Red Light and Being Driven

      More Letters From Paradise

              Red Light

Before my recent health problem, I used to walk with two of my friends, Phil and Jorge, early, very early (5:30 or 6:00 am) in Ala Moana Park.  The words mean "Ocean Drive".  It was very dark, quiet, and with the trade winds blowing, it was a great time to walk along the water. We noticed several times a small red light just off shore.  In time, we found out that the red light was operated by a small, thin 90 year old Japanese woman on a short surfboard.  Her husband, who waits on the shore for her, informed us that she was suffering from Parkinson's, and this was her way to fight it.  He also said that she was once a great athlete. When she finishes,  he takes her board and hands her the walker, and she makes her way to the nearby fresh water shower.  While all this goes on, their tiny white dog wipes its nose on the window of their car.  I wonder today if there is still a small, red light just off shore. 

      

              Being Driven

My doctor does not permit me to drive.  When I will be able to drive remains to be seen. This is a mean blow to the male ego, but Tonto is a very good driver, and so I must be content. My license will expire on my birthday, and so I must get a state ID card. Here is something you will find interesting.  The driving test is available in eight languages:

Tongan, Samoan, Tagalog, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and English.

The local paper recently reported that our state has the worst roads in the entire U.S. Here in the city the problem is magnified due to water main breaks under the streets. Pot holes are fairly often seen. Then too, tree trimmers block sections of some streets in order to remove palm leaves and coconuts. One single palm branch is heavy, and can cause damage to a car. I have seen this done to a windshield.  And as for coconuts, Tonto treated a woman tourist who had been hit on the head with a small one. ( a few years ago) And then there is the matter of cones. Orange in color, strings of them at some times of the day in order to change the flow of traffic from its usual direction, to the opposite. This often results in the loss of one lane. I failed to mention that a recent law now requires people riding in the backseat to also be buckled. However, people can ride in the open back of trucks without any. I grow tired and so must close for now but I must add that my dear 92 year old friend just renewed his Hawaii driver's license.      

                Aloha       

                Grant