The Best Parents in the World, It's True! You'll see.

Sometimes the best pictures are in your mind.

In the Summer of 65 on our European Tour, my parents in their VW Square back and I in my Karmann Ghia, having met in Stockholm on the 21st of June, we met next in Munich in July, and in Austria at the end of July. We stayed at a mountain resort in Austria and hiked. I even went skiing. Our next rendezvous was Paris on August 12.
August the 12, was an easy day to remember, being my birthday and having to have to register for the draft. I drove to my parent’s hotel where I would also be staying for the night. We were going to the famous Lido Cabaret that night after dinner. My Mom and Dad had made a ‘big point’ of telling me that this was a very important date. Don't miss it!

My Mom had the papers for me to sign from the American Embassy (Draft registration) and this show; at the Lido Cabaret was a birthday present to me.
I drove into the parking lot. Went in and registered and then to my room to put my suitcase in before going to my parent’s room, which for some reason was on another floor than mine. I remember thinking this was odd at the time. Riding up a lift that had metal gate doors. Open on all sides. I knew that my Mom had booked these particular reservations well before our trip. I had the itinerary. Why did she get separate rooms on different floors? Must be a busy place. It was a beautiful hotel.
I knocked on their door. After a moment the door opened and there in front of me stood the most beautiful Parisian goddess in the world. “Robert”
I managed a’Yes’.
She handed me a bow. A red bow and said: “I am your birthday present.”

This was in English. That much my mind reserved for this activity. The rest of my mind was busy with other details. For some reason, I even forgot about our rooms being on different floors. For some reason. - Did I already say that?

Suddenly none of those concerns seemed to matter.

I could write a book about this night. Maybe I will. Maybe I can get Rick Helin to help me with this little episode in my life. He is a professional screen play writer. I do not want it to come out cheesy!

Suffice it to say ‘here’ in this limited ‘short story’ version that I think this was the greatest present my parents ever gave me. Sorry Karmann Ghia.

In ancient times many peoples had just such rituals for adolescents. Well, maybe not just like this. I think that in ancient times, the word had gotten out about this and the youth were prepared for this special night. You could have knocked me up! I mean, 'knocked me over' with anything.
The coming of Age. The teaching of pleasures. Amore! I enjoyed Jean Auel’s books which aptly presented these earlier customs of our ancestors. Thank you Jean! Jean is also my mother’s first name. Okay, Thank you Jeans!

The dinner, the show, and ‘that night’ were one of the greatest nights of my life. Thank you Mom and Dad!

At eighteen I thought, (nobody asked me, but I thought) that I know all that I needed to know about love making. WRONG!

This Parisian goddess gave me the best instructions in all the finer details of how to kiss, what kind of kiss for each unique part of the body. Each part. Every part. Head to toe. Ear to ear and finger tip to finger tip. Nose, mouth, neck, nipples, tummy. I’m sorry but could we do that once again, I’m not sure that I, oh yes, okay, yes I think I’ve …
Okay, that’s enough. I’ll talk to Rick about this. He lived in Europe. He was in a relationship with a beautiful nice Nice women.

Unless of course anyone out there has some input.

August the 12, 1965 Paris. The greatest night in my life to that moment.

I had mentioned in an earlier story, Chapter ‘Another Part’, subtitled – ‘Life Goes On’, that there was a very unique person in my life that affected me more than any other person. But you would never have known this at the time. It's one of those 'growing up things. You know, acquiring a perspective. Lynn Wade. Lynn Wade was the wife of Chuck Wade. Chuck was the President of Bank of Hawaii for some period of time. Let’s see, that would have had to of been around 1960 through 1980. Somewhere in there.
This person, Lynn, was the greatest parent that I have, in retrospect, ever known. This person instilled in you honor and humility! Honor is the sense to be truthful to you and humility to know what humility really was. This is something that you can not teach!
I can give you examples. Personal examples. When I was like 7, 8 or 9, we are at the Wades house. The Wades live next door to us. We have a puka (opening) through the back hedge to walk through to their house as we have on the other side to walk through to the Sasaki yard and house. We kids are all playing around. Johnny, Peter, Judy, Sally and I’m sure a few others to boot. All the adults are sitting around at tables playing bridge. Typical Friday night. Doors slamming, Kids yelling, Parents laughing when they were not playing bridge.

I was standing in the room watching some of the adults playing bridge that I had learned about from my Mom and also the etiquette of the game. My sister Jeannie who was like 15 or 16 comes in, says Hi to everyone, and goes over to Lynn. Lynn without saying a word, hands Jeannie the keys to her car and Jeannie leaves. Bye! My Mom and Dad look at Lynn. Lynn feels the burning eyes and says to my Mom, ‘I asked her to get me something’

Now that is a much of an insight into who Lynn was and how she was as you will really ever have to know. If you were around this person (Lynn) you know exactly where you stood with her. Her truthfulness was instantaneous but loving. She showed you how to be.

When she told me at the age of 11 that Bob, ‘Bill has been in a plane crash and died’, I not only know exactly what this meant but how it meant.

My parents left me while they went to Japan for 2 months. Alone. I was 16. Here’s the money. You know where the keys to the car are. Got it!

Got it!

They did this several times. Another time going to Japan. I knew how to cook, clean, and if anything, you know, went wrong, I could call my sister and Dave out in Punaluu. Or, I could just as easy call or go over to Chuck and Lynn’s. Oh, you know what? I just realized that I only knew Chuck and Lynn by their first names –ever since I was 6.

Without a doubt this unique 'high school life - can you imagine?, happened because of Lynn Wade.

This beautiful drop dead Parisian goddess (Yes, remember her, this was about her) stood in front of me on my 18th birthday because of Lynn Wade.

My mother would surprise me with a similar gesture a few years after this night. It was summer and my girl friend who was just graduating from flight school was returning home. My mother just volunteered that she would be staying with a friend that night. My Dad was on a business trip. My girl friend arrived. I picked her up at the airport and we went to my parents place.

I could drop in on the Wades at any time while they were alive. And I did. When I was putting together a land Hui on Maui, Chuck flew over and checked out everything for us. Our attorney was a student of Chucks. Chuck taught some law courses at the UofH.

Growing up, I do not recall a situation where my sisters or I were ever required, as other kids seemed to be required, to call their parents, or 'check in' with their parents unless of course you were going to be late. Late was like 9 or 10 o'clock.

I never had to come up with some cockeyed story to do anything that I wanted to do.

I remember a bottle of Jim Bean that was handed to me by my Mom. 'Here!'

That was an interesting little lesson!

My life was shaped by two sets of parents, two older sisters and all of their relations.

I only had to pay attention.