3 June 2017

in

Someone I met today is a college student. 

I was volunteering at the Special Olympics and was paired up with some college kids. The one I sat next to is 19, and just finished his sophomore year. He is tall with elfish features; pointy ears and a playful face that gleamed with mischief every time he smiled. 

We talked a little bit and he liked reading, enjoyed soursop, and had atemoya fruits in his yard. Every time he talked, and even the way he responded to me reminds me of my brother at that age. The same amount of enthusiasm and similar types of responses. I think that endeared him to me, because I do miss my younger brother sometimes.

Then, a girl showed up. She's a member of the same academic club. He turned her attention to her completely, and it was then I realized he might like her. Maybe. I'm terrible at telling, and I took no offense to it; one of my good friends was with me anyway. When this boy left, he said bye to all of us.

As he walked away, he turned around and looked at no one else but her.

2 June 2017

in

Someone I met today owns a local lumber company. I got the bonus of meeting one of his team members.

He was nice and slightly hesitant about his purchase, but we had been making small talk and having playful banter. His team member was fun and playful, often making jokes at his expense. 

Me: "How long have you had your business?"
Him: "25 years."
Her: "it's funny you asked, it's on our business cards."
Me: "Would it be funnier if I told you I just turned 26."
Her: "Yikes."

Eventually he and I got to talking a little more.

"Where'd you go to high school?"
"Sacred Hearts."
"I see. How's the reputation of the school?"
"Well, it's been a while since I've been at the school, but I hear it's doing well."

After a little pause, I asked:

"Why are you asking about the school? Do you have a daughter?"
"Oh no, you see, I went to Iolani, and I knew some girls who went there. They were a little naughty."
"Are you trying to say that I'm like that?"
"Oh no, not like that, you've been very pleasant. It's just been a while since then, so I was wondering."
"Well, it's definitely been more than 25 years."

His coworker laughed. But all in all, it was a fun interaction. Probably the best one of my day. 

1 June 2017

in

Someone I met today is a mom.

I was in line at Costco, waiting to order a pizza and hotdog combo. That line is brutal for anyone but especially if you have children. The young woman in front of me wore scrubs, and had two children running and chasing each other around her. She addressed me only because they ran into me and she told them to cut it out. She had no real way of enforcing it; as she was continuously scrolling through Pinterest on her phone.

After she got her food, I waited about another 5 minutes to get mine. The table I got... Was next to hers. I observed her eat her salad, continuously scrolling through her feed as her husband interacted with the children. I finished my pizza and peeked over at her; she was done with her salad but still scrolling.

The husband and I made eye contact once, and it was half-apologetic, the other half was embarrassed. I mean, their kids were still being a bit noisy. It didn't bother me, though I'm sure he thought it did.

Everyone needs a break from their life at times, right? 

31 May 2017

in

Someone I met today asked me an honest question. It was clear he was a tourist, so I took no offense to it. Though, I suppose I could see it being weird if I had a different perspective on the matter.

"Do people really say aloha to each other here?"

My coworker and I exchanged glances. Both of us had affirmative answers for the question, she started.

"Yeah, some people do. It's not common, but it isn't weird."
"Oh, I just thought it was only a tourist thing."

I jumped in.

"I have friends who've extensively studied Hawaiian culture. For them, it's a large part of their lives so the language is just an extension of it."

I walked away at that point. There wasn't much else to say. 

30 May 2017

in

Someone I met today was a little kid at Rainbow's Drive Inn.

I was standing in line when I saw this kid inching in front of me. It didn't look like he was trying to cut me, I mean he was also half my size. When the window freed up, he looked at me apologetically and said, "Oh, I'm just gonna ask for a box."

I smiled and nodded at him when he ran up to the counter and asked for a takeout box. The cashier gave him one. I only know that because I was saw a woman at another table watching him. We made eye contact when he ran back to her, his mother.

I remember when I was younger that my mom would make me ask for things I wanted or needed from food places. I hated it back then because I didn't want to and I was embarrassed, but I did it anyway. Why not?

I think it's a good skill. You need to learn how to ask for what you want eventually. 

29 May 2017

in

Someone I met today is an old friend's son.

I was at the Memorial Day Lantern Festival at Ala Moana Beach Park. Once the ceremony finishes, people crowd the shores, waiting for a moment to release their lanterns into the sea. Written on them are their wishes and memories of loved ones gone by. 

As I prepared to fight the crowds, I saw someone familiar to me. An old coworker from my last job. The funny thing about getting older is that you don't change much in looks. He certainly didn't. I approached him and enthusiastically said hi. We hadn't seen each other in years, and greeted each other as such.

His son was there, and he was much bigger than when I last saw him. Taller, and older of course. The funny thing about changing and growing up is that you also become more yourself. Some people don't like when I say that, because it means I don't think they've changed.

I assure you, I do. I know everyone changes, but there are parts of you that are always you. Like my friend's son, he was still as sweet and kind and respectful as I remembered. Did he change? Yes, he was more confident than when he was in high school. But the parts of him I remembered still were there, just expressed differently. Maybe that's all it is; the way we express ourselves changes even as some of our core remains the same. 

We joined together and weaved through the sea of people. When we reached the shore, we watched as the waves ebbed and flowed, carrying our hopes for our loved ones gently from our hands. 

28 May 2017

in

Someone I met today is a podcaster. She rolled into the store buying some small items, less than $30, which is virtually impossible in this store. They weren't large accessories either, which indicated to me she already had the big stuff she needed. 

"Cool! So what do you do with your device?"
"Oh, I do podcasts."
"What's your podcast called?"
"Offshore, we do it with Civil Beat."
"Wow! You guys did that podcast on racism in Hawaii, you know that video was really popular right? Tons of my friends shared it."
"Really? I didn't know that."
"Oh, don't you guys have a metrics counter?"
"Our media company handles most of it, so I don't see it."

She apparently got started with Civil Beat and was hired onto Offshore once it branched off. Below is the video I was referencing.

26 May 2017

in

Someone I met is a manager at a food place.

He was wearing a hideous coral shirt and short set, that had pineapples all over it. Not to mention, there were 3 people with this awful combination. Eventually, I stopped him and asked what they were all wearing it for.

Turns out, when he moved to Honolulu, he saw the shirt and bought it. The next manager who moved here also saw the shirt and bought it. Then, the third manager heard about it and also bought it... And the shorts. Not to be outdone by their peer, they also bought the shorts.

So #PineappleFridays is a thing at The Street in the International Marketplace. Also, if you're curious, here it is at Urban Outfitters.

25 May 2017

in

Someone I met today is an electrician!

He was super young and needed some help with his computer. I helped him out, and we got to talking. Turns out he's the youngest electrician in the state at 22, the next youngest is 49. 

We talked about his growing up; turns out that he spent a lot of time in the Philippines and NZ because of his parents health. When they moved back to Hawaii, he just wanted to be an electrician. His friend's dad took him under his wing at 15 and he's been doing it since.

I enjoyed talking to him because he was so passionate about being an electrician. It was easy to see how enthusiastic and earnest he was about his career, and I let him know that. It's really admirable to see someone pursuing something they feel so strongly about, and especially in a standard trade. 

While people are working to professional degrees, you'll always need someone to do basic stuff that you don't know how to do. To me, a doctor isn't any different than an electrician in terms of usefulness...  

23 May 2017

in

Someone I met today had a daughter who recently died.

She didn't talk about it at length with me, but she did make it a point to mention it. She had died in August, and had purchased her mother the phone she was using. From what she said, she's still cleaning up things like her daughter's house, switching the cellphone bill to her instead of her daughter's name. 

While she didn't look visibly bothered, you could tell it was something that was on her mind. I mean some people do a good job of masking what's bothering them, which is why it's important to listen to what they're saying first, then think about it later. 

19 May 2017

in

Someone I met today is the nurse at my doctor's office.

Because of my vertigo, I ended up going to the doctor since it was really bad. The nurse I usually see is very nice, and she even remember that I went on vacation recently! She's very young, and very friendly, so I don't mind talking to her at all. 

I've only seen her maybe 3 times ever, so I'm impressed she remembers me. It definitely makes the trip more pleasant.

Also I have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. It's "benign" and "common." So that's... Good? 

18 May 2017

in

So today, I didn't meet anyone, but I also had an extreme case of vertigo.

Anyway, I was reminded that I had met someone who had problems with his computer. He couldn't log in and it was frustrating because he used the syncing capabilities across his phone and computer.

During our time together, he got a phone call... Something like "AA Bob." He apologized for being late and explained what he was doing. The person on the phone seemed ok with it, and we continued fixing his problem.

After we finished, I realized that probably was his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. I was surprised, since he didn't seem like he needed one. Sometimes people need help and it's good that he sought it out. 

17 May 2017

in

Someone I met today does alterations.

He has a small office on the second floor of an old building. As you walk up, you can see the white paint has decayed, and his office is filled with old tools cabinets that have slowly started to rust.

The office itself is cramped, and its windows overlook a busy street. Even then, the office is quiet, with the soft radio playing in the background. Nothing in the room is modern, and I can tell he prefers it that way. He's quiet, after all. We've met a few times, exchanging no more than a few words to get what I wanted. One time, he was listening to the radio quietly... Though it seemed like he was lost in though. This time, he was sitting quietly sewing.

Each time I visit, I'm impressed by his work ethic, and also curious about his existence. Does he have someone to go home to? Where is home? What does he do at home? What will happen when he's gone?

Sometimes I wonder when people die who will take their place. I mean you'll always need something like alterations, but not a lot of younger people do it... So who then? 

16 May 2017

in

Someone I met today works with the Special Olympics.

I see this woman once in a while, and she's a super nice lady. She's great at logistical stuff, considering that she helps the health screenings for the athletes during the Special Olympics... But I have a hard time following because I don't understand things when she explains them. I'm dumb sometimes, so bullet-points work better for me when explaining stuff because I'll get lost.

Which is what happened. Either way, we worked out our plan and we're ready for the Summer Games!