One Great Love

There will be many loves in our lifetime;
But, only one truly great love.
Our destiny will determine if we end up with that one great love;
However, all our loves will have some of what that one great love has given us.

--Choc-Talk--

The HIGA Name

比嘉

Minnasan konnichi wa: (Nihongo o benkyo shite imasu kara taihen heta desu yo.)

Higa no namae wa do iu imi ka na? Muzukashii desu ne? De mo kono 'explanation' wa anatatachi ni de gozaimasu.

I remember Mom describing the name once to me when I was in Okinawa searching for Granpa Higa's sister, Waniya Kobashigawa. Also, my good friend Stan Sotsuda (who retired from the US Army, married an Okinawan lady and raised his family there - he was the manager of the Commissary at Camp Butler, and of course, a bowler) who helped me to locate the Kobashigawa in Nakagusuku-son.

While there is no completely solid definition for "Higa" ('Fija' or 'Fiija' as it is said in Uchi-na-guchi - Okinawan Language) the characters in our last name are made up of "Comparison" and "Praise."

Mom and Stan both agreed that the closest definition could be, "peaceful cooperation," or "calm negotiation" - or something to that effect.

This uncertain definition and/or meaning in translating Japanese to English makes sense to me since, in my attempts to study Nihon-go, I'm finding that a great majority of Japanese words and phrases have only literal meaning when translated into English.

This is possibly why many English words are popularly used in the spoken Japanese such as, "I Love You," "Thank You, "Okay," "Good Luck," and "Congratulations." (Phonetically - "Ai Rub Yu" "Sank Yu" "OK!" "Guud Ruck" "Congra-chu-ray-shun" (remember Nihonjin learn to pronounce words by memorizing "ma-mi-mu-me-mo; ka-ki-ku-ke-ko; sa- shi-su-se-so; ta-tchi-tsu-te-to; etcetera)

When I was traveling in and out of Japan back in the 1980's, it was reported that the Crown Prince, (now the current Emperor of Japan) proposed to his fiancee in English because it was easier to say than in Japanese? Might be Urban Legend but that's what I understood it to be.

As omoshiroi as it may sound, modern-day Nihon-jin, nowadays, will tend to pop in an English word in the middle of a sentence, much the same way that Hawaii Japanese have been doing for many years. It's because the meanings of English words or phrases have a more direct meaning than if they were to be said in Nihongo.

Ta-to-e-ba, take the phrase, "I Love You." In Nihon-go the phrase could be said in various ways such as: "Suki desu," "Dai Suki Desu," "Anata no koto was suki desu," and so forth.

So, anyway, let's stick with "Peaceful Cooperation" or "Calm negotiation," for the meaning of "Higa," okay?

It's too bad I never asked Mom about, "Matsumoto." From my little knowledge of Japanese, the most common translation would be - "Matsu = Pine Tree" and "Moto = Foundation, origin, or base."

I-jyo, desu.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Lynne and Leighton Moved Homes

Hello Higa clan,

Just to let you all know that the Tannos have moved.

We have downsized and now live in a two bedroom that accepts pets.  House was sold, but no profit at all.  It was our albatross to get rid of.

We found out our Kimokeo house was everyone’s store room.  Had Kavin’s, Mom’s, Great-grandpa Matsunaga’s, Grandma Tanno’s, Grandpa Tanno’s plus Carole’s stuff.  On top of that us LTs used it for storage too.  Found lots of boxes of fabric so want to start up crazy quilting like Mom did.  We still have stuff that we had to store, but will have to cut that down within the next few months.

Have been living here for about 2 weeks now.  I can walk to work in 5 minutes.  Lots of eating places within walking distance that we’re starting to explore.  Big difference between eating at the restaurant and doing take out.  Our lease is for one year and then we’ll decide what to do.  If we have to move again, I’m going to be hiring movers.  Leighton is coming up on age 64 this year and it was taxing for him.

We’re all well and trying to adjust.  Will drop a line later.

Aloha to all,

Sis Lynne

It's Meant To Be

Friends we are and friends we'll be,

What we both know is meant to be.

Be true to your heart and you'll always be

Happy and joyful as it's meant to be.

-Choc Higa

May 31, 1991, Harker Heights, Texas

It's A Sparrow

I received a video in my email this past week that really made me think. It showed an older gentleman sitting on a bench with an adult, younger male reading a newspaper next to him. A bird lands on a branch of a nearby tree and the old man says, "What is that?" "It is a sparrow," the younger man answers.

A few seconds later, another bird lands on a nearby bush and the old man inquires, "What is that?" The younger man looks up from his reading and says, "It is a sparrow." Still another bird lands on another tree branch and the old man again asks, "What is that?" The younger man looks up, visibly annoyed, and answers, "It is a sparrow, a sparrow, the same as the other birds you asked me about  a s-p-a-r-r-o-w!, Why are you doing this to me?"

The older man stands up and heads into the house they are sitting in front of. He comes back out with a book (it turns out to be a diary or journal that the old man has kept), turns to a page, and asks the younger man (by now I have figured out it is his son) to read the passage he points to.

In summary, here's what the son read out loud: "Today, I was sitting in the park with my young son and he asked me the name of a bird that had landed nearby. I answered him that it was a sparrow. Twenty-one times he asked me, 'What is that?' and, twenty-one times I answered that it was a sparrow. Twenty-one times I hugged him because of the affection I felt for this young son of mine…"

What does that have to do with bowling? On the surface there seems to be no connection, however, as a coach, I sometimes have to answer the same question over and over again. Because it is a student of mine asking the question, I tend to be very tolerant. Sometimes, before we can move forward with a lesson, a point must be clearly understood or the coming lessons might not make sense.

Patience - "It is a sparrow." "It is the second arrow." "It is a smooth follow-through." "It is a pendulum swing." "It is a reactive resin bowling ball." "It is your pre-shot routine." "It is your positive mental attitude." "It is your ability to adjust to different lane conditions." "It is your practice session routine." "It is your 'why'?" "It is your love of the sport." "It is a sparrow." - Patience. It is, indeed, a virtue.

First Written April 11, 2007

Kids bowling on Saturday and/or Sunday mornings in an organized and monitored junior bowling program are the future of our sport.

I grew up in a junior bowling program that bowled on Saturday mornings. That was the greatest thing that could have happened because it took me off the streets and away from getting into trouble. My circle of friends changed from the government housing arena to a group bowling in an organized, well-coached, and chaperoned club.

The head coach became my surrogate father and he made sure that we worked hard to remain in the club. Our report cards and all school work went to him first so that our eligibility for continued membership rested in our hands. Very simply, if you wanted to continue in the kids bowling program, you made sure you had passing grades.

From 1960 through 1966, youth bowling was organized nationwide under the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC) and later, the Youth Bowling Association (YBA). This would later become the current Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA). Regardless of the governing body, getting kids involved with an organized junior bowling program from a young age helps them to develop into responsible adults having learned about teamwork, organization and taking leadership.

By age groups and divisions, a good program they will have elected officers such as President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. This helps the youngsters to build their self-esteem and develop their sense of responsibility. They are taught bowling etiquette and courtesy, help to increase their math skills learning how to keep a score sheet manually, and learn general respect for each other and the bowling accessories and equipment. Learning how to socialize with their peers is another important aspect of them belonging to a kids bowling program.

It should not be overlooked that with regards to YABA and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), many events have scholarships as prizes. This means that beginning at an early age, kids can win funds for college. While medals, patches, and trophies may be nice for immediate recognition, winning scholarship money can spur and direct them into thinking about getting a higher education.

Any way you want to look at it, getting children involved with a junior bowling program as early as they show interest can be very beneficial for parents. I know that my mother was very grateful as she remarked quite a few times that when we began taking an interest in bowling, she rested easy because we weren't running around creating mischief. With many of our friends ending up on the wrong side of the law in later years, she had much to be thankful for.