Monday, 01.21.2002
A walk down memory lane. I was going through my old photographs today and found some real gems that brought back some nice memories for me.

(L to R) Shari, Rocky, Me
At a karaoke get-together (circa 1998)
What ever happened to this guy?!

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and I do believe that's true. These photos spoke volumes to me of good times, carefree days, and fun with friends. The sad thing is that I'm no longer acquainted with some of these friends, having lost touch with them long ago. Lost in the midst of growing To-Do lists, work schedules, and other obligations. It gave me pause and made me wonder exactly what kind of friend I am.

Sadly, I can honestly say that I'm usually not a very good one. I let myself get caught up in the daily grind and I forget about everything and everyone else. It's only those that are persistent about getting in touch with me (and use e-mail), that actually succeed in getting me out of my cave.

(L to R) Mahealani, Lance, Shari, Me. Taken at Ryan's, Ward Center (circa 1998) I keep in touch with Mahea and Shari, but only know what's going on with Lance via his web site.

I was never one of those people that completely forgot about their friends once I found myself a boyfriend in high school. So why is it that I find it so easy to lose touch with my friends now that I'm married?

I'm not quite sure how to answer this. I mean, it would sound terrible if I said that friends are so much more important when we're single and in school and that my priorities have realigned themselves now that I'm a "married woman." Besides sounding awful, it's very untrue. 

Friends are still very important to me.  It just seems that as I grow older, I am being more selective of my friends and opting to spend more quality time with them as individuals -- or in smaller groups -- rather than in a big mob. I can relate much better with friends in a more intimate atmosphere. My relationships now run deeper with fewer people, rather than very shallow with a bunch of folks. I tend to like it that way. I neither have the time nor the energy for large gatherings every weekend these days. 

L to R: Shari and Wade. Standing the test of time. My oldest friends. I've known Shari since grade school. Wade has been my classmate since Preschool. Unfortunately, Wade is in California now and we get to see him once every few years if we're lucky. He's another one that I've been having a hard time keeping in touch with -- mostly because he's even worse than me in responding to e-mail! (Love ya, Wade! heh!)

I'm glad that I'm back in touch with Shari. We, too, had been largely out of touch for a few years (all my fault).  In fact, Shari will be doing the Great Aloha Run with Joyce and I next month!

I spent much of the day scanning photos to send to Shari, since she's been wanting me to create a photo page for her web site. It was nice revisiting the old days, vicariously re-living them and vowing to try to be better about keeping in touch with my friends -- and perhaps trying to contact some of those that I've lost touch with. Ha! A blast from the past! Won't they be surprised? ;-)

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 4:6-7

A photo of me in full stage dress and makeup for a performance at the University of Hawaii (circa 1998)
This photo brings back great memories of dancing alongside my dear friend Joyce; all the practicing, preparations,  stress, stage fright, pre-show anticipation... :)

:::::::

::Byte Me::
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chicken Pho from Bale
Dinner: Miso Soup, Salad

::Bits 'n' Bytes::
Moving: None
Feeling: Tired
Reading: Gen. 41-42; Ps. 21; Matt. 21 *Click to read what I'm reading!
Hearing: Sarah Brightman, "Whiter Shade of Pale"
Smelling: Victoria's Secret Fragrant Body Splash: Strawberries & Champagne
Tasting: Halls Mentho-lyptus cough drops

Here's a photo of me and Zarli, post-performance at the Hawaii Okinawa Center (circa 1996). I have no idea what became of Zarli either, but I did stumble upon his web site today after doing a search on him on Google.

::Show your Love::
Please be a dear and take a dinner mint or indulge yourself a few grains from the rice bowl before you leave. Your clicks help to rank me higher on those two journal directories and that makes me happy. :)