What do you really know about your grandparents or great-grandparents? Did you know that if family stories aren’t documented, they are often lost within two generations?
My interest in this field piqued while attending UH, Manoa in 1993 in pursuit of a degree in Gerontology. In a Sociology of Aging course, the professor lectured about the importance of storytelling throughout history. He talked about elders transferring valuable cultural and personal information from one generation to the next.
He explained that 100 years ago, it was common to reside in the same town or live in a multi-generational home where personal and family stories were passed directly from generation to generation. Today, families are scattered across the globe.
That same year, my 85-year-old father suffered a major heart attack. He survived bypass surgery and fortunately lived for another six years. Recalling my professor’s lecture, I bought a $60 video camera at a garage sale. On my father’s 88th birthday, I filmed an interview with him that has become a great treasure to my family. He passed away in 2000 at age 91.
Today, it is easier than ever to turn family interviews, documents, photos and old film into an inspired, heart-felt movie. And, unlike a traditional photo album, digital movies can be safely stored and shared with family miles away. This is an effective way to pass along wisdom, ethical values, spiritual beliefs and important family stories.
It doesn’t matter what form your archive material takes. Set up a video camera, or turn on a tape recorder and simply “talk story.” Encourage someone to journal or write his or her memoirs. It’s important to get started because … when our storytellers are gone, our history is lost.
In 2005, Janette Sargent-Hamill created Windward Productions through which she presents “Documenting Life” workshops in Hawai‘i and California. She also has a new book titled, Your Family, Your Story – A Guide to Digital Storytelling. The book teaches readers valuable, step-by-step skills in capturing their own family history. The book is available at Amazon.com. For more information, visit www.windwardfilms.com.
Hawai‘i is paradise but so are her Pacific sisters – the Islands of French Polynesia. Earlier this year, I drift snorkeled over coral reefs in the beautiful lagoon of Bora Bora, swam in shallow water with sting rays and black-tipped sharks, visited a black pearl farm and spotted spinner dolphins up close off the island of Moorea.
For our program — Heart of French Polynesia — the first two days of the trip were spent getting acquainted with Tahiti. We made ourselves comfortable at our great hotel with a beautiful, sandy beach and a coral reef just offshore that was teeming with colorful tropical reef fish. A daylong bus tour took us for a drive through the city of Papeete, to a cascading waterfall, a visit to the Paul Gauguin Museum and a stop at a carefully restored historic temple called a marae. As part of the Road Scholar program, we had a private local guide, who shared Tahiti’s history, people and culture with us. We visited the local open market with many booths displaying the abundant tropical fruit, fresh reef fish, and various crafts and fabrics.
Then it was time to explore the Pacific! We boarded the luxurious cruise ship Paul Gauguin, which is specially designed to enter the shallow lagoons of the Islands. The crew was attentive and gracious, and the dining service was outstanding. Complimentary wine and other beverages added to the enjoyment of a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where fellow travelers shared the events of the day’s adventures. After dinner everyone retired to comfortable cabins with a view.
Our snorkeling excursions at each island stop began with a shuttle from the ship to the pier, where we transferred to a local dive boat that was either a catamaran or large outrigger canoe. The boats accommodated us well with large outboard motors to speed us along to our next dive site. Gratefully, they also featured canvas covers to protect us from the tropical sun while underway. The boat operators were good singers with ‘ukulele and lots of fun entertainment. The dive locations offered something for everyone. On drift snorkels we entered the lagoon in about 10 feet of aqua-clear water over a coral reef and then floated effortlessly down a slow current while we “soared” past schools of fish and colorful coral mounds. If you wished to linger in one area, swimming against the current allowed you to hover over the bottom. The boat remained close by if you wished to be picked up early. Snorkeling with stingrays and black-tipped sharks may sound dangerous, but the years of boat tours have conditioned the fish to calmly swim up and wait for a handout of fish food. They were waiting for our arrival! Snorkelers were invited to either wade in chest-deep water over a soft sandy bottom, swim out to observe the feeding or remain aboard to watch.
Road Scholar is for adults who love to learn for learning’s sake. Road Scholar provides a memorable learning experience in an informal and friendly environment. If you enjoy exploring new ideas and places, and meeting interesting people who share your interests and love of learning, then Road Scholar will be perfect for you. My fellow travelers ranged in age from 45 to 85 (average age for tours is typically mid-60s to mid-70s), and the excursions, although active, are not strenuous. If you enjoy the tropics and snorkeling, a trip to the Pacific may well be the highlight of your life, too. Hope to see you in Tahiti!
Mrs. Matthews [Linda Coble] and I went on a bus tour of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and points east in Canada. We had never been to that part of the world before. We had 20-plus fellow travelers along for the ride … and it was fantastic!
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The prostate is located just below the bladder, where urine is stored. The prostate also surrounds the urethra, the canal through which urine passes out of the body. It is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man ages. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. It affects more than 50% of the men over age 60. Testosterone and other hormones may play a role.
I am headed off this summer to a place I’ve never been before, with people I’ve never met before, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Adult Water Aerobics
Senior Softball
