It’s the year 2022 and just like that, 60 years have passed. Recently I was transported to my old ball field at Haman Elementary in Santa Clara. I grew up playing my favorite game, Little League Baseball. Today the weather nearly reached 100 degrees. The green grass of yesteryear had now turned brown from this … Read more
My friend at the Lucky Store seemed a little bit upset today. Earlier that morning James had been at the Mission City Cemetery in Santa Clara. It was quiet and no one was around. He liked those moments of solitude as he visited his parents at their gravesite. Their plot was located in an open … Read more
I have always loved sports, but I had too much empathy for my competitors. No matter what sport I played, I had to beat someone to win. I felt bad for them when they lost, especially after they practiced so hard. Then I found my perfect compromise, golf. We sometimes played against other competitors but … Read more
It was 1973. I couldn’t remember what led me to the Westgate Convalescent Home but I’m glad we found each other. The home was well off my beaten path, but I was somehow led there. When I first interviewed for a position I was already working forty hours a week and going to school so … Read more
It was May 1970 and I am in Cambodia. Our unit was on the Ho Chi Minh trail in pursuit of our enemies. The Ho Chi Minh trail was the main path from North Vietnam, it was used to transport soldiers and supplies. Some trucks were used, but it was mainly foot and bicycle travel. … Read more
It was the middle of the summer in 1989. My children and I finally decided how we were going to spend one of our Saturdays. We came up with a plan to go to the Santa Clara County Fair. There was a great list of things there to keep us busy—the best part was that … Read more
It is 1960 in Santa Clara. Like most kids in my small town, I was assigned chores. But soon, there was going to be a change. I was going to make a very important decision in my short life by joining an exclusive club. I was now ten years old and it was now time … Read more
In Santa Clara during the summer of 1961, there were numerous boys and girls between eight and twelve years old. We grew up on Benton Street across from the Olson pear orchard. Every year during hot summer days, hard working farm workers would strip the Bartlett trees of their fruit and deposit them in old … Read more
Today, I had the honor of being a guest at the funeral service of a Veteran Brother and friend, whom I shared classes with at Buchser High School. Ray Darrow was 70-years-old and a proud Vietnam Veteran, who answered his Country’s call. Today, with his family and friends in attendance, he was laid to rest … Read more