Sometimes 20 year olds are wiser than almost 23 year olds. Hoku is 20. I am almost 23. And he outsmarts me in lots of ways. He knows more about Rastafarianism than anyone I know. Did you know that it is a religion based on creating a homeland in Africa? Me neither. Did you know how to build fires when you were ten? I didn’t.
I thought he was part Japanese because his name was Hoku. Do I look Japanese, he asked. No, but you never know! He’s blond and tall and lanky. His ears are pierced with little black gages. He wears worded t-shirts from various skate brands. His shoes are maroon suede vans. He is definitely not Japanese.
So where did your name come from?
It’s the Hawaiian word for star, he says. My parents are sort of hippies, he shrugs. I ask if he is Hawaiian, and he says no, but he has been to Hawaii lots of times and identifies as an island kid. He listens to Bob Marley every day and his best concert ever was seeing Damien in his hometown in Oregon. It was a big deal when Damien came to Ashland, he says. I mean, no one comes to Ashland! But the Marleys did.
Hoku delves into meanings of Damien’s songs, and explores the context the way a professor would. He goes into casual history lessons about war and politics. He talks about how he wants to go to college in Europe, how he wants this global life. He wants to write books. He’s going to be the type of person who actually does these things. He speaks French and tries to teach me words. I am bad at French.
~
Sitting at a pond in El Retiro park, I think about how something as simple as running water can be so beautiful. I accidentally say this out loud. He explains that items found in nature have the ability to appeal to everyone. No one can hate a waterfall the way they can dislike Art Deco. Nature is the world’s greatest artistic achievement because it can be enjoyed by everyone. He doesn’t notice how wise he is.
From Hoku I learned that age doesn’t attribute to smarts as much as life experience does. Sagacious stuff comes from an extremely well-travelled 20 year old with a name bearing the meaning “star.”