Friday 5 for May 18: Circumstance and Pomp

It's been months, but I'm back. Answering questions to the May 18 post.

1. What advice do you have for a high school grad getting ready to begin college?

Do not go too deep into debt. Pay off your college loan as soon as possible. Better, try and get a scholarship every year... or at least split your time so that you can work, save money but not too much as there are a lot of studies to do. Don't get the most expensive laptop since these things can be stolen or dropped. Plus computer tech changes so fast it is probably better to use a lower end PC or Mac vs. a high end model for schoolwork unless you are going to film school or something.

2. What advice do you have for a high school grad getting ready to enter the workforce?

Get a good resume together. Have good grades. Have a good work ethic. Be responsible and respectful of your employer and colleagues. Set aside some of your earnings for long term savings. Don't waste money. If needed, move to a more affordable state or locale.

3. What advice do you have for a high school grad who doesn’t know what’s next?

Find something you like to do and see if you can make money at it whether by yourself starting your own business or working for someone engaged in an activity or interest that you like. Focus and focus quickly.

4. What advice do you have for a high school grad whose high school years were disappointing?

If you can, go to a trade school or get some kind of work experience. Be positive. Don't fall into a life of squalor or crime.

5. What do you remember about your own graduation from high school?

We had no computers, no cell phones, no cable or TV streaming services, no internet, almost no nothing that was considered "high tech" except for hi-fi stereo, portable music cassette player/recorders and small TVs.

That all said, my Mom forgot the camera at home and I never got any pictures of my high school graduation... oh well... no biggie. Some of my friends came over to a small gathering we had at our house.  Some of them I never saw again since graduation.

The one good thing was that the music from back in the day was better than a lot of the crap we have today. There was no rap music and that is a good thing.

Photo above from the Honokaa High School Class of 1975 L-R The Dragon school mascot, 1989; Class of 1975 on graduation night, June 1975; Class of 1975 - 2010 reunion; Old campus Honokaa High School - still in use today as part of the school.

 

 This video reminds me of how we have all aged from the 1970s. This song by The Connells called "74-75" was released in 1993. In 2015 another video using the same song and people was made. Look for it here on YouTube.

My question is how many of your classmates from high school have passed on?

In my class of 168 graduates, about 30 have passed on.

Friday 5 for July 17: Hopscotch and Crayons

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 site.

1. What was your favorite piece of playground equipment when you were a kid?

Back in the day (we're talking 1962 - 64) our elementary school had this sliding board that was built on a 20 foot embankment. On rainy days a small mud puddle formed at the bottom of the slide. It was funny to watch other kids go splash in the dirty puddle. I never did that part... Mom would have given me lickins'.

2. What do you remember about your first-grade teacher? Pick the earliest grade teacher you remember, if you don’t remember anything about your first-grade teacher.

Mrs. Higa was my first grade teacher. She taught us first grade reading. The three books we started on were My Little Red Storybook, My Little Green Storybook and My Little Blue Storybook. After we got through with those basic readers, we moved on to a book called The Little White House or something like that.

When I think back to those books, they were nice and conservative and achieved the goal of teaching us how to read and more importantly these days, espouse the values of what the United States is supposed to be like.

I wish I still had those books. Some of them are worth money today.

I am too fearful to find out what kids of today are learning. It seems like the curriculum is to lay blame on America and destroy our great country. If that is it, this is really scary for our future.

At the end of our first grade year, the school was getting rid of those books and they gave three of them to me. Less than eight years later, my sister who was eight years my junior, picked up those books and pretty much taught herself how to read before she got to kindergarten. I remember she asked me about words she did not know.

Cool when I think about that today.

Sorry the answer to this question is more about the readers and not so much about the teacher, though I have to give Mrs. Higa credit for teaching us the basics.

3. What’s an especially memorable field trip you took with a class in your very early years?

Yes there are at least a dozen field trips I can remember going with my class at various stages of elementary school. Here are some of my most memorable.

Fifth Grade - JPO excursion to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This is one of my favorite places to go to, but I rarely ever go these days. Last time I went there was in June 2005.

Fourth Grade - Hilo to visit the Hawaii Tribune Herald where I learned that the Horoscope was a bunch of bullshit, because the person there told us when the teletype broke, someone on the staff would just write one up... of course this was in the olden days when there was no internet. They gave us rolls of blank newsprint. That was fun. On that same trip we also visited the Lyman Museum (the only time I ever been there), and Hilo Macaroni Factory where they used to make Saloon Pilot crackers. We got free crackers!

Sixth Grade - We went to Waimea to the old Kahilu Theater to watch a play... forgot what it was but the presenters were Honolulu Theater for Youth as I recall.

4. What are some fads you remember from your elementary school days? Did you get into them?

The Beatles! - I had the pointy shoes. Heh. Parents would not let me grow my hair long. Had a couple of 45 rpm records... "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

Batman TV Show - with Adam West and Burt Ward was a big thing back in 1966. It was the first show I saw in color on a neighbor's TV set. We went to the full length movie that featured the TV cast. Fun stuff.

5. If your elementary school had food service, what’s a lunch you were especially fond of, and what’s a lunch you were especially not fond of?

Pizza was great. Shoyu chicken and rice was delicious as were most of the cookies.

There was some weird goop that passed for food that covered our rice. Not knowing what it was, we called it S.O.S. - Same Old S**t. We ate the bun, the fruit and drank the milk... but the rest went to the slop recycling counter... yuck... Haven't thought about that in ages.

My second grade class, May 1, 1965.

Friday 5 for May 11: Who Put the Pomp in the Pomp Bah Pomp Bah Pomp

Been a few weeks since I did one of these Friday 5 blog postings. So here goes with my first post for May, 2018.

1. What’s something you remember about your high school graduation?

I attended the graduation for sure and walked the line to pick up my diploma. I think my parents were proud of me... most parents usually are. After graduation, we had a small gathering of my high school classmates and fellow graduates over at my home.

2. If you were asked to speak at a commencement ceremony this year, what would be the theme of your message?

Make America Great Again - It will be good for you and for our country. We need a strong country that is centrally focused on us, while retaining those important, traditional values that have made the United States the greatest nation on earth. Dedicate your lives and work to preserving and supporting our freedoms and the Constitution in all that you do.



3. What items in your possession are marked with the name or logo of your high school or college?

I have no idea where my high school diploma is. I am sure that has the State of Hawaii seal on it, since I graduated from Honokaa High School in Hawaii. I know I have my diploma stashed away from my college. It's in a file drawer, still in the foldable, red binder or whatever it is called. I think I have some class key or something from Honokaa, but don't know where that is. I was never one to buy trinkets like class rings since I considered them to be a waste of money. I do have my high school yearbooks.

4. What do you expect will be your next rite of passage? 

Well the next major thing will be death! Came close to that in late 2015. Enjoying my reprieve on life so far, but as the years go by the only thing that will be a major rite is passing on hopefully to that realm where the bright light shines ever so white and forever. Otherwise I am doomed.

5. What’s a good movie with a graduation scene, or a good movie with a graduation theme?

I can't think of anything recent since I rarely go to the movies or have seen many new ones (post 2010)..... My vague memory would like to recall the following:

Legally Blonde - Ellie did graduate right? Loved her pink Apple iBook G3. Been a few years since I last saw this comedy.

Back to School - Didn't Rodney Dangerfield's character also graduate? I think he did... this came out in 1986 and was one of two movies out that year that pushed the old Isley Brothers song "Twist & Shout", covered by The Beatles, back to the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. The other movie with the Beatles song the same year was of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

OK those are the only two I can think off right now. I may amend this after I see some of your responses or think of another movie.

Friday 5 for December 1: Lady Bird

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5! Please copy these questions to your website. Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses. Please don’t forget to link us from your website."

"Five questions inspired by the new Greta Gerwig film Lady Bird, which I recommend."

One quick comment here. Movies  are so expensive at the theater these days. It is far more cheaper to wait for a DVD or streaming release. There is only one movie I plan to see in the theater this year, and that would be the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

1. What was moving out of your parents’ home like?

Easy though I still have a few things (like record albums) in my parents' former home which is now my sister's.

2. What makes popular kids in high school popular, and how were you like or unlike them?

Been many decades since I been in high school, but I would venture to guess popularity reigns in whether or not you are in the correct peer group or participate in something popular like band or sports. I hung out with some of the more nerdy kids, though we had no computers back in the day. We caught our thrills playing chess, checkers, Stratego or with the then new finagled "calculator". I was one of the first kids to get one back in 1973.

3. When you were in high school, where in the neighborhood did schoolmates hang out?

During recess we kind of hung around in the library and talked too much. After school some kids hung out at friend's homes and stuff. Other kids hung out at the local Dairy Queen drive in or the convenience store. I have to idea where the tough kids and druggies hung out as I was not in those groups.

4. What was learning to drive like?

My Dad helped my "tutu man" work on his ranch when we were very young. I learned to drive up in the ranch at the age of 10. The vehicle? 1960 Willys Jeep pick-up. When I became of legal age I learned on my Mom's 1972 Chevelle. Back in the day there was no requirement to take driver's education. My parents taught me well. To this very day, more than 40 years later, I have never gotten a speeding ticket or into an accident.  (Photo 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle on Wikipedia)

5. What were your most difficult and least difficult subjects in high school?

Most difficult - Mathematics (Algebra, Geometry, etc).... P.E. - I sucked at all sports.

Least difficult - History, Art, Music, Reading, English, Writing, Civics