At Risk: Stories of Hope

Gas is still at $4.00 in Kauai.  It has gone down on the mainland.  I ride the bus because I teach on the east side of the island; I live on the south side.

We are on break this week, so  I wanted to see the waves in Kapa’a yesterday.  I had a sandwich and an orange that my wife picked up off the road because it fell off our neighbor’s tree and had rolled to the side of the road.  We have the habit of picking up trash on our path as we walk to the bus stop.  Someone put a garbage bag by the bus stop to keep it clean.  I pass by this curvy road where I see this egret perched on the back of a brown horse in the meadow with Black Mountain in the background.

More people are taking the bus.  There was standing room only yesterday, and I met Ashley who was returning to school to pursue engineering after many years in the restaurant business.  I told her that two of my sons and my nephew work at a restaurant in Poipu, Kauai.  She urged me to tell them to get into school.  I got off at Kauai Community College to get some more information.  A simple conversation sparked action.

I met a young Chinese exchange student wearing a McDonald’s Sack T shirt.  She was on the way to work.  I told her that I usually go there for my morning cup of coffee between transfers in Lihue.  She spoke excellent English, grammatically better than most Americans.  I asked her if she had any brothers or sisters, but she said no because the Chinese government has a one child policy.  We then talked about religion.  That is when she told me that the majority in China really don’t believe in God.  It sort of blew my mind, but I wanted to understand.  I asked her if anything bad ever happened there and how do they establish values.  She told me the govt. outlawed religion when the Communists took power.

I told her that we were from inner city Detroit, and that city has a way of making you seek a higher power.  I gave her my website since she wanted to become a teacher.  We both got off, and I got some Kona coffee.  I know it’s a drug and bad for me, but I am reminded of George Carlin’s routine, It’s BAD for you.  It was still tasty.

I arrived in Kapa’a sort of hungry while I was walking to the beach to find a palm tree when I saw this Rastafari looking white young man descending a palm tree just after he had knocked a few coconuts down.  I said good work, and he responded with, “Yours is right there.”  He then showed me how to crack it open on a lava rock.   The coconut water was so cold.  I pulled out my sandwich and he thought it was a bag full of.  I said, “No brother, I don’t do drugs.  I figured you might want to share a sandwich.”  He wanted a joint, so we parted ways.  I thanked him for the coconut.

After a nap listening to the calming waves, I went to the ball park where the bus makes transfers.  An elderly German woman walked towards me and sat down under the pavilion and sparked up a conversation with me.  She had escaped Germany before the war and came to the U.S.  I asked her how she chose the U.S., and she said she followed God.  I told her about Omar’s drawing of Albrecht Durer, a German artist and one of my favorites.  I told her how a German artist’s work inspired a young African American in Detroit City to become an excellent artist and high school graduate.  Her bus came, and we wished blessings on each other.  I forgot to ask for her name.

My bus came, and I suddenly noticed the contrast of the day.  What contrast.  I did get the Chinese lady’s first name, Eve.  Both were very interesting conversations.

Go green and meet cool people.  Then share your stories.  I know know why I bought the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.