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Changing Hawaii
IN "Never Been Kissed" and "Peggy Sue Got Married," the heroines act out on the movie screen one of my secret fantasies: going back to campus and reliving my senior year with my adult wisdom and maturity intact. A message to Hawaii’s
high school graduatesOh, if only that were possible! I'd readily transport myself to Roosevelt High School in June 1974 and -- this time -- relish the momentous days before graduation.
Instead of wishing that my last few months of government-mandated public education were over, I'd be:
Then, if I could, I'd sit down with every individual member of the RHS Rough Rider senior class for a one-on-one. I'd take each by the shoulders, look deeply into his or her eyes, and I'd say:Savoring those well-balanced cafeteria lunches we bought for a measly 25 cents.
"I know you can't wait for commencement to arrive but believe me, my friend, you are going to miss this place one day.
"Remember when we first came to this campus as 10th graders? Jeez, we were clueless. As sophomores, we wanted to be juniors. As juniors, we wanted to hang out on the Senior Patio. Now, as the bulls of the school, we just want to get out of here.
"Yet two decades from now -- when we're the same age as (gulp) our parents -- we are going to remember our hours here as some of the happiest, most carefree and uncomplicated of our existence. For real!
"We'll also come to learn that this school -- whether we wanted it to or not -- prepared us for adulthood. Going to class is like going to the office. We can show up on time every day, be prepared, do our work, listen to the teacher/boss and learn to get along with everyone or flunk out. Except in the real world, you don't get an 'F' -- you get a pink slip."
THEN I'd take a breath, renew the firm grip on my classmate's shoulders, and leave my youthful, naive and still sweetly idealistic comrade with these final words.
"It doesn't get easier from here but remember that we'll always have a special bond as fellow members of our senior class. So even though some of us may move away or change dramatically in the way we look, talk, dress and think, we'll always have this time in common, even if it wasn't by choice.
"Oh, and one more thing. In the year 2000, if we're both, say, shopping at Longs or walking around Ala Moana Center and we see each other -- but we're not quite sure if we recognize a face from the good old days -- there's no need to say hi.
"Just smile at me, I'll smile at you and we'll both be transported back to our alma mater. In our senior year. With all our adult wisdom and maturity intact."
Diane Yukihiro Chang's column runs Monday and Friday.
She can be reached by phone at 525-8607, via e-mail at
dchang@starbulletin.com, or by fax at 523-7863.