The Natatorium

We have shared memories of summer houses and summer vactions at Kawela Bay and Ka'a'awa Beach. But I was reminded recently by a cousin that this blog and the Tribalpages website I've created are for MY family. This is true. My brother, sister and I have memories of beaches in Hawai'i that we've spent hours and days on that were not shared with our cousins.

We went to those beaches with my father's family-Aunty Tete, Uncle Herk, our cousin Puna and the only grandparents we knew well, Robert Napunako Boyd II and Gladys Kalaola Cockett.

I think I've been a little distracted by the upcoming Kauakahi 'Ohana Reunion and other family issues that I've forgotten to acknowledge these beach memories that we shared with our Boyd 'Ohana.

One of the sites that I do have good memories of is on an endangered historic sites list...one of the eleven most endangered, according to The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in the United States. It's not Kailua Beach, where we went on weekends with our parents. Kailua Beach seems relatively secure from being dismantled or destroyed or lost within the next few generations, thanks to it becoming the get-away of a currently famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint, I guess)Punahou alum.

It's the beach, now called Kaimana but once known as Sans Souci and the adjoining Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial.

Like all of us, it has seen better days. Its current situation is being reviewed by a task force convened by Mayor Mufi Hanneman to determine what will be done with it and how much this will cost. There is a loud and vociferous group that wants the Natatorium razed so that only the beach will remain.

For my part and the memories we have of swimming at Sans Souci, adventuring in the Natatorium (but not swimming in the pool--we weren't allowed to do that), climbing the old bleachers and scaring ourselves with spooky stories about the old changing and shower rooms--a Waikiki without the Natatorium would somehow look incomplete...as if it were like me, missing some teeth...even though the teeth were old and not pretty, they were mine.

Well...I want them to resolve this issue without touching my memories of the place too much, but that might not happen. As with the houses we've lived in that are now gone, perhaps what we will have will only be the place we remembered and not the one that is.

Avoidance

Yes--I have been avoiding this blog for some time now. It's a reaction, I know, to receiving unwelcome news about one of my sibs...one of the twins.

It's shocking to me.

When we were growing up I thought them physically strong, mentally alert, capable and energetic..all the things I was not. In fact, on many occasions, some which I remember and some that I don't, the twins were my caregivers. My sister believes that not remembering some of those occasions is a good thing.

I can see how that could be true considering what I do remember...the bus accident that shoved in my nose and top front teeth--with the twins trying to stop the bleeding before Mom and Dad got home. I think they put me to bed because I was dizzy or something.

They both remember when I fell out of the mango tree and blacked out. I have absolutely no memory of that incident but they said I woke up and they got me in the house.

Yes, in those days, latch-key kids were home alone...a lot. That's what we were. My lovely sister-in-law said it best "You three were raised to be survivors."

I didn't really appreciate the sentiment at the time but I do now and I hope my sister, who was the recipient of the unwelcome news, remembers it, too...the three of us have always had each other through some really tough times. We've managed to survive those times together. That's the operative word...together.

My sister and my brother know that we are together, whatever happens. Someday we'll be able to make a funny story out of this experience, as we have so many others. Someday we'll find some humor in what will come. Not right now. As with so many other experiences that we have had, living through the experience comes first. Remembering it together is something to look forward to.

God bless you, sis.