A Graduation Celebration to Remember

They say, when you graduate from high school, you should never look back. Oops, I did!

Recently I returned to the town where I graduated from High School - Orem, Utah. Yes, I was an Orem High Tiger seems like a century ago, but not quite that long.

I thought I would drive past where I had hung out after school, and was surprised to see they were tearing down the old school, whose halls I walked down on a daily basis. Wow, did that make me feel old.

They are building a newer, better facility for the students. It did bring back memories of my glory days as an Orem Tigerette. We were the ones who cheered on the football team and did our half-time marches to the cheers of our classmates.

My Graduation Story

Not everyone has the police and their dogs chasing them on graduation night, but I did. What started out as a very innocent evening of fun turned into a nightmare. We had a large graduating class in 1969. We barely had a second in the ceremony to stand and have our name read before receiving our diplomas and singing our school song.

After attending the crowded graduation ball, a bunch of us graduates decided to hike to the big “Y” on the mountain. Having a lack of energy to complete that feat, we ended up at Canyon Elementary School where we relived our childhood climbing on the monkey bars, reeling on the merry-go-round and really enjoying our freedom from High School.

Neighbors in the vicinity were not as gleeful as we were, and they reported us for disturbing the peace! Soon sirens and a canine van drove up. Police with weapons and their dogs appeared out of their cars, and we decided to surrender rather than run and be tackled by Rover. It was about 3:00 a.m., and thus my criminal record started. Pretty much, that is the extent of it.

Our ten year reunion was held in Provo at the Elk’s Club. It was fun to see old friends and classmates. Our class president had unfortunately met an untimely death from a motorcycle accident. Seven of our classmates were reported to have died. It was interesting to watch the same old groups form. Even more apparent was the degradation that had taken place to several members of my peer group. Although the greater percentage of my classmates were Latter-Day Saints, a bar was set up and by the end of the evening; about half of them were in a drunken stupor.

Some alumnus were disgracefully dancing with their partners and sharing their horrendous life experiences without any shame. Many were divorced and looking, and others were divorced and swearing never to marry again. I felt quite fortunate to have escaped many of the calamities the others had experienced.

It was evident that although most of us had been brought up in supposedly good homes, something was definitely lacking. I believe too much stress on the material aspects of life and popularity (at whatever expense) had overshadowed the more important issues.

Nevertheless, I do have some fond memories of High School, and I am very grateful for teachers and friends I had at Orem High School.

http://hubpages.com/education/A-Graduation-Celebration-to-Remember 

Hawaiian Scary Ghost Stories

Most people call them goose bumps, but in Hawaii, when you feel the presence of a ghost, or you are affected by a spooky story, we call it "chicken skin" . This is the sensation where you feel the hair rising on the back of your neck, your eyes get big, and your heartbeat races. This particular ghost story was told by Cheryl Wilson to Glen Grant, a famous story teller in Hawaii, who died in 2003.

The funeral for my grandmother in the spring of 1950 was a beautiful memorial service held in a church in Kaimuki. My grandmother had lived a full life and left this world attended by her large, grieving family. She and my grandfather had been blessed with many children who bore them numerous grandchildren.

When the Mass was over, the final blessings were given to be followed by the procession out of the church. The six pallbearers were chosen to carry my grandmother to her final resting place. They solemnly gathered around her coffin, slightly bent their knees and genlty lifted the side handles in precise unison. As all six of the men then attempted to rise up and take grand mother on her last journey, the coffin would not move. It seemed as if it were fastened down to the bier with bolts. 

Quickly glancing at each other in astonishment, they tried again to lift the coffin. Again grandmother's remains would not budge. Realizing now what strange occurrence was taking place, a murmur rose from the mourners in the church.

My grandfather knew instantly what was happening. Although he was a devout Catholic, grandfather was well-steeped in old Hawaiian beliefs concerning the spirits of the dead. When the coffin did not move, it was the Hawaiian understanding that the deceased was not ready to go because the loved ones were not there to say good-bye.

Now grandfather looked among the mourners to see if everyone my grandmother loved was in attendance. Her punahele or favorites were her mo'opuna or grandchildren. All of the grandchildren were at the funeral, grandfather knew, but my two older boy cousins were nowhere to be found. As the first grandchildren, they were especially favored by grandmother.

A quick search was made for the cousins and they were soon discovered outside, playing on the church grounds. The boys were ushered in to pay their respects and to bid a fond aloha to their beloved kupuna.

After the good-byes were said, the pallbearers lifted the coffin without any trouble. The procession followed my grandmother out of the church and then on to Diamond Head where she would eventually be laid to rest.

In her final farewell, my grandmother had taught her mo'opuna her last earthly lesson. The bond of aloha is not severed by death.

Hawaiian Ghost Short Stories I

Most people call them goose bumps, but in Hawaii, when you feel the presence of a ghost, or you are affected by a spooky story, we call it "chicken skin" . This is the sensation where you feel the hair rising on the back of your neck, your eyes get big, and your heartbeat races. There are many ghost stories from Hawaii which may give you "chicken skin".

One of the best ghost story tellers in Hawaii was Glen Grant. He just died in 2003, but had become very popular for his stories. He had a store in Mo'ili'ili called The Haunt where he became a giant in talking story about obake (telling tales about ghosts) These are some of the ghost stories that were shared by Glen Grant in his Chicken Skin Tales . Hope you enjoy this one.

http://elayne001.hubpages.com/hub/Hawaiian-Ghost-Stories-I 

Story of the Cursed Tiki

From the beginning of this earth, there have been curses. Because the serpent beguiled Eve, he was cursed above all the beasts of the field. Then because Adam listened to his wife, the ground was cursed so he would have to work hard the rest of his life to take care of them. The Lord cursed Cain for killing his brother Abel. Cain became a fugitive and vagabond. God also cursed all those who took a covenant with Satan. In the days of Moses, if someone cursed God he could be put to death by stoning. It seems like there is plenty of cursing going on in the scriptures. Read Deut. 27:15-26.

http://elayne001.hubpages.com/hub/Story-of-the-Cursed-Tiki