I grew up in Hawaii and sang in a choir. We were a very tight group of teenagers from various schools. We were laid back and went to the beach together and sang our hearts out. Then we all grew up and followed our paths until we met up again on Facebook a number of years ago. And we were different. Last night one of … Continue reading Guns and Love and Fear
My father, Ed Collins, died when my son, Kyle, was just one year old. Perhaps he knew his time was short because on April 28, 1994, less than three months after Kyle was born, he wrote him this letter. On the envelope it said “To Kyle on his 18th birthday.” We gave it to Kyle this past February. We had waited for years to see … Continue reading On Father’s Day: A Gift from the Grave
My mother always had her head in her art. One of my earliest recollections growing up was her gluing tiny glass stones into mosaics of colorful peacocks. Then she shifted to ceramics and for years our cars could not park in the garage because of her kiln and workshop. When I sang in a choir called Na Kani Pela we needed to raise money so … Continue reading Going Back to Paniolo Country
The Sunday New York Times had a feature in its Travel Section today on how to spend 36 hours in Honolulu. It singled out some of my favorite places like Kapiolani Park, Chinatown and the drive from Hanauma Bay to Waimanalo with stops at Sandy Beach and Makapuu. With no disrespect to the author, Jocelyn Fujii, I would like to suggest my own itinerary based … Continue reading Facetime Instead of Facebook: 36 Hours in Honolulu
When I was a senior at St. Andrew’s Priory in Honolulu I was selected by my high school government class to spend a week at the Hawaii state capitol observing the legislature. My assignment was to select one bill under consideration, research it and follow it through the session. I chose the effort to legalize prostitution. At the time, Hawaii had a very active sex … Continue reading Prostitution in Perspective
Two years ago the Rocky Mountain News ended publication after 150 years. The Colorado newspaper was a casualty of a changing media environment which saw the bankruptcy of dailies across America. Recently former Rocky editor and publisher, John Temple, sent out a survey to his former staffers to see how they were faring in their careers. Ryan Warner of Colorado Public Radio sat down with … Continue reading Rocky Mountain News Retrospective
Today is Pearl Harbor Day, commemorating the Japanese attack on Hawaii on December 7, 1941 which brought America into World War II. President Roosevelt called it a “date that will live in infamy.” It was the backstory for kids who grew up in the islands. We learned about the horror in history books and movies like “Tora, Tora, Tora.” To this day I still point … Continue reading Pearl Harbor Day
How good is this! KNBC overnight assignment editor Jacki Cisneros and her laid off husband Gilbert Cisneros win the Mega Millions Lottery. They spoke this morning to Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira on NBC’s Today Show from the Burbank studios after winning $266 million. Gilbert bought his lottery tickets at L & L Hawaiian Barbeque in Los Angeles, one of my favorite places. After they won she went to … Continue reading NBC Assignment Editor Wins Mega Millions Lottery
This month’s “More” magazine has a series of essays, by influential women authors, about the meaning of home. “A Wanderer’s Retreat” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni really speaks to me. Her writing is flavorful and evocative as chai. Her story about first loving her grandfather’s home, connecting with landscapes after his loss, then finally finding home in her own heart resonates with the wanderer in me and perhaps would even … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Home
Hawaii is seeing the biggest waves in 40 years. We were at this exact spot on the North Shore of Oahu at the end of October. Waimea Bay was calm and my son, Blair, jumped off the rocks that these people are videotaping from. To give perspective Da Big Rock, as it is called, is about 75 feet high. Earlier this week the waves were up to … Continue reading Hawaii’s Big Waves
Vicky Collins Online 