Happy Days

Ed Futa was in town, so about a dozen of us had dinner with him at Happy Days in Kaimuki.  Mo ordered the food and Milt paid for the meal.  Everyone there contributed what we would have spent on the meal to the class treasury.  I don't know who brought the A to Z Pinot Noir, but Fujikami brought two bottles of Au Bon Climat Pinot and Warren brought a bottle of Chivas.  All the wine was gone by the end of the night.

After Ed gave a little talk about some of his experiences as the General Secretary of Rotary International, Teruya suggested that we go around the room and have everyone tell Ed what we were doing.  Here are my recollections of what everyone said.  If I have a faulty recollection (which is the norm these days), please email me at iolani61@gmail.com with corrections so that I can amend this post.  Better yet, expand on what you said that night and I'll post it.

Mo: Still at UH.

Donald Watanabe: Retired from the Fire Dept... doing nothing

Jimmy Miyashiro: Retired from the VA...taking care of grandchildren

Fujikami: Still working at the florist

Campbell: Working at a telephone company...didn't catch which one

Me: Retired from the U.S. Attorney's Office...ballroom dancing...maintaining a couple of websites...found out that some are really reading this blog

Arruda: Sold his bank to Finance Factors...collects rent from all his real estate

Tommy Wong (formerly Chun): Retired from Hawaii State Bar Association...still doing something I don't recall.

Tsuda: Still working with insects at the UH

Dexter: With DOE at Farrington Complex...Can't remember exactly what he does

Takaki: Retired from IBM, worked for Bank of Hawaii in IT for a while, then went back for doctorate at UH... not sure in what order

Milt: sold his practice five years ago... working as an employee for the two dentists he sold his practice to

Teruya: President of his Rotary Club for the past three years

Warren: Still has Lani Properties...his daughter helps run the business, his sons and wife also work in the business...is President (?) of Home Builders Association and goes to DC alot on their business

Finally Making the Team

In elementary school, I was an avid baseball player and loved playing tackle or touch football with my neighborhood friends . When I tried out for an organized team upon entering Iolani in the 7th grade, I learned that I was way behind in skills and development.

I tried out for baseball in the 7th grade and was totally hopeless. As a catcher, I couldn't reach 2d base. I was confused on where to throw the ball during in- field warmups. Least of all, I couldn't hit the ball. There didn't seem to be any such thing as player development for weak kids. That one practice was my last.

The following year, I tried out for the 9th grade football team. I tried my best to keep up with the team drills. I played one play as an offensive guard in a scrimmage against a team from the Koolau boys home. The defender opposite me looked like he was going to eat me alive. Talk about an intimidating "stink eye". The play happened so fast. All I remember was being knocked on the ground and biting my lip and tasting blood and dirt.

Shortly afterwards, I got cut from the team and although it was a relief for me, I felt bad for my my father who was a high school football standout because I thought that I had let him down.

For some idiotic reason, I went out for JV football. I felt like a clown in uniform. My last memory of the experience was being blocked during a scrimmage. When the team was called together to get into a huddle, I couldn't get up. My legs wouldn't move. I thought that I was paralyzed. It was a relief to have been cut from the team this time.

Track and cross-country were marvelous options for those of us who couldn't make a team sport like baseball, basketball or football. It was an individual sport where one would not be cut from the team unless he didn't try his best. That was the nature of the sport. As a senior, I finally placed third running in the 440 in the novice division at a track meet on Maui.

At age 47, I started learning how to play soccer after a decade of long distance running. After three years of trials and tribulations playing or faking makule (over 30) soccer, I was invited by Lloyd Nishimoto, ten years my junior, to play with the Iolani alumni soccer team in their annual game against the varsity.

The most exciting thing was being able to wear an Iolani varsity jersey. I played left rear defender for 15 minutes of the first half. I held my own...no major mistakes. During the potluck festivities at the end of the game, I was awarded the game ball signed by the coach, Bob Barry, for being the oldest player. Life couldn't get any better than that. Iolani No Ka Oe!