| One Native Life
I fell in love when I was 7. I mean really and truly in love. It was the kind of rapturous love that changes the lighting in your world and makes everything sharper, clearer, like it never existed in quite that way before, or ever will again. Some people call it ''puppy love'' to make light of it, but I've come to know enough of dogs in my time to know that puppies love truly and unconditionally. And it's true for human puppies, too.
Her name was Wilhemina Draper, and everyone called her Billie. Billie Draper was the most popular kid in our class. She had brownish-blonde hair cut in a bob and big blue eyes that sparkled when she laughed, which was all tinkly and musical. I was awed by her. She could outrun everyone and she learned how to skin-the-cat on the monkey bars before any of the boys would even try it.
Veteran actor encourages men of color to mentor fatherless kids
HOLLYWOOD-For the past two seasons, millions of fans of TNTs top-rated crime drama, "The Closer," have come to know actor Robert Gossett as the antagonizing Commander Taylor in the Los Angeles-based weekly crime drama. Gossett begins his third season on "The Closer," 9 p.m., Eastern and Pacific time, June 18 as the consistent "thorn-in-theside" of Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, played by the awardwinning Kyra Sedgwick. Gossett, in real life, has been a breath of fresh air to community organizations that mentor children. For the past several years, a young boy growing up in Los Angeles has come to know Gossett as his mentor and father figure. Gossett speaks proudly of his mentorship and association with a South Central Los Angeles-based organization, created to serve at-risk youth with programs and activities that foster lifestyles free of gangs and drugs.
The downside of paradise
Actually, I don't believe that any place is heaven on earth -- though I've been to my fair share of purgatories, or worse -- but some readers are disappointed that I don't always highlight the lowlights of Hawaii. What about the sluggish traffic on Kauai's Coconut Coast or in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, they ask. What about the helicopters that crash during sightseeing tours? And, did I know that many Hawaii residents oppose the coming interisland ferry service? Two answers: Either I already addressed these concerns in other venues in The Chronicle, or the complaints weren't germane to the issue at hand. But, for the record, I heartily approve of visitors being aware that they're going to a real place, with real people in real situations, and not a manufactured Disneyland safely engineered for your pleasure.
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