1941-Life-Cover

1941-Life-Cover, a photo by jdodson_303 on Flickr.

Pan American will always hold a warm spot in my heart and mind, especially in my spirit. It was on a Pan American 707 that I flew to Tokyo, Japan in August of 1961.

We stopped in Hawaii long enough for refueling and long enough to purchase a post card. I recall a quick glance at Diamondhead and then off again. The pilot dipped down shortly after takeoff from Honolulu to give us a look at a small island, Midway Island, where a WWII battle made the difference in World War II.

It was on this flight where the new attendants, costumed in silk kimonos, served us Kirin beer. They handed us small rolls of hot linen for wiping our faces. "Make you feel fresh," the attendant told us. I recall how beautiful the young Japanese woman was. It was then, I believe, that I fell in love with Japan, even before I arrived. Yes, thinking back about the flight 50 years later, I must say with all honesty that it was one of the highlights of my life.

We landed at the old Tokyo International. From the time we took off in the a.m. from San Francisco, I did not see the evening until I was, at last, checked into my new duty station at NAS Atsugi, Japan.

It was a most exciting adventure for a young lad still in his teens. It was certainly one of the experiences of my LIFE.
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1941-Life-Cover by jdodson_303

IZKY

IZKY, a photo by kibayashi on Flickr.

WHAT RED LANTERNS MEAN TO ME

(Inspired by a photograph by Kibayashi)

There is nothing like the image of red lantern
to stir my memories. The red lantern in Japan
must mean many things
to many people,
but to me, a
red lantern
is a promise of a sort of peace and kindness, a beacon
in the night that beckons those who might
be wandering,lost in the night.

There is nothing like the sight
of a red lantern glowing to
stir up my old memories of
warm and friendly faces.
The red lantern
in Japan
must mean many things to many
people,
but to me, a red lantern
is a promise of a sort, a kindness glowing
in the night, a kind of beacon in the night
that calls to those who might be
wondering, lost in the night.
The sight of a red lantern
glowing in the darkest part
of a city anywhere in Japan
was like a Zen moment
in a sea of strangers I never knew,
strangers who never knew me,
yet people who showed love by smiles and
a cup of tea or sake, a moment in time
unspoken, unreported, but remembered
for untold years, pleasant memories not
forgotten, but always a kind of kindness
meant for me to to follow, a place of shelter and
silent kindness.

By Robert L. Huffstutter

I really do appreciate your photograph. It has inspired me to write a verse about what your image means to me personally. Hopefully, you will approve. I have added your photo in several of my galleries and included it in my online blog, BLOGABOUTJAPAN. Thank you, Robert

IZKY

IZKY, a photo by kibayashi on Flickr.

WHAT RED LANTERNS MEAN TO ME

(Inspired by a photograph by Kibayashi)

There is nothing like the image of red lantern
to stir my memories. The red lantern in Japan
must mean many things
to many people,
but to me, a
red lantern
is a promise of a sort of peace and kindness, a beacon
in the night that beckons those who might
be wandering,lost in the night.

There is nothing like the sight
of a red lantern glowing to
stir up my old memories of
warm and friendly faces.
The red lantern
in Japan
must mean many things to many
people,
but to me, a red lantern
is a promise of a sort, a kindness glowing
in the night, a kind of beacon in the night
that calls to those who might be
wondering, lost in the night.
The sight of a red lantern
glowing in the darkest part
of a city anywhere in Japan
was like a Zen moment
in a sea of strangers I never knew,
strangers who never knew me,
yet people who showed love by smiles and
a cup of tea or sake, a moment in time
unspoken, unreported, but remembered
for untold years, pleasant memories not
forgotten, but always a kind of kindness
meant for me to to follow, a place of shelter and
silent kindness.

By Robert L. Huffstutter
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IZKY by kibayashi