Page 2 - MidWeek - May 17, 2023

2 MIDWEEK MAY 17, 2023
Choosing Our Memories
“Let us remember the good times in our lives.” — Michael Curtis
TStranger Things
here is no blue USPS collection box in my neigh-
As I awoke on July 4, 1961, I excit- edly anticipated a picnic, fun games, fireworks and icy-cold watermelon at the local stadium.
borhood anymore. Apparently, some waste of
Encouraged by my dad, I entered the quarter-mile run. At 9, I was pretty small and had never run that far. I started out fast, but about halfway around the track, I was running out of steam. By the final curve, I was about to collapse when I heard a voice. Running alongside me was my dad shouting, “Come on, Walt, you can do this! Keep going!” He stayed with me all the way to the finish line. Then, he gave me a big hug and said, “I knew you could do it!”
of that Fourth of July, I feel a tremendous closeness to him. Rather than focusing on all the times he fell short, I choose to remember the times where he rose above and beyond. Whenever I am feeling challenged and about to give up, I still hear him saying, “Come on, Walt, you can do this! Keep going!”
The Rev. Dr. Walt Weiss is a spiritual and bereavement care coordinator with Kaua‘i Hospice. He recently com- pleted his doctorate of min- istry at Claremont School of Theology and attends the Center for Spiritual Living Kaua‘i.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr.
space vandalized the old one twice, and the post office simply decided to remove it. Problem solved — kinda.
We’ve been advised not to leave outgoing mail in our home mailboxes and advertise it with the flag raised. That’s literally a red flag, letting lurking mailbox thieves know there’s something in there. As some correspon- dence does contain personal information, it’s probably sage advice. So, without traipsing around to adjoining neighborhoods to seek a free-standing, public mailbox, we now drop our letters off at the nearest post office about 10 minutes away. One person’s predilection for causing anonymous angst impacts hundreds — on a regular basis. It’s sad how these things happen and we’re left to ponder, “How come?” Like when vendors remove “your” bottle cap upon purchasing a beverage at sporting events. This apparently keeps people from slipping on full, dropped bottles, and also prevents misguided individuals from throwing the projectiles. But capless bottles are more likely to spill, and then someone might slip on the liq- uid. If I’m really intent (i.e. a moron) on tossing a bottle with the intent to do harm, I could just stuff it with some paper towels in lieu of the absent cap. And if I’m really a pre-ordained reprobate, I’d probably just bring my own cap from home ...
Instead of focusing on all of the times his dad fell short and let him down, the author chooses to remember his dad’s encouragement during a race he ran as a 9-year-old.
drifted even further apart as he insisted I live my life his way. After my mom’s death, and a big blowout argument, we agreed to re- spect our different opinions while still remaining a part of each other’s lives. Toward the end of his life, roles re-
KELLEY
If you think a bottle cap banishment seems odd, here are a few actual local laws: You cannot put a coin in your ear. Seriously. I assume that a coin earring is OK, unless you deface a legally minted coin to create said earring. Thus, if you ask someone for “a penny for your thoughts,” remember that he/she can’t pull it out of his/her ear ...
I remember experiencing an unforgettable feeling of to- tal exhaustion and total love.
versed and I was taking care of him, struggling not to tell him how to live his life.
As years went by, my re-
It has been more than 14 years since my dad died, but I still think of him often. Al- though I haven’t forgotten all those difficult years, when- ever I remember the events
lationship with my dad had its ups and downs. During my teens, we argued all the time. As I got older, we
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
The Rev. Dr. Walt Weiss
It’s illegal to annoy birds (any birds) while in a lo- cal state park? You mustn’t even shoo them away while dining. Which local birds were queried as to what they consider “annoying” when this law was passed? Hmm, perhaps it’s outdated, and thus time to set up an ad hoc committee, public forum, white paper, or research anal- ysis to further delineate, because time flies like birds ...
Lastly, until recently, you couldn’t possess two alco- holic beverages in front of you at a bar at the same time. Apparently, if you partook of a slammer and both glasses contained alcohol, you could’ve been hauled off to the slammer.
Think about it.
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com