Friday, September 4, 2009

OMG…Found This Wonderful Photograph

I have come to the conclusion today that I have way too much going on simultaneously. I paint, I write children’s stories (strictly for my mo’opuna), I am writing my memoirs and journal through scrap booking, and I’ve added my blog…all of this so that my progeny will know those who have come before them. I believe that leaving a “trail” for those who follow you is very important. A large part of who you are is not only traced through your blood lines – but also through your upbringing, environment and events throughout your life that negatively or positively shape the person you become. When you get to my age you will come to realize that all that you’ve personally experienced comes rushing back, in some cases, like powerful waves pounding the beaches…sometimes like gentle waves whispering those memories as they wash over island shores.

Anyhow let me get to the fun stuff…this photograph I rediscovered today while scrap booking. The reason I even found this is because my grandniece who looks exactly like her grandmother (Glori in the picture below) wanted to know what her grandmother looked like when she was younger. Unfortunately, not as clear as I would've liked it to be.


All four sisters are pictured here. I’ve laid out names I could remember by their positions. Fortunately, I was able to crop photo to what I've posted below.

Gloriann and Leina'ala



Charlene, me way in the back (white lei on head)


I was a mere child and along with my three sisters, being Hawaiian young ladies, had to learn to do the hula. Our teacher was our Auntie Hilda (I think I mentioned her in an earlier blog)…anyhow she was a strict teacher, from the big city of Honolulu who moved to small town Kihei on the island of Maui after she married one of my uncles. Glori, the eldest, was IMHO beautiful. She had 6-pak abs; long, long legs; and “stacked.” When she was home from school, with her girlfriends from boarding school I was always in awe…but then I was the “baby sister” and anything my older sisters did I soaked up like a sponge. This event is called an Uniki, which is a graduation for hula classes. I remember that we did it in the VERY old Kihei Theater (I'm pretty sure it was the early 50's). Let me describe the theater; the screen was on the stage you see there and the audience sat on old wooden benches and bleachers on dirt floors. If you looked up you could see the stars. I remember being so nervous about performing and looked to my sisters for encouragement. At least this is the way I remember it...memories have a way of looking different through different eyes.

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7 comments:

  1. I looked for you in this great photograph AND found you Loke. And before I looked to see the name indications below.
    You are so right about how as we get older and are retired from our busy work-a-day lives, we'll get memories coming back as if they happened yesterday. Your story spurred a memory for me when I was living in Lahaina. I had been living in the islands for 5 months when I experienced what I believe they call the "aloha spirit." It was a contented, albeit happy, feeling of total connection with everything around me...like I was really at home there, I belonged there.

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  2. Lokelani, You are a very busy lady by the sound of it, but obviously doing what you love to do, this is a wonderful photo , looks like you were all having so much fun

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  3. Sharon...isn't it amazing how vivid those memories return when we just let them come. Thanks so much for your input. I believe God puts us where we belong for a specific time of our lives...all goes back to making memories.

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  4. Julie...I love being this busy. Other than assisting my son as a young teen with his music...this is the most fun I'm having.

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  5. Wow! What a wonderful photo! :) I now know where I got my legs and also my (ahem), chest from! :) Sadly the 6 pack abs skipped me! haha. Thats ok though, I'm mostly resigned to the fact that i'll NEVER have that. LOL. I sure do love old stories like that! Thank you Auntie Loke for sharing that with us. Love, Anuhea. Oh yeah, what does IMHO stand for?

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  6. Anuhea...so glad I was able to post this for you. IMHO means "in my humble opinion."

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