Page 4 - MidWeek - March 15, 2023

4 MIDWEEK MARCH 15, 2023
Where’s your favorite brunch spot?
Driving Dad Crazy
I love to drive. When I was a kid, I obsessed over cars. It was my dream to own 007’s Aston Martin DB5, or Steve McQueen’s Porsche or ’68 Mustang GT. Then
there was the Batmobile, and later the DeLorean DMC. My dad taught me how to drive in his 1973 manual trans- mission Toyota Corolla. I got my learner’s permit at about age 15 and was ready to go. But my dad was a hardcore Army discipline type, and I likened him to Robert Duvall
DAYNA SUR
Diabetes Research Assistant, Kāne‘ohe
“Nami Kaze. Its Japanese- American fusion-based menu is so unique, and I love how the restaurant uses high-quality local ingredients, too.”
CAMERAN COLE
Front Desk Agent, ‘Ewa Beach
“La Hiki Sunday brunch at Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko ‘Olina. The all-you- can-eat buffet has unique dishes, fresh seafood and incredible service.”
TASIA RAMOS
Admin Assistant, ‘Ewa Beach
“Button Up Cafe in Pearl City because its food is one of a kind. I can’t find stuffed strawberry cheesecake French toast and poutine tots anywhere else.”
CHAD BATOR
Caretaker, Pearl City
“Pancakes and Waffles in Waimalu. Country-style breakfast hits grand slams every time for me.”
in the movie The Great Santini or Jack Webb in The D.I. It wasn’t going to be easy. Learning how to drive from him was also when I learned every curse word in existence. The only way to pass in his mind was to shift gears from a complete stop on this steep asphalt hill on the side of Foodland Wahiawā. You were literally sitting in a rocket
ship launch position.
Getting out of gear and balancing the clutch and gas was
nearly impossible, as either the engine would die out from letting the clutch out too fast or I would start rolling back- ward. Then my dad would start yelling comedian George Carlin’s “seven words you can never say on television.”
Ron Nagasawa
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A Death And Life
s someone who talks to people about life, re- cently I’ve been asked about death and why so many people are passing away. Although
I don’t know the answer, I do know that death makes us reflect on life, especially our own.
You are currently living your one life, and one day it will end. You may have fair warning. You may not. Since life is for living, I invite you to consider these questions:
• Am I truly alive in my life? If not, make it your immediate mission to revive yourself before you ac- tually die.
• Who do I love, and do they know that I love them? Communicate this clearly, even if you think they know.
• What do I want to be remembered for? Let the answer guide you toward how you want to live.
alice@yourhappinessu.com
Even when I finally got it, he’d say, “OK, now go up the hill in reverse.” And when I got that part down, he’d say it was time to learn how to parallel park — on a hill. Thank God we didn’t live in San Francisco or I would have been catching the bus through high school!
Once I received my driver’s license, my dad whipped out his Vietnam Zippo lighter and lit a cigarette. I knew he was proud, but the first thing he said was, “Don’t get fancy” — meaning not to let it get to my head and start driving recklessly. He and my mom bought me my first car, a red Chevy Vega. After that, I was on my own. I even got a job picking pineapples so I could pay for insurance and gas.
The first car I purchased on my own was a black 1970 Firebird 400. Thereafter, nearly every car I have owned has been black. To the best of my memory, here’s all the cars I owned: a Volkswagen-based kit car called an Avenger GT (Ford GT40), a 1948 Plymouth with suicide doors, a 1971 Alfa Romeo Spider, a 1987 Honda CRXsi, a 1995 Dodge RAM Sport truck, a 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 4, a 1989 Lotus Esprit SE Turbo and a 2007 Porsche 987. I know this borders on toxic masculinity, but truth be told there were also family cars like my wife’s Ford Granada and, for a while, my in-law’s Plymouth minivan.
We’ve been blessed to have reliable transportation and I don’t take it for granted. I’m not likely to get an Aston Martin DB5, which is probably a good thing.
Like my dad said, “Don’t get fancy!”
rnagasawa@midweek.com