cyber3d
Well-known member
Ok, I thought this might be interesting. And I wonder if anyone else has experienced a similarly significant impact from their own ukulele adventure.
Ok, so background; family is from Hawaii. Maui actually - where our roots are. We moved to Los Angeles in the late 50s. We visited annually for a long time. Eventually, we stopped. When I was 20 I lost my father, then my sister, then my mother all in a handful of years. Life went on in L.A. In 2005, major accident and TBI while living in Seattle. Back in LA since 2008.
I take up the ukulele on a lark a few months ago. Borrow a friends uke and now own my own beautiful uke. Today, while listening to some old Hapa albums. I breakdown. Balling like crazy. Floods of memories I lost to the traumatic brain injury come back to me. I remember my sister's love for Hawaii, my love for the Hawaiian culture, my dad's pidgin accent, my very special cuz Vanessa, my grandmother (who used to be a traditional hands on healer and how she used to work her magic on me), the music my family played on the stereo, the lifestyle, eating sugarcane from the fields, and so much more. My eyes still tearing up.
My sister was very special to me, loved her so much. She died too young. Getting in touch with these lost memories have really affected me and will continue for ever.
And I owe it all to taking up the mighty ukulele! It has brought a big part of my heart alive again.
Peace.
Ok, so background; family is from Hawaii. Maui actually - where our roots are. We moved to Los Angeles in the late 50s. We visited annually for a long time. Eventually, we stopped. When I was 20 I lost my father, then my sister, then my mother all in a handful of years. Life went on in L.A. In 2005, major accident and TBI while living in Seattle. Back in LA since 2008.
I take up the ukulele on a lark a few months ago. Borrow a friends uke and now own my own beautiful uke. Today, while listening to some old Hapa albums. I breakdown. Balling like crazy. Floods of memories I lost to the traumatic brain injury come back to me. I remember my sister's love for Hawaii, my love for the Hawaiian culture, my dad's pidgin accent, my very special cuz Vanessa, my grandmother (who used to be a traditional hands on healer and how she used to work her magic on me), the music my family played on the stereo, the lifestyle, eating sugarcane from the fields, and so much more. My eyes still tearing up.
My sister was very special to me, loved her so much. She died too young. Getting in touch with these lost memories have really affected me and will continue for ever.
And I owe it all to taking up the mighty ukulele! It has brought a big part of my heart alive again.
Peace.
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