Gathering Places
Gathering Places
80 years old and still
filling each day with lifeI would have no regrets if I died tomorrow. I can say that because I'm in reasonably good health and surrounded by love and the spirit of ohana from the family and many of my dear friends here in paradise.
Reaching the age of 80 really surprised me. I have lived on borrowed time since I sustained a heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery while I was hospitalized in Oklahoma City in August 1984. I was on temporary duty from Hickam Air Force Base to attend the Command Aircraft Engine Managers conference at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
Actually, I have been on borrowed time since I was on combat duty with the Army during World War II and the Korean War. So many of my friends were killed and wounded.
The wars taught me how to kill the enemies, but a funny thing happened. After the Korean War, I couldn't kill anything. When I see a bug, I quickly call out to my wife, "Hey, Amy, there's a cockroach here." That goes for ants and flies, too. She does the killing and I do the pick-up. At least she doesn't hurt the geckos.
The age of 80 is really a milestone. When I was a kid, I thought 40 was really old. The latest state Department of Health data show the life expectancy is 75.4 years in the United States (71.8 male and 78.8 female) and 78.9 years in Hawaii (75.9 male and 82.1 female). Living in Hawaii must be special.
I'm really blessed to have spent all my life, except for 20 years in the Army, here in beautiful Hawaii -- especially in Wahiawa, which to me seems like God's country. My retired life since 1987 has been great. Every morning, I make it a habit to look at the beautiful Waianae Range, Kole Kole Pass, Mt. Kaala and Mt. Kalena and count my blessings.
I'm glad that I still have my mental and physical faculties. They say your legs go first. In my case, everything else went first. I have already had a heart bypass, a double hernia operation, a double cataract operation, an angioplasty and stent operation and my hearing isn't that great. And what about my libido? The urge is there, but forget it!
I try to take care of my body. I eat lots of fruits and do lots of different exercises: walking, deep breathing, calisthenics, weight-lifting, tai chi and golf three times a week.
My favorite pastime is dancing the hula with the Wahiawa Senior Citizens Anuenue Hula Halau on Fridays. Kumu Hula Priscilla Ku'ulei Jeffrey has been teaching the group for three years. She's a wonderful and lovable person. All the students love her.
I'm grateful to my family physician, Dr. Sharita Azman of the Wahiawa Medical Arts Clinic, and my cardiologist, Dr. Atsushi Terakubo of Cardiology Associates Inc., for taking good care of me and keeping me alive.
Radio and music are two of my favorite pastimes. I listen to Brickwood and Frank on the Hawaiian music station every chance I have, Perry and Price on Saturday mornings and Dave Curtis' "Community Matters" on Sunday mornings.
I have volunteered my organs to the organ donor program and am seriously thinking of donating my body to the University of Hawaii Medical School. Gee, I don't know what organs they could use or what the students could learn from my body. One thing is, the medical students might say, "Gee, this Japanese old man really has lots of mileage and sure went through the mill."
I came to the conclusion that one of the secrets of living a long life is to have a loving wife who has cooked for me, given me a daily shoulder and back massage and laid out my clothes every morning since we were married 52 years ago.
Life is great and I'm enjoying every moment of it!
Edwin S. Imamura lives in Wahiawa.