Jonathon Won

I wouldn't consider myself a person who has strong emotional or spiritual ties with my ancestors. The truth is I hardly ever think about the lives my ancestors led. May be this scientific world has desensitized us to our emotions, or may be it has allowed our spiritual selves to elude us. Whatever the case, it seems that in today's modern world, most people see life as business as usual. How can I think or worry about people who lived in a different time than I. I don't know most of them from my experiences so why should they be of importance to me.

Well, after thinking a while about this topic, I began to realize the importance of knowing my relatives. Sometimes a family tree is written for reasons other than just being able to trace your roots when someone asks. Obviously, if it were not for my relatives I could not have existed. The gift of life is indeed a gift, a gift I believe is only given to us once. I think pursuing the knowledge of one's ancestors is like trying to find out who you are inside, at least to a certain extent. When I think back to when my grandfather was alive, I can see traces of myself within his image. I cannot exactly pinpoint what it is about him that makes me similar, but I know there are various personal qualities that I share. I always looked up to my grandfather when I was growing up, even though at the time, I may not have realized the importance of appreciation. I'm older now and my grandfather is only a collage of memories. After thinking about my grandfather more extensively though, I felt it was time I find out a little more about what he was like. Maybe I would understand a part of myself, or see a part of myself I had not seen before.

It has been seven years and five months since my grandfather, Raymond Y.C. Won passed away, but I can still remember many aspects of his personality and appearance. I was going on 16 at the time. I can vividly remember what his voice was like, strong and deep just like my father's. He seemed to me, a man who was peaceful, very humble. I soon found out that there was much more to him than I had perceived, especially after witnessing over 500 people attending his funeral. I thought to myself, ÒWow, this guy was very popular!Ó However, I found out that there was much more to it than being popular. Some people become popular because they are bad, others become popular because they are in the right place at the right time. My grandfather was popular because he made a difference in many people's lives. Whether it be from doing people a favor or giving them advice, he was always there for his friends and family. Someday, I hope people will see me the same way they saw him. Seeing the many people at his funeral was enough to make me wonder what kind of life he had, but all I really knew about him was from my own experience.

I used to catch the bus to my grandparents house almost everyday after school. Since they were already retired, they were the ones who took care of me after school while my parents were at work. I remember the feelings of anticipation I had while riding the bus. I couldn't wait to go to my grandparent's house. I would always walk two blocks from where the bus dropped me off and then feel a sense of relief upon arriving at the house. Memories of then strike me as odd now, for I have grown so much since I was in that routine, but the memories are still strong. I distinctly remember the small black gate and the cement walk way that leads to the steps and the front door. Upon entering the front door, how could I forget the living room? It had an early 20th century design as did most of house. The parts that were newer were added on as my grandparents had children. The house still felt like an old house to me, anyway. Anything older than me is very old. However, I found much comfort in that old house. The house is, to me, a large part of my childhood and it is large part of my grandfather. My memories of him coincide with the memories of his house. As a child after school, it was a place of refuge from a hard day's work. I spent many hours in relaxation and play there. From the years I spent there, I could have easily called it my second home.

My grandfather did a lot for me. Sometimes he would pick me up from school and take me to various places around town. And I can't leave out all his fine cooking. He was best cook I ever knew. My father's cooking is pretty good as well, but it could not top my grandfather's. Memories like these that I have of my childhood makes me see how much I may have taken my relationship with him for granted. This is not to say that I have any regrets about my relationship with him. I was still fairly young when he passed away. However, since I never expected him to leave as soon as he did, it made me see ways in which I could have done more for him or more with him. My grandfather was, indeed, a great man in my own eyes, but now he is gone, and I am a grown man who has become curious of what he was before I was born. After realizing how popular he was, I wanted to know his whole story, so I asked my father to tell me.

My grandfather was born Feb. 10, 1914 in Honolulu and was the youngest of 11 children. He graduated from McKinley High School in 1932 and then furthered his education at UH Manoa where he received his degree in teaching. UH was also the place where he met my grandmother. She received a teaching degree as well. My grandfather's first teaching assignment with the State of Hawaii was located on Maui at Paia Elementary School. He loved to teach, and throughout the years he took up many teaching positions. Kaimuki, Waipahu, and Kahuku high schools were other schools where he taught, but his career did not only involve academics. He worked as an assistant coach in football and basketball at these high schools. It seemed that whatever my grandfather did, he was always doing it for the better of someone else. It is a quality that I myself did not truly begin to cherish until my college year.

In my grandfather's spare time while growing up and into later adulthood, he took up many hobbies. For example, he was an actor with the Chinese theater. He was also an enthusiastic gardener. My father tells me he was an expert in growing, breeding, and cross-breeding orchids. As a matter of fact, he tells me my grandfather's new strains of orchids are referenced in books on orchids. As I think back to when I was growing up spending a lot of time at his house, some of the most prominent imagery I see of my grandfather is him out in his yard tending to his plants. He always took great care of them, and of course his love and support was certainly not limited to them, for without his love an attention I may not be the person I am today, nor may I even exist.

My grandfather retired in 1974 as Provost of Kapi'olani Community College. He had quite a long list of job positions during his career in education. The high schools he taught at that I mentioned earlier were not the only jobs he had. In the latter part of his career he took on the position of vice principal of McKinley High School and Farrington High School, not at the same time of course. It was the vice principal's job to take disciplinary action on the students who misbehaved. One can imagine how tough that sort of job can be. It was just as hard then as it is now. My grandfather's ability to manage these jobs shows his hard work, integrity , and commitment to the educational system.

I guess the important question that really has to be answered is, what is it in my grandfather that I see in myself? This is a very difficult question to answer for there are many variables that go into such an equation. I believe that much of who we are is accountable from how we are raised. A lot of my qualities, I believe have been passed down from my father, and before that my grandfather. Many of these qualities were imprinted in me. I want to have commitment in whatever I do because whatever I do, I want it to be something I love. I believe I have the determination like my grandfather to make things right for myself by doing good causes. Times have certainly changed, but if I am lucky I will have inherited those special qualities that my grandfather possessed so that I may flourish in a world where strong friendships are crucial for one's survival.