2 years ago today

9/29/2003 is memorable to me for 2 reasons - 1) end of bus strike and 2) end of a friendship

1) The bus drivers strike was so stupid. The bus drivers going on strike didn't deserve any sympathy. They didn't even get sympathy from the usually pro-union radio host Larry Price. And they had no sympathy from me.

Bus drivers already make more money than cops, fire-fighters and teachers, so they had no reason to bitch about their pay.

And all the strike did was cause inconvenience to those who can't afford their cars.

For more info on that bus strike, check out my editorial from 9/4/2003

http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/04/3f57021195085?in_archive=1

The most irritating thing about the strike was that one morning, where I had to walk to work in extremely humid weather. I had no money for a taxi. I was really pissed off that day!

On 9/29/2003 I was happy the bus drivers finally went back to work

2) End of a friendship

9/29/2003 was the last time I talked to a former friend.

I met that "friend" in middle school and continued to hang out with him in high school and in my college years (though he didn't attend UH-Manoa like I did).

I used to like hanging out with him because we had similar interests. I started to hang out with him when I found out he liked heavy metal music and watched "Beavis & Butthead". We also enjoyed talking about other people at our schools.

As we entered high school, we started to talk a lot about rap music and gang fights going on this island. We also cruised the malls, go to parks, and talked about hoochie girls :)

However, in his senior year, he became a constant whiner! He kept saying "I cant wait to get out of high school", while I couldn't wait for him to shut up!

You see, I was looking forward to my senior year. That is when you get even more involved in activities, become even more hyped up, be a little more outgoing, etc. After all, you want to enjoy high school while you still can.

But that "friend" didn't think that way. He preferred to whine every lunch recess and in every class I shared with him. It got to a point that during Black & Gold Day (a day McKinley High School had activities to boost school spirit) he spent that day whining. That was it! I scolded him for whining about his problems at what was supposed to be a fun activity.

After graduating from high school in 1999, I still talked to that "friend", though not as often. It was because I was attending UH-Manoa, while he was attending K.C.C. However, the conversations were civilized and usually fun.

However in the summer of 2003, his whiny side of him came back with the vengance. That "friend" became a very paranoid "man". He had a problem with some of another race and he got paranoid about it! Even though he got along with those from that other race before!



I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not going to listen to a guy being racist just because of an incident! Mature adults don't over-generalize another group just because a member of another group is rude! Grow up already!


I sent him letters telling him about all the things I dislike about him. I told him that he whines too much, told him to start respecting other cultures, told him to go see a real psychiatrist, and told him I'm going my separate ways.

Then on 9/28/2003, he called and said he wanted to return a few items he borrowed. The next day 9/29/2003, he returned those items and had a casual conversation.

However, I have never contacted that "friend" since then. And I don't feel guilty about it. I have other friends I can talk to.

Sometimes, life demands that you dump friends who waste your time! If that's the case in your life, find a way to dump that "friend"!