Neal Hughes:
CLASS OF 1973
Unicoi County High SchoolClass of 1973
Erwin, TN
Neal's Story
Neal is from Erwin, Tennessee. Neal's schools include Unicoi County High School. Neal later attended Asbury College (Religion and Philosophy, History) . Neal works(ed) at Self Employed And Loving It!.
Music Neal likes includes Russian Orthodox Liturgical Music, Gregorian chant, Miles Davis. Books Neal likes include The Roots of Christian Mysticism Olivier Clement, The Way of the Ascetics Tito Colliander, The Seven Story Mountain Thomas Merton. Movies Neal likes include The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Page). TV shows Neal likes include History.
One of Neal's favorite quotes is:""The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be ignited."
--Plutarch
"Humility alone is capable of truth, of seeing and accepting things as they really are and therefore of seeing Godâs majesty and goodness and love in everything.â
--Alexander Schmemann
ââ¦If you accept that this day was blessed of God, chosen by God with his own hand, then every person you meet is a gift of God, every circumstance you will meet is a gift of God, whether it is bitter or sweet, whether you like or dislike it. It is Godâs own gift to you and if you take it that way, then you can face any situation.â
--Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom)
âInterior freedom is not yet possessed by anyone who cannot close his eyes to the fault of a friend, whether real or apparentâ¦Friends are legion in the time of prosperity. But in the hour of trial scarcely one will be found. Only those who keep the commandments carefully and those admitted to the secrets of Godâs judgments, do not forsake their friends when their friends, by Godâs permission, are put to the test.â
--St. Maximus the Confessor
âYou cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives and kindles joy in the heart of him who receives. All condemnation is from the devil. Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failings, we see such a swamp that nothing in another can equal it. That is why we turn away, and make much of the faults of others. Instead of condemning others, strive to reach inner peace. Keep silent, refrain from judgment. This will raise you above the deadly arrows of slander, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evil.â
-- St Seraphim of Sarov
ââ¦when the time comes to enter the darkness in which we are naked and helpless and alone; in which we see the insufficiency of our greatest strength and the hollowness of our strongest virtue; in which we have nothing to rely on, and nothing in our nature to support us, and nothing in the world to guide us or ...Expand for more
give us lightâthen we find out whether or not we walk by faith.â
--Fr. Thomas Merton".
More about Neal:"On February 26th, 2009 I was included in the 500,000 + who lost their jobs. Fortunately my profession allows me opportunities to quickly (if ducks are in a row) to create a job when their are none to be found. So after several interviews and no offers I entered private practice full time with 2 practice groups--Psychiatric Associates and Grace Pointe Counseling Center. Schedules are mostly full and our heads are already nearly above water and this without benefit of insurance payments yet (they take about 90 days to begin). We will be probably better than before financially and I am much happier.
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This has been a year of extremes.
On February 28th 2007 my mother-in-law died after a long bout with COPD. A terrible blow for all of us.
In May 2007 my father was diagnosed with a particularly ugly form of cancer (anaplastic carcinoma for those medically inclined). He began radiation treatments hoping against hope that same month.
My daughter Elizabeth was married June 23rd in a beautiful Orthodox service in a rented colonial Presbyterian Church (decked out appropriately) in historic downtown Jonesborough, TN. Over 175 people attended with standing room only. My twin brother did the honors for us. The reception was held at the International Storytelling Center with dancing under the stars. It and she couldn't have been more beautiful.
Radiation treatments ended a week before so my father was in atendance weakened but joyful. I on the other hand celebrated the event on Oxycodone due to an attack of kidney stones 5 minutes before the rehearsal dinner. After being in the ER from 12:00midnight to 3:00AM I earned it! I highly recommend it, narcotics I mean, for fathers of the bride.
The first week of August my father began chemotherapy treatments and 11 days later he died from chemotherapy treatments. This quiet, intelligent, unpretentious man, lived out his last months unable to eat or drink nearly anything but never once complained and his writings were a dialogue between himself and God about uniting his suffering with the Passion. The funeral was luminous with both Presbyterian ministers and his two Eastern Orthodox clergy sons presiding. News of his death and condolenences came from as far away as Ireland and China. Not bad for quiet and unpretentious! Paradoxically I now know him, God, and myself better than I ever could have before he died. Very curious. That "except a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies" bit comes to mind.
But lest I sound overly objective and clinical grief also hurts.
Grieving but OK. That's all for now from beautiful Jefferson City.".
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