Old Fools Journal: I Live

Picture is taken with a cheap plastic Kodak using 110 film which is 16 mm. It is of the sunset between Lanai and Molokai and is taken by the Captain of the good ship Serenity. Poor quality picture of a magnificent event.

Kwai Chang Caine has passed to that great meditation mat in the sky. He was 72 and it appears that he departed this vail of tears by his on choice as was his right. David Carradine, who played Kwai Chang Caine in the in the early '70's in a TV series by the title “Kung Fu” will forever be “Caine” to me. When Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) was asked by the authorities (if my defective memory serves me) “what do you do?” he replied “I live”. That reply impressed me very much and I have used that answer for more than 35 years when ask “what do you do?”. It also gave me the resolve to “do” instead of “watch”. And I have.

As for the “kung fu” part I am not a fan of the martial arts but the core message of this series was that a nonviolent person does not have to take crap just because he is perceived as weak. There is a point where you must make it difficult to be be abused. At least that was the message I took from it.

No one will ever know what made David Carradine reject this life but it is apparent that his reasons were enough for him. Kwai Chang Caine however lives on with Davids face and the life he gave the part.

I wrote about this a little over a year ago at the end of my “Towel Day” post of May 24, 2008 and things go round and round and round.

Master Po, I am ready for another lesson.