sv Fete Accomplie: Thank you For Packing My Parachute ! ! !

Arriving in Honolulu, again!!! - passing over Diamond Head, September 2019, on a long overdue trip to catch up with lifelong mates . . .

(Pic above I took in 1992 after leaving Florida - I am using this as the one I took just recently did not turn out clear enough)

Why the strange heading above? - well, below is a True story of what it means and why it pertains to this blog . . .

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam.

"After 75 combat missions, his plane as destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.

“ I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”

Plumb thought of the man hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?” Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

As you go through life this week, this month, this year, recognize people who packed your parachute as I am doing, here, with three special people who came into my life many moons ago, and made me a better person because of their unfettered friendship.

Me with Candace & Jay Meyer & Dana Boardman at Royal Kona Resort

This has been one of the hardest Blogs I have ever written. Normally I just sit down, and along with the pics of the most recent excursion, the words just come out and blend in together.

This blog though comes under different circumstances, which I won't go into here, but those who know, will know.

At left is our home for the next 5 days or so, The Royal Kona Resort, Kona, the Big Island, Hawaii. A perfect setting to catch up with special friends in this special place . . .

Here is another view of Kona and the Royal Kona Resort from the air (downloaded from the web), to give you a better idea of where we stayed. So close to everything we just walked to most places.

But I guess the best way to do this blog is to show you pictures and places we visited and shared time together.

Here is a view from my room looking back over to

the Kona business district.

First Day: Dana took me to breakfast at one of his local restaurants, Huggo’s. Later I was to find out that the owners of this establishment, own several high-end restaurants in the Kailua/Kona area, which we also visited during our stay.

My 1st night back on the Big Island and the Royal Kona Resort put on a Luau for me . . . no, not really, they do this several times a week for the tourists.

A visit to the Hawaiian islands is not complete without experiencing one of these - a feast featuring lively music & cultural performances showing of the friendliness and hospitality of these amazing people.

So as I sat back and took in the luau, I enjoyed a "Real" Bud, unlike the stuff they produce and try to pass off as Budweiser in Australia.

The familiar taste bought back many memories as those of you who have followed this blog would know my liking for this brew which I use to take on all of my trips . . . but no more!!

Jay and Candace arrived the next day, and as we haven't seen each other for several years, and had a lot to catch up on, we spent most of the time chatting, eating & drinking in some of Kona's most popular restaurants and bars . . . to me it was like continuing a conversation I had had yesterday even though it had been many years since we had been together. I'm sure many of you have had that feeling when you catch up with special people.

One of the other reasons we were

here

was to check out Dana's new Boat (seen here at right) which is currently berthed at the Honokophau Boat Harbour as seen here at left).

Two of the great restaurants that Dana had organised for us to visit were Mi's Waterfront Bristro, right in Kona and Lava Lava, set right onto the northern beaches up in Kailua Bay - north of the Airport - well worth a visit when you're there.

One of the other places Dana took us to was this beautiful old Coffee Shack, on the left, set above the sloping lava hills that roll down to Kealakekua Bay with endless western views over the ocean. Why is this place special - well in my last blog I mentioned that The Big Island was where Captain Cook met his fate . . . well here is where it happened, just below in that little bay. From what I have read he had been here twice before but had to return to this location due to damage to his boat and as they were thought to be gods due to the colour of their skin etc, one of the crew died showing the locals that they were mortal. The locals then attacked because of the misconception, and Cook was killed. That's about the gist of the story although I'm sure there will be some who will elaborate on this.

Unfortunately, Jay & Candace had committments back home in Florida and had to leave too soon, but it was great to catch up and reminisce and feel the love that these 2 gorgeous people give out every minute of the day.

I am sure (hoping) that we will do this little trip again and am looking forward to being in their company one day soon.

Words could never describe my feelings for them - Jay & Candace

"Thankyou for packing my parachute".

Although Jay & Candace had left, Dana had another special treat for me. On my 2nd last day there, he drove me over to the eastern side of the Island, back to Hilo, where you will remember that I sailed into some 10+ years ago from San Francisco. Here he had arranged for me to catch up with Mike and Ku'ulea Thomas, back at Cronies Bar. Mike, some of you may remember looked after Fete for me while was back in Australia.

It was so good to catch up and hear what they had been up to and I'm sure we will catch up again next time. Mahalo!

As I sat there on my last night, watching the ever beautiful Kona Sunsets and having a Bud or 2, my thoughts drifted to the wonderful friends that made me what I am today.

Jay, Candace and Dana fill a big space in my overall makeup as they have always been there, whether I knew it or not, and I am ever appreciative of them for everything.

There are also a lot of others who make up the mix and who have also helped pack my parachute and hopefully they know who they are - so to you all, let's keep in touch and catch up soon as we aren't getting any younger.