THE OCTOPUS BOUNTY HUNTER

Charlie, Kauai's Octopus Bounty Hunter

(Photo courtesy of SKA)

As intelligent, resourceful, and innovative as the octopus might be, they are no match for a determined octopus fisherman.  On the beautiful Garden Island, the oldest sibling of the Hawaiian

volcanic chain, Charlie, aka The Octopus Bounty Hunter, is arguably the creme de la creme.

Weather and tide permitting, Charlie is up long before the multicolored bantam roosters, running wild and overpopulating the island with their fowl presence, even think about clearing their throats with that first morning crow. 

He is dedicated, organized, and relentless in his pursuit of the octopus.

It is rumored that the tentacled arthropods all along the Kauai coastline do their mating whenever Charlie takes a day off.  Loosely interpreted, this means that the octopi are recreating and procreating only during high tides and nasty weather conditions.  

I can just see it now.  On any given reef or local ocean bed, the blinking (rapid color-changing) male of the species is calling out to his potential mate,  

"Eh, honey!  Mo' bettah we hook up right now befo' dat Chahlie come around, yeah?"

"Okay, sweetie!  I goin' put on my puka-coral necklace and be right ovah!"

"Yeah, well, hurry up because I stay all stressed out.  And you know how dat affect my performance!"

Ah, yes...the ongoing quest otherwise known as the survival of the fittest.

I jest, of course, but it's all in an effort to underscore just how good this local boy is.

Just a few months ago, he was sitting at home wondering how he was going to get rid of 300 pounds of frozen octopus meat in order to make room for the rest of his family's frozen goods.

Then, one day, after talking story (shooting the breeze) with his brother who has a small business on eBay, Charlie was inspired to pursue Craigslist as a viable means of marketing and selling his overflow.  Charlie had seen ads on the local site for selling opihi (Hawaiian limpet), but he wasn't sure how the sale of tako would fare on that online marketing venue.

But the listing was free, so why not try?

And try he did. 

At first, nothing happened.

Gradually, however, he began getting a few nibbles.  Soon, the nibbles turned to gobbles.  Within a month's time, the volume of demand surpassed the volume of he'e that had been sitting on ice. 

At $5 a pound, a most reasonable price in today's economy...and certainly far less expensive than what the grocery stores were asking...Charlie soon sold out his frozen octopus.  

Now, with most of his bills paid and money in his pocket, the delicious dilemma he faced was to go fish for more octopus to help feed his family and hustle up a decent income for living expenses.  I use the adjective delicious because, next to his aloha for his family, Charlie LOVES to go fishing. It's in his blood.  It's in his Polynesian heritage.  It's in his very soul.

Long a decent spear fisherman in both shallow shore as well as over-the-reef fishing, Charlie began concentrating more on finding and capturing the elusive tako.  Some days, he came up empty-handed...well, not really, because he would always have the fallback benefit of spearing a variety of fish.  Most of the time, he found his octopus.  Quite frequently, as in the photo above, and especially in his more recent dives, he has caught multiple octopi.

Charlie's hobby/business has grown to the point where he's established a more than sufficient customer base.  In fact, he has had to delete his listing on Craigslist.

Recently, I kidded with him.  "Charlie, maybe you better hire that Jamaican guy I saw lying on the beach last December."   

(Click on the link below.  Check out the post and find the photo of the colorfully clad Rastafarian of whom I was referring.)

http://hawaiianodysseus.blogspot.com/2011/03/effects-of-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami.html

Charlie laughed.  But he and I were on the same page.  When good things happen as the result of seizing golden opportunities in the midst of struggling, there's a part of us that wants to share our good fortune with others.  

I never preach to Charlie, and he shows me the same respect.  But we do speak spiritually nonetheless.  We know there's a compassionate God who cares about each and every one of us here on earth.  We keep it simple.  We thank Him in our own special way.  Charlie pays homage every day he leaves the beauty of the sea.  I like to think I do it every time I pound out a post on my two blogs.

In any event, I keep in touch with Charlie on a weekly basis.  I like hearing of his successes.  He and I have had our share of dark times.  In the late summer of his life, and in the autumn of mine, we have hopefully begun learning that no matter how dark things may seem, there's always light peeking in somewhere.  We just need to go look for it.

Speaking of light, I couldn't think of a more fitting way to bring today's post to a conclusion than to present you with something lighthearted to watch.  

(I want to thank fellow blogger, Shirley Hao, who shared the following video with the readers of her post dated December, 2009, in the earthjustice.org blog.  I also want to acknowledge the team of scientific researchers from Australia's Museum Victoria who made the video.)

A CRAIGSLIST SUCCESS STORY

Charlie and four of his octopi friends

(Photo courtesy of S. K. A.)

An enterprising local boy from Kauai has combined his passion for octopus fishing with the e-commerce vitality of the juggernaut social medium, Craigslist.  

Fellow Kauaians who eagerly search for octopus in local stores, sadly discovering that this seafood is often sold out, find themselves without bait while their friends and other fishermen are hauling in papio, ulua, and other game fish that are compelled to strike the alluring tentacles and mantles of the octopus.

In the meantime, Charlie, a proficient octopus hunter, was facing a different kind of problem.  He had a freezer full of octopi.  Even after giving some of the delicacy to family and friends, he found himself hard pressed to clear up room in his freezer for ice and frozen foods.

One day, while discussing the very issue with his brother over the telephone, the proverbial light bulb came on.  Hey!  Why not advertise on Craigslist?  What could he lose?  After all, the listing would be free, and in what appears to be a double dip recession, you can't beat FREE!

His brother thought it was a brilliant idea and fully supported it.   Although Charlie was initially skeptical of the idea, he found his brother's support to be encouraging.

One day, then, he drafted a simple little ad and posted it on the Kauai Craigslist.

At first, not unlike Charlie's initial endeavors to catch the slippery, elusive TAKO (Japanese) or HE'E (Hawaiian), the lack of response almost prompted him to abandon what appeared to be a hairbrained idea.  But he committed to leaving the ad up for another week.

Eventually, like the sudden shock of a big fish hitting a line with tremendous impact, the first sale came through.  At first, the initial sales were few and far between.  Gradually, however, the entrepreneurial dam cracked wide open, and like a rushing, hellbent flood, orders began pouring in.  

Soon thereafter, Charlie's octopus stash was 100% depleted.  

About the same time, Kauai was hosting its annual papio/ulua fishing contest.  The locals were in a frenzy as they searched high and low for the prime octopus bait.

You know how it goes when demand overshadows supply.  The economic dynamics favor the seller. Such was the case with Charlie...big time!

Literally working his butt off (he'd lost 15 lbs in a month's time), Charlie went diving almost every day, diligently studying and taking wise advantage of the tidal and meteorological patterns.  He was able to meet his orders while growing a substantial customer base and a secure advance reservations list.

Most of us have heard the recent news about tragic Craigslist events.  This post won't give any attention to these things beyond the mere mention of them for the purpose of creating a contrast.

We need more stories like Charlie's to provide a basis with which to inspire other aspiring hobbyists and potential businessmen to utilize Craigslist and other social media for the promotion of constructive and successful transactions.  This is of special significance during these anxious and unsettling economic times.

Congratulations to Charlie and others like him who perpetuate the American economy, one small step at a time.

http://hawaiianodysseus.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-brother-charlie-excellent-octopus.html

http://86881gpk6hrmfwh211s1v3whtq.hop.clickbank.net/

ALIEN TRESPASSER?

Stink Horn Mushroom
(Photo courtesy of Silas K. Aqui)

Aliens already inhabit our planet.

While taking care of his chores the other day, my brother, Charlie, came across one of these extraterrestrials.  I want to share with you his own words...

 I was taking out the trash and looked down below the hedges and spotted this mushroom.  At first, I thought it was a kid's toy and then looked closer and realized it was a live mushroom. I live  next to the wettest spot in the world, Mt. Wai'ale'ale, on the Garden Island of Kauai. This is the second time I've seen this mushroom. As you can see, the stem is a bright orange, and the cap looks like creamy chocolate.

--Silas Kaumakahia Aqui (aka Charlie)

A small army of ants had already been dispatched by their queen to forage this unusual mushroom.  The alluring colors and sticky, stink to humans but aromatic to insects, chocolate-colored cap attracted our six-footed miniature friends.  (If you look closely at the picture or have the ability to zoom in for a close-up, you can see the ants clustered just below the brown cap.)

Indeed, the very action of ants or other living organisms traipsing around in the gooey substance ensures the proliferation of this unusual mushroom.  Spores become attached to the insects because of the slime and are thus rapidly and effectively spread to other areas.

Charlie wasted no time in attempting to identify this new arrival in the yard.  He emailed the mycologists (mushroom experts) at mushroompatch.com and asked them for help in identifying the stranger.

It took the experts four days to respond, but they actually were able to identify the subject.

The mushroom is called a Stink Horn.  The link below will take you to an article with great information about this uncommon mushroom.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/mutinus_elegans.html
(With acknowledgment and gratitude to Michael Kuo and the mushroomexpert.com staff.)

My brother's sharp eye and follow-up made for another fun-to-write post.  It certainly got me thinking about the possibility someday--another of my bucket list agenda--of hiking around in the Olympic Forest of Washington state and looking for mushrooms.

BRADDAH CHARLIE'S PORTABLE FISH CLEANING SINK

Braddah Charlie's Portable Fish Cleaning Sink
(All photos in this post courtesy of Silas K. Aqui)

                                                                                 
Ah, the ingenuity of the local island boy!  


My brother, Charlie, has for some time now wanted to build an outdoors fish cleaning sink.  He's been great about not burdening Mom or other family members with the burden of cleaning the abundant amounts of fish he catches.

 But his good intentions cannot eliminate the often overwhelming AROMA DE LA MER, shall we say, that permeates the household and can seriously damper one's appetite.  Besides, there's nothing like preparing for dinner and seeing fish guts in the kitchen sink.

So, true to the process of invention, the irritating grain of sand in Charlie's oyster shell catalyzed his creative juices to the point where he could no longer procrastinate.  The idea that had been germinating in his mind for years finally came to fruition.

And here is the result.

Come on in, Charlie.  I'll ask Andrea, the "local girl" barista at the International District Starbucks to make you a venti soy latte while you share your story with all of the Hawaiian Odysseus family.

Once again, folks, here's my favorite guest blogger, Charlie!


Aloha, everyone!  


First of all, I built an ipe (Brazilian Walnut) wood frame that would support a 21" wide by 15.75" deep stainless steel sink with a 9" bowl depth.  The frame was fastened with stainless steel finish screws.  


Next, I fashioned a countertop from a 30" wide by 21" deep by 1/4" thick Corian oil splash.  The countertop was glued to the frame with liquid nails.  A similar procedure for the sink followed, this time using 100% silicone.  


The Corian cutout for the sink had a handle installed and used as a cover. Since the sink sits under a tree, this cover keeps leaves, twigs, and other objects from soiling or--worse yet--damaging the sink.  


After installing the countertop and sink, the frame felt a little shaky, like it needed bracing.  I had this old 1/4" highway sign, so I ripped it 11.5" and screwed it around the perimeter of the frame with stainless steel screws. That did the trick!

I then installed a spigot.  If you look at the second picture below, you can see that on the bottom of the spigot, I added a male tread to accept a washing machine hose which has two female ends.  This way, I can get my water supply from either a garden hose or a spigot.  


Next, I installed a drain and ran a PVC to the garden, capping the PVC at the end.  


I then drilled holes on the sides of the capped PVC, added irrigation hoses, and led them to the plants.


That concludes my account of how I put this project together.  


Aloha, folks!


Aloha, Charlie!  And mahalo for taking time to share with all of us--in words and images--this wonderful and innovative invention.  


What's really neat about this particular project is its GREEN features.  I like the idea that the fish entrails, blood, scales, and other waste products eventually end up in our mother's garden, thus providing the soil with natural fertilization.


If there are any drawbacks--and I'm kidding here, folks--there may be two distinct possibilities.  Charlie may end up having every stray cat in the neighborhood as backyard patrons, not unlike the way I frequent the coffee shops.  Secondly, our mother's vegetables may be too big for her cookware.


We invite you to peruse through and enjoy the following images.

                           

                                 

CHARLIE BAGS AN OCTOPUS

In two previous blog posts, we featured my brother, Charlie, with good-sized trophy octopi.

(Please click on the following to access referenced blog posts.)

http://hawaiianodysseus.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-brother-charlie-excellent-octopus.html





http://hawaiianodysseus2.blogspot.com/2011/01/silas-kaumakahia-aqui-with-6-lb-octopus.html


Now, we're pleased to present actual video footage of Charlie capturing an octopus. 

Mahalo, Charlie, for providing us with this wonderful opportunity to view this experience as it happened!




                                                

HIBISCUS DISPLAY

Mom with one of her prize hibiscus flowers
(Photos courtesy of Silas K. Aqui)

My mom is 77 years young and an incredible example of  ho'oponopono.  Loosely translated, this Hawaiian concept embodies the process of setting things right.  This is the legacy of Mom's life--that in spite of having to bear an unmerited amount of pain, grief, and loss,  she has set a solid example for her descendants on how to maintain a life of dignity, compassion, and aloha no matter what one encounters.

This spirit of ho'oponopono is manifested in the way she continually esteems others before herself, not in a manner of being overly submissive and easily taken advantage of, but--to the contrary--exemplifying strength and respect for self, others, our planet, and God.

Another way she demonstrates the power of redemption and reconciliation in her life is in the manner in which she is a faithful steward of the earth.  I had not seen this part of my mother when I was a young boy still living at home.  She may have acquired a penchant for gardening sometime during the four decades since I left Kauai, or it may have been one of her girlhood interests that lay dormant until she was called to engage with the flora once again.  In any event, when I visited her this past December, I was enthralled with what she had done in her little garden space.

Recently, my brother, Charlie, sent me photos of Mom's hibiscus variants.  I am very happy to share these photos with you and so proud of my mother and her efforts.  What a  privilege to view and appreciate the beauty of Eden!

Check out the beautiful dish artwork.

  

A slightly different angle.

           

OF OLIVE STARBUCKS AND BRUDDAH CHARLIE'S A-#1 FISH SCALER!

Bruddah Charlie's Innovative Fish Scaler
(Photo courtesy of Silas K. Aqui)

The Sound Transit 545 Redmond bus makes its last downtown stop at Olive and Terry before hitting the I-5 freeway.  On a whim, I decided that I would get off at this point and make the half mile up the hill to this newly renovated Starbucks I had been hearing about.

It was an experience well worth the effort.  I just love this coffee shop!  It is 2 to 3 times bigger than the average Seattle Starbucks store.  The average clientele (I saw about fifty people during the couple of hours I spent lounging here) are in their mid-twenties to mid-forties with a handful of seniors added to the mix. 

The baristas, all female, have a lot of energy and engage in a lot of witty banter with customers and each other.  Brandy helped me with my drink and was quite personable.  I told her that this was my first time at this particular Starbucks shop and that I really loved the atmosphere.  Without losing a beat, she said that this place is fondly referred to by the patrons as "...the Olive Starbucks or Gaybucks."  I found that quite amusing.

Introduced myself to the young black man sitting at the table next to me.  His name was Eric, and he was quite pleasant  as he shared with me the dynamics of this location.  Like many of his student peers who frequent this shop, Eric had a laptop and a pile of books on his table.  Oh, I almost forgot--he also had earphones in his left ear.  It's a twenty-first century cliche, after all, that bears mention in one's humble blog.  

I had written about the schizophrenic nature of the Seattle weather in a previous  post (see Morning Musings, January 13, 2011 post), and today was no letdown in that department.  Not unlike Hawaii, I might add, were the intermittent fluctuations of sun and rain...thankfully, as I write this sentence, it is very beautiful outside as I peer through a windowpane polka-dotted with water droplets.


So, where does Bruddah Charlie and his fish scaler fit into all of this?  Well, as I sat at my table working on my laptop, I came across an email from my little brother with a photo of an innovative fish scaler he had made out of a piece of fiberglass fishing pole, screws, and four Heineken bottle caps. 


I will share with you Charlie's own words as he describes this handy device he'd concocted:

Tim Carrillo gave me some 16" fiberglass cut offs that came from an ulua pole maker, so I had it for awhile. Then "lightning struck!" I said I'll make fish scalers out of them.  I have four Heineken caps screwed on the tapered end and a cord to hang it up.  They work real good 'cause your hand is far away from the fish, and you know how you can get poked from the fish fins or scales if you're too close.  

(Guest post from Bruddah Charlie)

Thank you, Charlie, for once again contributing to my blog.  

Simple is best.  

And just as with the fish scaler, the appeal of the Olive Starbucks is its departure from corporate cookie cutter store and a return to simple, nostalgic, roomy, and personable ambience.

Did I already tell you?  I like it here!  There is this certain--je ne sais quois--subdued hum of energy about this place, and it totally stimulates my creative juices.

I'll definitely be back!

                                        

CAN THE LAW OF ATTRACTION HELP ME CATCH FISH?

Blog author unsuccessfully utilizing the law of attraction...to catch fish.
Kahalani Beach, Kauai
(Photo courtesy of Silas K. Aqui)

Okay, I want to set the record straight.

I cater to the school of thought that POSITIVE THINKING is a very real and powerful universal force.

It follows, then, that my next natural step of progression is to buy--ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!--this notion that there is a LAW OF ATTRACTION.

When the good Lord created the universe, He didn't say, "Aw, shucks!  It's kinda dark in here.  I need some light!"  That would be a wimpy God, One who focused on the problem.  The omnipotent Creator focused, instead, on the solution.  His powerful Word proclaimed the reality of a phenomenon while it was yet just an idea.  


"LET THERE BE LIGHT!"  He declared.


And there was light.






(Flashback to last December)  I was down to my last week on Kauai, and I desperately wanted to catch some fish.  My brother, Charlie, told me that the wet weather, along with the facts he gleaned from the Hawaiian tidal chart, indicated that fishing would be poor.


I was stubborn, though, and wanted to show my brother that I could catch fish in the dirty water caused by the flow of muddy fresh water from the Wailua River washing into the ocean water.  Surely, the freshwater shrimp was attracting all sorts of small and medium game fish to the area.  Surely, I would be able to catch a papio (juvenile trevally or jack fish),  And then my little brother would be in awe of me, just like he used to be when we were forty-plus years younger.  I mean, I had all kinds of narcissistic fantasies going on.


So, I cast my line forty yards or so into the surf.  My brother had warned me to not cast too far out because the area had a lot of rocks.  But it had been years since I had cast a line out, and I wanted to show off, oblivious in my delusion that I had long lost my fisherman's moves and muscle memory.


Sure enough, on my first cast, my line got stuck on the submerged rocks, and although Charlie did his best to jiggle the lead loose, we lost it.


In five casts, I ended up snagging and losing three leads, just like I had done the week before at Poipu Beach.  I felt foolish, embarrassed, and insecure that my brother would lose his patience with me.


To Charlie's credit, he remained calm and lighthearted the whole time, putting me at ease and reducing my anxiety.  A nice change about my brother, I was observing, was his maturity and ability to use humor to defuse stressful situations.  


With the Law of Attraction, the universe does not pay any attention to NO, NOT, NEVER, and other negative derivatives.  In a sense, it was very much at work that December island morning, though in a way I hadn't intended.


Whenever I thought, "I will not get another lead stuck in the rocks!"...I got just what I asked for.  (Remember, the universe deletes the word, not.)


So what about the fish?


Initially, I consciously asserted that I would catch fish.  Lots of fish!  


But as the morning progressed, more dominant thoughts came to mind.  Darn, another whitewash!  My brother will think I'm poho (useless)!  Shoot, it's gonna rain!  I just gotta catch a fish! (Note how this last statement has a spirit of desperation, and this is contrary to the more positive intention-driven Law of Attraction.)


What I concluded about this episode and something I consider a perfect tier of loose ends is that the Law of Attraction had, after all, really manifested itself at my beck and call.


Wasn't it the most important thing, after all, that my brother and I--after decades of separation--had finally been able to have this powerful moment of connection?  A memory built on a morning at the beach...here on this beautiful,  wet but nevertheless verdant island of origin.  Wasn't it all about the renewing of the Super(natural)-Glued bond with each other and to the land, the water, the universe, and our God?


There came a pensive moment when Charlie cried out to me, "Joe, look over there..on the horizon!"


Oh, my goodness!  Magnificently, albeit briefly, way off in the distance, about 4 miles out, we spotted a whale as it breached and sent a powerful and towering spout into the morning air!


Yes, without a doubt, the Law of Attraction was definitely alive and real this gray and rainy Kauai morning...even if the fish were still sleeping.

"AND THE #1 FOOLISH THING TO DO ON KAUAI IS..."

Hula Hooping Haole Girl at Wailua Falls, Kauai
(Photo courtesy of Silas K. Aqui)

Okay, so this could easily be used by Dave Letterman's panel of writers as fodder for the Ten Most Foolish Things to do on Kauai.  

It had been an exceptionally wet wintry season on the Garden Isle this year, so on an ironically rare sunny day, my brother, Charlie, and our brother-in-law, Wayne, decided to go for a ride to view the beautiful Wailua  Falls.

My brother was in the process of taking several photos when--all of a sudden and much to his amazement--a young Caucasian woman appeared at the top of the falls and began gyrating with her hula hoop.

Quickly, Charlie whipped out his video camera and filmed the young woman (and, eventually, her two male companions) as they moved about the precipice.

In the past, several people have fallen to their deaths from the same spot where the hula hoopster was doing her thing.  

Kauai has had its share of flash floods, too.  It would not have been a far fetch of the imagination to visualize such an occurrence taking place, especially in light of the recent heavy rainfall.


We're thankful the young woman and her friends did not experience any mishaps.


For Charlie's part, it gave him impetus to post his video on YouTube.


And, thus, I get to share it with you, faithful blog follower.

                                          

ALOHA OE, GIRLIE!

Girlie (1995 - 2011)
(Photo courtesy of Silas Kaumakahia)

She was of no pedigree lineage.  Instead, she could have been the  poster canine for POI DOG OF THE YEAR.

But what she lacked in purity of heritage, she more than excelled  in purity of heart.

She was the faithful companion of my brother, Charlie, for thirteen years.

Charlie estimates her age at death at fifteen years.  That's the equivalent of one hundred and five human years.

At the end, she could barely move anywhere outside of her one square yard of living area.

Girlie was stricken with severe arthritis.  She was also blind.

When my wife, adult children, and I visited our Kauai family in late December of 2010, we remember seeing Girlie walking stiffly in tight circles on or near her resting space just outside of the front entrance to my sister and brother-in-law's home.

Not unlike a human elder finding comfort in ever-decreasing perimeters, Girlie was content to live in her tiny and insignificant space.

But in my brother's heart, she possessed and traveled through prime real estate that had no boundaries.

On the evening of Girlie's death, Charlie looked through old pictures and watched videos of his dear, departed friend.  He thought it would bring him comfort.  Instead, he was stricken with anguish and sadness.

In Isaiah 11:6, we read:

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Charlie can find solace in knowing that there will be animals in heaven.


Someday, when he stands at the threshold of heaven, it's reassuring to know that Girlie will be there to greet him.

DARE TO STAND ALONE!

View from Princeville at Hanalei

There are times when one will flow with the crowd.  

Social conformity, after all, is a requisite for a civilized and progressive nation.

There are times, however, when one must stand apart from the majority.  Times when one must draw a definitive line in the sand and declare,  "I disagree with what you're doing.  I choose something better for myself."

It's a matter of principle.  A matter of character.  A matter of courage.

It could also be the one choice that makes a significant difference.

Case in point:  My brother, Charlie (aka Silas Kaumakahia Aqui).

Several months ago, Charlie made the tough but very sound decision to quit smoking and drinking.

He didn't pussyfoot around with patches or programs or a slow and steady weaning from the nicotine and alcohol.

He just made up his mind to quit.  And he quit.  For good.

You see, we have a brother who, without warning, collapsed as a result of a brain aneurysm.  A lifestyle of poor choices--yes, including nicotine and alcohol.  Lots of both.  Poisons that are seductively alluring, overpowering, and controlling.

Thankfully, our brother survived and is currently traveling the challenging and sometimes rocky road of recovery.

Charlie quit smoking and drinking as a result of what had happened to our brother.  As the addictive poisons gradually left his body, he became reacquainted with the inherent beauty of a lifestyle that is totally void of mind-numbing chemicals.

It was as if his life made a quantum leap from being a film noir movie to living like a blu-ray DVD.

His food tasted better.  His passion for the laid back island way of living was renewed.  His love for all things Hawaiiana, especially his free diving and fishing for reef inhabitants, like the octopus (please see previous blogs, using octopus as a key search word), was enhanced tenfold.

Charlie rediscovered his appetite for life itself.

His old drinking buddies, gathered at a favorite spot on the beach, would see Charlie approaching...no longer sporting a 6-pack in each hand but, rather, a water bottle.  Charlie had now chosen to imbibe on artesian liquids rather than products of fermentation.

And the wonderful thing about friends is that none of them made fun of him.  They totally respected his choice.

Meanwhile, our brother neglected to follow his doctor's orders and re-immersed himself in the old, familiar lifestyle of smoking and drinking.  Knowing full well that he was endangering his very life and jeopardizing his relationships with loved ones, he coped with life's stressors by succumbing to toxins which were at once very familiar and very dangerous.

Long story short, he got into trouble.  Health-wise and legally.  

Fortunately, our brother was given the opportunity to enter into a rehabilitative program.  With tremendous support from his beloved wife and adult children as well as his family of origin, he committed himself 100% to the rigorous program regimen.

Just recently, he graduated from the program and thus earned the privilege of returning home.  His freedom, albeit conditional until he can get final clearance from the presiding judge in his case, is something he does not take for granted.  

I know without a doubt that our brother will make it.

Which brings this post full circle back to Charlie.  

Because Charlie took the strong stance to give up smoking and drinking, and--more importantly--because he regained the pre-Fall gift of clear, levelheaded thinking and decision making, he was and continues to be our brother's go-to guy, mentor, and chief support person. 

Those of us who have experienced similar situations know very well how tenuous and challenging a transitional period can be.  Charlie's role in our brother's life is pivotal.  

It's about the beautiful yin/yang of recovery--when one is weak, the other can be strong.  Brother carrying brother until both can stand on their own two feet.

Or walk.

Or even run again!

As Charlie succinctly called it in a recent phone conversation I had with him--"Hey, maybe it was meant to be, yeah?"

There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord had had His hand in all of this.  In spite of our foolish and often bullheaded choices that end up hurting our loved ones and ourselves, God has a wonderful way of turning bad into good.

So, Charlie, there was no maybe about it.  There was definite divine intervention.  And it was allowed to be because both of my brothers began making better choices.

My hat's off to my brothers.  They each in their own individual way inspire me.

I love my family of origin.