billy
5/31/2009
This is a thing that I wrote and obviously I’m having trouble with the format but this is what I can share now.
It has been a year since I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and congestive heart failure. The doctors said my heart condition would prevent them from operating. I decided to let western medicine try to deal with it and spent months dealing with the VA. Wonderful nurses and doctors, shameful administration. We went round and around until one day a doctor said I had to sign a pledge not to sell my pain pills, like I was what they called a drug seeker. It was an insult to every Vet who was asking for their help, which is not an easy thing for most Vets. I walked away and won’t ask again until things change.
I stopped living and began dying. On Thanksgiving surrounded by people I love and love me, I stopped breathing. I had given everyone to never call 911 again, but I changed my mind and they got me to the hospital, barely alive. Four pints of blood lost, kidneys shutting down and all sorts of things. I was told they thought they lost me several times, but after five days I demanded to be sent home. The community had been there everyday giving me love that amazed me and when I got home, people had organized four hour shifts to cook, clean, take me to toilet and be there for whatever I needed. I behaved badly in the hospital and at home, but they didn’t seem to notice.
After a few weeks my sister Judi came over from Hawaii during the snow storm we all remember vividly and spent ten days doing her healing magic and I began to live again. The community gave her love and helped her help me. Things began to get better with good days and bad days. Hospice sent Joesph Stevenson, who we all know and love to take over and he was the guy I asked for things and they got done. Things again had their ups and downs but he was busy making what we could do happen. I finally decided to stop taking all the pills except baby aspirin and the pain pills. My son James began to figure out a diet and exercise plan that would work for me. Nancy Burton agreed to help me deal with things using food and we are clearing up the reoccurring bladder infections with watermelon. It works fast and easy and expect it to clear up things by next week. Kathryn & Dave Riesch put together a CD of me playing with some of the best musicians in the Northwest and you can check it out on CD Baby. I will write more later.
I was declared terminal and our beloved Oregon gave me the right to death with dignity, enrolled me in the Oregon Health Plan, gave me permission to grow pot, enrolled me in Hospice, started to send me checks and give me food stamps. Being in Hospice care means they think you have six months to live. I can’t say how much they do for people at the end of life.
Ms. S
6/3/2009
Love, love, and more love. Billy, the energy you have given to this community and those around you has been revisiting you, and I am sure it will many times over again. I have come home, and I hope my juju can be felt miles south of this bay on which I reside. I am always excited to read your words, and I am constantly inspired by them. I thank you for taking the time to share this with us.
Thank you for your constant guidance, through all stages of this karmic existence. I am sure that I am not alone in these thanks.
On a more specific note, Troy, the love of my life and a very close friend of James’s, wanted me to say,”Hello.” So, for him, “Hello, Billy 🙂 ”
Sandy
6/5/2009
Billy, Your message of caring and hope has traveled to Willapa Bay. And probably a lot further. Maybe we will meet again the next time around. I know you have tons of friends there at the beach but if there is ever anything I can do please let me know.
So just know that I care muchly about you my friend. Love, Sandy
Sage
6/6/2009
sending you my love.
everything will be okay in the end. if it’s not okay. it’s not the end.
Starfish
6/6/2009
THE LEGEND OF SWEETHEART ROCK
Standing 80 feet tall, Puu Pehe, also known as “Sweetheart Rock”, is one of Lanai’s most recognizable landmarks. It is also the setting for one of Hawaii’s most enduring legends.
The story goes that a ravishing young princess from Maui, was captured by a young warrior from Lanai. He took her as his wife and brought her back to his home island. He was so stricken with her beauty that he was afraid to let other men see her, and thus he confined the princess to a sea cave near the rock.
One day, as the warrior was away, the weather suddenly changed drastically, and the raging surf began to pound this side of the island. The warrior rushed back to the cave, but it was too late: His beloved Puu Pehe had drowned. Heartbroken, he retrieved her body and, with the help of the gods, climbed the steep rock island, where he buried her in a tomb. Overcome with grief, the warrior then leapt off the rock to his death.
Puu Pehe is situated about 150 feet offshore between Manele Bay and Hulopoe Bay along the island’s southern coastline. A closer look at this picturesque sea stack reveals, indeed, a tomb-like structure resting at the summit. Archeologists who have studied the rock will tell you that there are no human remains in this “tomb.” The tomb, in fact, may actually be a bird heiau constructed by the ancient Hawaiians, as numerous bones from sea birds have been found near the heiau.
To get to Puu Pehe, take Highway 440 south from Lanai City and follow the signs to Hulopoe Beach Park. A trail from the beach will lead you to a breathtaking overlook of Puu Pehe. A number of tidepools, a sea arch and Sharks Cove are found along the trail.
While the story of Sweetheart Rock is romantic and haunting, don’t let the legend overcome your common sense. Do not attempt to scale the rock. The walls are impossibly steep and the rocky waters below are swift and treacherous.
Ms. S
6/7/2009
Sage:
My dear, your words and insights are often so resounding. I am in love with the last.
It is so beautiful, so simple, and yet so true. If it is not okay, it is not the end.
Thank you for that.
billy
6/10/2009
Hi, everybody. I’m going to do some work with Myrna and make the website a lot easier to use and fun. It will take a little time but it will be worth waiting for. I’m doing better, but have good days and some not so good. but getting better. Love you.
halvah
6/17/2009
goodbye billy, may your journey take you light and free trailing love like a comets tail. you will be missed beyond words.
Ms. Stumbleine
6/17/2009
I write with somber heart this day, as a life friend, a mentor, and a person who has encouraged my writing, my creativity, and my deeper searches in life has passed from this world, this time ’round. The Reverend Billy is a friend’s father, but more than that, he is a rare, Real person. He is an icon to multitudes, and we have all felt his departure.
Hey, friend, be sure to find me the next time you come this way 🙂 I’ll be looking for you!
QTN
6/18/2009
A toast to Rev. Billy Lloyd Hults, a man of words and music! Thank you for all you have given and shared. Peace I wish you and condolences to your family. Riding the seventh wave you are now. A pleasure to know you and play music with you. We will be singing Ashes and Bones for you at OCF this year. Thank you thank you. Rev. Billy.
Sandy
6/18/2009
This is a sad sad day for me and for the rest of us. I wish you all light and love.
Sandy
6/18/2009
Could anyone tell me if there is going to be a funeral or a memorial service for Billy? and when? thanks so much.
Ms. S
6/18/2009
I have heard of gatherings, here and there; but, there is said to be something in the works for a celebration of life at the legion.they say late July. That sounds to be the formal, town engagement.
I am sure the world hasn’t seen the last of this potent energy.
Sage
6/19/2009
If not NOW then WHEN? if not US then WHO? we are who we are waiting for.
Hoping this site will survive him
6/21/2009
Billy Lloyd Hults had friends all over the world. He was to come back in Europe last year but could not make it. But he was in France for quite a while, sleeping in one of the showrooms of the famous Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Paris and playing the washboard.
We hope his site will survive him. He left us his music and this site.
Sue
6/24/2009
Billy was a man like no other, and a brother like no other as well. He was truly my hero, and I will miss him forever. I love you to the moon, Billy!
John Browne
6/29/2009
Is there a bumper sticker out there anywhere with that wonderful tag, “Everybody eats; & nobody hits.”? Every email that I got from Billy made me smile- a Good Smile- because these are truly words to live by. Thank you, Rev! chow ^.^
ambie
7/5/2009
love you all. breathe, enjoy each breath, look around, take notes, make notes, love, love, love.because one day the curtain calls and offstage we go. i know this free computer and internet was a gift in the spirit of manifestation. and i am grateful to be able to express something here. goodbye billy, i shall remember your words and your spirit always. with love. love. love. thank you everyone for being the people we need and for not letting each other down.
nonomus
7/7/2009
Words cannot express the pain I felt in my heart when this poor young soul spoke out in love and admiration for her father. Michael is the greatest entertainer for all time and will go down in history as such.The lives he touched will continue on in his legacy. Gone too soon is the king of pop and the worlds greatest giver of love, life, and happiness. Again I am in shock that this tragedy has taken place in such a swift moment. Irreplaceable is the spirit that Michael emitted from his music, his visions, and his never ending understanding. I can only imagine how family and close friends are coping, and send my deepest and dearest condolences to all of those who ever had a dream, a passion, a goal they were determined to achieve. We all owe Michael a great deal of thanks and praise for helping all of us realize those dreams, through his eyes and his life, and most importantly his music. Michael gave his all in everything he did, whether in the studio or abroad worldwide, reaching out to those in need. His fans are unrivaled in the love they had for an idol as small as he may of seemed in person, in the eyes of his fans and on stage he was a giant. We will never forget the feelings he gave us, when we heard his voice or saw him move. It seemed he was always willing to give much more than he received. I say thank you Michael for all that you’ve done. We Love You!
h
7/11/2009
doesn’t michael have his own page?
nonomous
7/11/2009
Sorry.just thought I would share concerns for a lover of music to, well, lovers of music. seeing as how my comments may not be accepted though I am a native, I do apologize for taking up space.
h
7/12/2009
sorry for being cranky, I’m just Michaeled out I guess.Billy’s page was meant to be free to all gentle voices so don’t be disheartened by my snark.
Ms. S
7/12/2009
the night was dark, but loud. voices of hundreds were heard whispering, talking, shouting, yelling, one over and under the other. and BOOM, the sky explodes with fire and spark. BOOM, the voices cheer and oooohhh and ahhhhhhh. children are scooped up onto shoulders and drinks are lifted over heads of running teens.
BOOM, she meanders after a group of boys, her family, friends, comrades. she is small, but light, like a faery floating just above the concrete. she concedes the pathway to others who barely notice she has done so. she falls behind, but it is of no concern to her. she hunches over, but as the sparks of dynamite fall over the river, the toddlers can see the slight glint of a tiara, and an aura, of pure gold. she stops, or hovers, to watch the last of the fire in the sky. her shaved head, thick tattoos, and baggy clothes cannot cover the truth in her eyes. she is hiding from something.
her voice is gentle, as she turns a baby back to its mother. why had he picked her out of the entire, dark crowd to run to for safety, a smile like a rainbow on his rose bud lips? a string of finale BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, the crowd cheers; and, like a monsoon on a flat roof, the flowing walls of people begin to migrate every which way.
she lifts her head and neck for the first time, gazing across the expanses of heads, and everything stops. all sound sucks itself back, lodged in the universe’s windpipe. the breeze falls dead upon the river banks. the dogs, insects, and all other hyper-sensitive sentient beings paused mid movement to acknowledge this unsheathed energy force. the babies all quieted, or giggled, or clapped. people, with their eyes capped by self-adhered blinders, were the only things left moving. she sees her band of friends, huddled only meters away, and lowers those portals to the soul, colored of spring mountainsides. her alabaster neck becomes cloaked, once again, by her shoulders and thick hoody. the wind picks up, the band rages, and breaking glass can be heard in the distance.
she moves into the stream of people, and each one who bumps into her demure frame looks like a deer in headlights for a split second, but as they move forward, a smile creeps across their faces. a boy of fourteen or so runs right into her, face to face, and immediately begins softly crying. he hugs her with such fierceness, and this goddess in hiding, holds him until he drops his arms and slowly walks off into the night, which is suddenly not as dark.
Myrna
7/15/2009
Billy’s farewell celebration announcement on the ULE front page. Pass it on, and see you there.
Sue Mitchell – Billy’s little sister
7/15/2009
Would someone PLEASE save me a copy of this issue of the UPPER LEFT EDGE? I would love to have it to keep with my “Billy memories”. Thanks so much.
Sandy
7/16/2009
Could someone please put the info about the memorial on this page? I had no idea ULE still published in paper and have no idea where to buy it. I tried a few people’s emails but no one puts their right addy. thanks.
h
7/17/2009
ULE isn’t a newspaper anymore, just this site.
Sue
7/17/2009
Oh, I guess that makes sense. Darn, I was hoping for a hard copy. I can print this out, but it doesn’t really do it much justice. It’s a great arrangement! Thanks to whoever put it together.
h
7/20/2009
Sue, it seems like whoever designed it could print it out if they have access to a color printer, or maybe could e-mail an attachment? Do you know Myrna? It would be nice for the big sis.
Sue
7/20/2009
Actually, a cousin of mine sent me a version that I could print out a bit better than I did myself. Thanks, though. I’m his little sister, but his big sister would probably like this, too!
ambie
7/24/2009
i love you all!
Sue
7/27/2009
Thank you to everyone who made Billy’s Good-Bye Party the wonderful event it was! It was amazing for me to sit and watch all those people with such love for my brother. Great music, wonderful people. Bless you all!
Sage
7/28/2009
I went to a gathering in town overdressed & overstimulated. Bless you friend. You are ever in my thoughts, my words living eternally in everything with everyone you’ve touched and who they will touch.
Please help me with my fumbling anxious presence who speaks as bitter from over cordial invites, gatherings and professional hooplahs. My feeling hurt from misunderstandings from gavels laid when I have rarely seen or shared with; as I did with you dear friend. Please remind me of patience and self control. Nothing to prove do I. Remind me. I have earned every step with grace and poise. My bitter voice just that a voice.
My precious gift reminds me. Patience a virtue. Be still my heart u beat so fast u hurry me in mind and mouth be patient for u have talent and the strength to persevere.
Sage
8/1/2009
Laughing my 4am grammar. 😉 you would appreciate this comment billy I’m sure;)
Sage
8/31/2009
Love the new CD billy gave us. check out the washboard. 🙂