My penchant for high adventure began when I was a mere 2 years old. At that tender age, the stage was set for living a life "outside the box".
My fam and I lived in a newly-built, concrete block home 2 ½ blocks from Kailua Bay, on Oahu's northeastern shore. <<< Yep, that's my beach!
One glorious 75-degree morning, I toddled out the back door, per usual, down the concrete steps, from the kitchen to the backyard.
Then I see it....a shiney "fence" thing around the the edge of the yard that was not, I repeat, NOT there the day before.
This "fence" was like the play pen(itentiary) I was put in every GD day to contain me, with the jail bars on it so the parentals didn't have to "keep an eye on me". What did that even mean??
I had tried a million times (well…maybe 20) to climb out of said playpen, instinctively craving the free reign I knew was my birthright. The fence loomed tall as a skyscraper, my resolve to get up and over it only strenghened by its sheer height.
Head down, I went for it full bore.
Wedging my bare foot into one of the crisscross holes, then another, I began my vertical ascent, zig-zagging up and up and up. Reaching the top, I clambered over it like a spider in the night. Silent.
My left foot hit pay dirt on the other side, then my right. OMG! Sweet freedom!!
Standing there planted between my house and the neighbor’s, I calculated my next move, and hung a left toward the street, my determination ironclad.
Upon reaching the sidewalk, I went left again, confident, head held high, eyes scanning to catch every bit of the technicolor world around me.
You see, this was my first foray alone in the big wide world. I was digging every second of it!
As I came up to the neighbor’s three houses down, I saw that their front door was open, common in Hawaii due to the warm weather.
Inside I saw a box with lit-up moving pictures. My curiosity piqued, I marched up the walkway, up the steps, entered the living room unnounced and sat down on their sofa.
Eyes glued to the moving pictures on the box, a lady entered and exclaimed, "Oh my! Where do you live?!!" My lips were zipped.
Soon, my worried dad appeared at the door, to the lady's visible relief.
Dad walked in, apologetic, gathered me in his arms and said, "I'm so glad you're safe, sweetie."
There I was, having the best day of my life and I’m thinking, “What’s all the fuss about??"
Dad rook my hand and we walked home. He told Mom that he found me at the neigbhors', then something about how the "cyclone" fence, (meant to withstand gale-force winds!), was installed for the sheer purpose of containing my wanderings.
And how would they handle this new development of my escape artistry?
(I was not informed of the solution at the time. See the "HUGELY Important Update" below!!)
The good news was ~ I didn’t get into trouble, this time. They were just happy I was alive, not kidnapped or dead.
This was just one of my escapades, where my curiosity caused me to seek out experiences that were "outside-the-box," the fence being the box, in this case.
I was a free spirit and would not be contained...a fitting metaphor for my life ahead!
This innate trait hugely influenced my approach to watercolor painting. I invented my own personal method because I wanted my pieces to be 100% unique.
Stay tuned for more Story Blogs about my adventures, including: living off grid in the mountains of Kona, hitchiking across the U.S. and hopping freight trains, living on a back-to-the land foodie commune, and more cool, fun surprises!!
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My unique, self-invented watercolor painting method was born from those early days as a keiki (tiny tot), craving a life outside-the-box!
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**HUGELY Important update*
It's August 2024 and I JUST shared this story with my older brother, Pat. He remembered this vividly and that my parents ended up buying a tv set specifically to curb my wanderings. I remember us having a tv, but didn't know the why.
LOL! Hahaha!! Whoa my God, I was, and AM powerful!! YESSS!!!!
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