Honolulu

        I really fought the good fight to graduate with Honors from the University of Hawaii. There were many nights working at the hospital in the geriatric ward that were inexplicably bad. After the all night sessions of changing diapers of the bed ridden, we finally reached the last hour of work which was breakfast.  We had a plan. We put all the patients in geriatric chairs and rolled them into an empty room. Food was served and all was good.            That is, until someone did not like something and started throwing food. It seems ridiculous now but when you see food fights in the geriatric ward you've seen it all.                There were scrambled eggs and oatmeal everywhere. I was grateful to see my replacement at this hour and made a speedy escape to my first class at the University by bicycle at 8 am
     I was volunteering at the Emergency Room to see the most interesting cases for the medical profession.  The doctors of the ER were very kind in teaching skills like placing stitches and diagnosing illness. Sewing through skin is tough so you need strong hands and a strong will to see it through. 

       I tried to sign on with the hospital sailing ship called Maru thinking that would satisfy my longing to be at sea. That ship sailed without me.  I saw her again in Fiji after finding my way to the Fijian Islands.  I was my own Peace Corps helping in my own way. It was effective and soulfully satisfying. In the villages I stayed in, I lined up the children in the morning and treated their childhood wounds.
      I found out many professors were using narcotics.  The most memorable was the Psyche Professor who was not afraid to convert the young to the drug world by lecturing about her most recent experiences with heroin and the like.       This was disconcerting to find this out. I redoubled my effort to bust as many as I could with the knowledge base that I had. There were many other incidents at the University of Hawaii.
   There are biker gangs living on Oahu. On Sunday they ride around the island. I discovered I was living close to one of these guys.  He just received a crated motorcycle from Asia.  It had the bill of lading and customs inspection sticker in place.  What these junkies do is have all the hollow tubes filled with heroin then crate the thing and have it inspected and labelled.  Thus for the cost of a motorcycle he sets himself up for life since the heroin is worth a pretty penny.  Suddenly he is wealthy without a care in the world except for people like me who report this activity to the police.
    The Aloha Tower in Honolulu has seen many seamen coming and going. I was just one of many who had passed through this great seaport in the Pacific. My uncles had passed through this place and so had my father's friends. They all fought in WW II. It was a noble moment to stand there and realize how special it was to see this monument.

     Soon I was jaded and found a ship going South. Even though Honolulu is beautiful and full of life, it is a very expensive place to visit.  I thought I had money enough but I was soon in rags living a desperado life.
    On the road to Sandy Beach there is a bluff that overlooks some of the best wind surfing to be had on the Islands.  It is colorful and robust enough to be a grand spectator sport for visitors who stumble upon this scene. Unless someone takes you there you will probably just drive on by.