Well, just spent 9 amazing days surfing at Waikiki. I think I may be just a tad bit darker than when I first arrived in Honolulu. I guess that's what happens when you spend 8 hours a day out in the sun. The cradle of surfing is Waikiki. On the sands of Waikiki, Duke Kahanamoku kept the sport of surfing alive as a natural part of growing up. Even people who themselves do not try riding waves take pleasure in watching this remarkable sport that's such an indelible part of every visitor's enjoyment.
Although it encompasses only one square mile of sea and sand, Waikiki Beach has defined Hawaii for generations of tourists. As I paddled out at Queens and Canoes, I nodded as it all came back to me -- the warm and happy memories of my growing up years, and the treasured lessons learned all those years ago when I surfed. When I return to Hawaii, the intensity of feeling is immediate. I feel like a different person. I eat healthier, move more, get up earlier, laugh more easily. It's not that I find myself as much as become myself. I feel the beauty of the island's natural setting and the warmth of her multicultural people. I especially love watching the kids -- the "keiki" -- of Hawaii. I certainly enjoyed being one. Many of them learn how to surf at the Waikiki Wall. The joy on their faces is unforgettable.
Each new wave generates the same result: a new surfer for life. Maybe, too, they know they have a chance to make something of themselves in this world. It wouldn't be the first time a keiki from Oahu would go on to fulfil his unique destiny. Just ask Sid Fernandez, who played major league baseball and won a World Series championship in 1986. He wore number 50 in honor of his home state and the Hawaii Five-O TV series.
When I travel in Europe, I often mention the "scenery" to my family. But when you return to Hawaii, you're blinded by the technicolor. There's a vibrancy to the colors I haven't found anywhere else.
And now, after my return from the islands, I cast my mind over to another passion of mine and a half century of teaching. There's been a lot of miles from the halls of Kailua High School to ... to where, ultimately I'm not sure. It's been a long and occasionally bumpy road. Lots of singles, a few doubles, a handful of home runs, and a whole lot of strikeouts. I love my work. I love the craft of teaching. How providential that the somewhat aimless path I was on as a kid in Kailua was altered simply by divine serendipity. As I look back, I see a lot of milestones, some pretty good ones, too. And the best thing is, when I look on down the road, I can't see the end.
For any given vacation, each of us has a general "snapshot" recollection of what was going on. But it's only when we have strung together a series of snapshots that we begin to gain a full picture of our experience as we know it. In the coming days, I invite you to share with me a few of the memories I made on this trip, vignettes of a lifelong surfer-teacher whose zest for life hasn't diminished since he first paddled out at Waikiki decades ago.
Welcome to memory lane.