Uncle Saint in Hawaii 1962-1968, part one

In 1962, at the behest of his mother, Uncle Saint left New York City and its various temptations behind and moved to Hawaii. I wouldn't want to betray my family's reputation so I'll just say the move likely saved my 30 year old uncle's life ...or at least prolonged it.

In September of 1962 he wrote his mother:

I think I am a "nice guy" and, although I have two strikes against me to prove it, I am going to do my best to show myself and others that it can be done. Dr Jekyll makes a comeback!

With the money his mother sent as a birthday present Uncle Saint bought a used typewriter, a surfboard and, with $50, half an interest in vintage 1952 Morris Minor.

My life is complete and I am tremendously happy. I am lean, tan and muscular

( except for the lean --155 lbs) and am the spitting image of Charles Atlas, in the sense that our spit looks exactly the same.

He moved from busy Lauula Street to a small cottage surrounded by vine and avocado trees in the back of Waikiki. He shared this story with his mom.

The other night I went to a semi-posh restaurant here in town. The place was full so I took my place in line. Just then the door opened and a tall, magnificent blonde strolled in dragging a long ermine stole on the floor behind her, like a train. She wiggled up to the headwaiter and engaged him in a short sotto voce conversation, of which I only caught her phrase "bon soir". He shook his head, she stared icily at him icily for a moment, and unsheathed a jewelled arm, hurled it into the air and virtually shouted: "Qu'es que c'est que cette shit 'No tables'!"

Uncle Saint got a job as a crew member on an inter-island sailboat for a two week cruise with "pea green tourists", spending most of the time in the Molokai Channel where 15 foot swells are considered normal. Over 30 feet not unusual.

At the end of the letter he promised good things were on the horizon.

I feel wonderful. I'm accomplishing things neither of us would have believed possible a short time ago and I'm right in the middle of a good start for the rest of what is to come in my life.