time with your family, it's a much needed time off. You are living in the moment right now, I can tell; we get so caught up in our busy lives theses days, especially in the city. We are so distracted, that we usually end up forgetting about our roots and our loved ones, the things we really care about.
The inner child inside of us gets locked up somewhere at some point, and then just waits for another chance to let loose again. So, put this time and moment to good use. ☮️
Take care now.
Cheers 🥃
@riz611,
One word...
Percolator...
!LUV
YESS SIRR, percolator it is then, I'll have to look for a good one.
Haha! I do feel this way very often:)))
Especially when it's some really good coffee. 😂
@riz611, @wesphilbin(5/10) sent you LUV.
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You have a way with words 🙌
Well said 👏
Have a lovely day:)))
I try, I try, slowly and steadily trying to imrpove.
Good day to you. 🥂
😉😊
Giving up the search for perfection is like taking a weight off your shoulders. Everything comes when it has to come and everything is as it should be.
It was only recently that I stopped being a perfectionist and decided to relax in order to live happier.
Beautiful dress, I wanted to see you standing up to appreciate it in its entirety...
A coffee in your backyard in direct contact with nature must have been magnificent.
Thanks, Lisa!
I'm happy that you're letting go of perfectionism. It's much better to be consistent and aim to get a little better at something every day. Also, to not feel bad about errors that you might make, but to take note and improve and not repeat those mistakes:)
Late I will take a photo of exactly what the dress looks like off, and how to attire😅 it.
The vendor presented it folding and packaged, and I'm so happy that I asked him how to wear it because it would have been quite a puzzle to figure out:))
Hello Lisa, I haven't seen you blogging in a while. Just checking to see how are you doing. I hope all is well 🌺
There is just SO MUCH I love about this post, @millycf1976 - the GORGEOUS goddess outfit, the coffee worship (which I also partake of), the sense of home and the even the reference to Leiden (and I have walked that street!).
Revel and soak in the JOY of these 5pm moments. 😍
Oh, thank you 😊
Your comment is so sweet and thoughtful. I appreciate this very much:)))🙏😍
We kind of doing this. Squatting in the yard with a cup of coffee on our hand, but 5 in the morning, tho. It's already a ritual in the countryside before doing any work. 😄 I like your poses, by the way. 😘
Thank you 😊
Yes, I know that Filipinos are early risers to beat the heat from the morning sun.
I used to live right on the seafront in Moalboal up on a cliff, and the sounds (noisy chatter) would wake us very early in the morning 😂
Please hear my plea Coffee Goddess! May my beans be filled with clarity, may my water boil quickly, and may the brew bring me back to my center! ☕️💐🍰 (<-Coffee Goddess offering)
You took us on a brilliant adventure, it was wonderful to imagine your experiences were mine for a short time, I had so much fun walking my path to become a goddess with you! And the dress, 😍 your fierce poses do it so much justice, perhaps you needed 17 years for the right day for a reason! Haha 🤗
Thank you very much for sharing this beautiful story 💚 !PIZZA
Thanks for your lovely comment.😊
You gave me goosebumps here 😍🤗
OMG I got no words. 💛
🙏🤗💛
I love your post. Making a promise to yourself that society is not going to harden you is very brave. Beautiful dress and much more what you convey with it: firmness and inner peace
Thank you very much 😊
That's very true.
I also ensure that no one has power over me for me to harbour any hatred. In the long run, holding on to negatives only causes us pain.
I appreciate your lovely message:)))
Hello dear friend, first I hope you are very well, the second thing I really liked the title of this publication, and the third thing is that I recovered, and I'm on vacation, that means that these days I will be very active in hive and especially in this is my favorite community, I really like the topics on time travelers is a topic that entertains me a lot and your story integrating two of my favorite things is really fascinating, the photos are amazing and the ways of posing to give more life to your story was the best, you really are a coffee Goddess.
Aww, thanks for your sweet and kind reply 😊
I'm happy that you're doing better, but still, continue to care good care of yourself.
I'm happy that you found my post interesting. It means a lot to me:)))
I'm looking forward to seeing you pop by the community.
Have a lovely day:))
If coffee can take me with time traveling, I really want to see the sea where the sun rises and sets in Jamaica
🤞 I do hope your wish will come true 🙏😊
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You're welcome. Merry Christmas to you and your family 🎅
A pleasant experience enjoying natural environments and a good coffee that surrounds you and moves you magically while you read it, undoubtedly something ideal to live life to the fullest by integrating with nature. I hope you had a great time dear friend. A hug.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you're well.
Have a great day:)
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