A Judge's Story

As he looked across at the opposing team, his subconscious began looking for a hole in the defense. The quarterback began the count and his muscles tightened in anticipation for the "hike."  The burst of energy that always comes with another play on the football field flowed through his body as he grabbed the ball and ran his route watching for openings.  The linemen were on point that day and as the end zone grew closer, his blood pumped faster and he felt like a cheetah saving his muscles for the final surge of energy needed for those precious six points. As he crossed that final line, the sound of the cheering crowd became clear as though he was rising from underwater grabbing gulps of air. The celebrating lasted for several hours beginning on the field to the locker room to the dorms.  

He shut the door to his dorm room muffling the sound of music coming from the main student area and knew the rest of the crowd would be living it up for quite some time.  But he had a test in his political science class on Monday and needed to study.  He felt confident as he reviewed throughout the semester but this test would determine whether or not he would go to law school.  And that was his goal.  That had ALWAYS been his goal.  His older brother was his inspiration.  By the time he was born, his brother had almost completed high school and was preparing for college.  Growing up on a little island in the South Pacific, college was a goal for only a few people.  And funding it?  That was even more daunting.  His brother moved back home when he first started high school with a wife and two and a half kids. His brother had completed his degree in Business and was working for the government.  He thought about his brother's accomplishments and also wanted to make his family proud.    

When he decided to attend college, his goal was law school.  Period.  Football?  That was for play. Even when he walked on and tried out for the team, sports was always secondary.  He would get homesick and football helped him stay busy and focused.  He was stuck in Missouri and when it snowed, he thought about the warm, tropical breeze of home.  He remembered the sandy beaches and trees full of flowers and food.  Law school was needed because he wanted to live someplace warm, close to home, and maybe later actually move back home.  That was his intention.

He saved his money so he could travel once he completed his Bachelors degree.  He had always wanted to see the world and found a six-week law internship in Greece.  It was an amazing experience and it allowed him to not only study law, but to study another culture.  One so vastly different from his own and yet very similar.  When he traveled home after his trip to Greece, he taught his niece Greek words and some of the culture.  That summer was his respite before beginning the rigors of law school.  His renewed energy from these trips helped him to stay focused.

He saw his brother sitting in the audience as he was sworn in first as a District Court Judge then later as a Circuit Court Judge for the state of Hawaii.  His heart swelled with pride as he was able to acknowledge his family and all of the people who helped him on his journey.  He loved to tell the story of the woman who worked at a bank in Hawaii who helped with his school funding.  Every year he would call her and say, "It's that time!"  She would laugh and tell him, "Don't worry.  We've got you covered."  She was a voice over the phone but he vowed to visit her when he finished law school.  And he did.  After he finished law school and prepared for the bar exam, he went to the bank and asked for the woman.  He had a gift for her.  When she came out, he asked if she remembered the boy who called her every year to ask about money for college.  And he told her thank you.  And they cried.  She, among so many others, were his inspiration, his guides, his cheerleaders.   

Walking along the sandy beach in Hawaii making his way to his canoe, he remembered those days filled with snow, football, homesickness, and his career.  The water was a clear blue and the waves lapped against the shore slowly taking sand out to sea.  He could see the calmness of the ocean and knew the rowing would be smooth.  He could see his teammates up ahead preparing the canoe for the race.  He smiled as he remembered those days on the football field.  He heard someone yell, "Hey, Judge!"  It was a lawyer he worked with in the Prosecutor's office for many years.  He waved then looked out over the Pacific ocean and in his mind, he could see home.  He could see the flowers growing around the house with their vibrant reds, yellows, purples, and pinks. He could smell the gardenia flowers planted right outside the door near his mom's grave.  He saw the mountain behind the house, the waterfalls that would flow during a strong rain, the green of the treetops, the land they called Vaitele.  In a few years his daughter would graduate from high school and attend college. Then he would move home.  It was time to go back.  It was time to give back.  It was time.