Sunday, May 25, 2008

Taking Me Back

So today when I was perusing the news online, I came across the story about the senior senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, remarrying at the age of 83. Then, I did a double take when I realized my personal experience with the new bridegroom.

Years ago before I was born (so before running water and electricity), my dad was what can be considered a minor celebrity in Honolulu. Eventually, my parents met and married there, and my mom was pregnant with me when they moved back to the mainland (thus informing the story of how a nice Italian girl like me came to receive an Hawaiian first name). At any rate, cut to the summer of 1983 when I was a college student between my sophomore and junior years and I attended summer school at the University of Hawaii Manoa with three of my dorm-mates from San Diego State. So I spent the summer living in Honolulu during which time my dad came to town for a few days on business. The senator invited us to attend a big event (unfortunately, the occasion is lost to time), and I not only found myself at the head table, but I was seated between my dad and the senator himself. Mind you, I was 20 years old at the time, spending the summer in a tropical paradise where the drinking age was 18 (thus explaining my shoddy memory about the event), but still, it's crazy, right?

It's all very serendipitous because yesterday marked the 5-year anniversary of my dad's passing, and this story gave me a nice memory to reflect upon, smiling.

9 Comments:

At Monday, May 26, 2008 8:58:00 PM, Blogger EditThis said...

Cool story to remember about your dad.

 
At Monday, May 26, 2008 8:58:00 PM, Blogger EditThis said...

Wait...was your dad Don Ho?? :)

 
At Monday, May 26, 2008 9:01:00 PM, Blogger D.O.M. Dan said...

It is a nice thing to come across something that reminds us of a lost loved one.

 
At Monday, May 26, 2008 10:39:00 PM, Blogger LA said...

Edit - While it's true I've been called a Ho in the past, I can assure you my dad was not Don. :)

Hey Dan, great to see ya! Thanks for stopping by! :)

 
At Wednesday, May 28, 2008 9:08:00 AM, Blogger Prunella Jones said...

Whoa, just for a minute there I thought you were going to reveal your sexcapades with the senator. I gotta get my mind out of the gutter.

So that explains the exotic first name. It's really pretty.

 
At Wednesday, May 28, 2008 9:53:00 PM, Blogger GetFlix said...

It's great you have such a cool history with Hawaii!!

 
At Thursday, May 29, 2008 5:13:00 PM, Blogger Diane said...

Great story! Forget sexcapades with the senator-- let's hear about the sexcapades with cute haole surfer boys....

 
At Thursday, May 29, 2008 7:39:00 PM, Blogger LA said...

Diane - Let's just say it was a good summer.

 
At Monday, June 02, 2008 2:57:00 PM, Blogger kookla@work said...

I now finally understand the history of your name, but I'd like to hear more about you playing footsie with the Senator of Hawaii!

 

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