Kūpuna Talk Story: Warren Vignato

By Keith Nealy

I first met Warren Vignato about 15 years ago. He was dangling from a thin rope attached to a huge ironwood tree 30 feet above the ground, trimming back the overgrown branches, shaping and pruning one of his silent friends.

I thought to myself, This is not a young man. I wondered, Who is this guy?

We talked briefly during the short break he took, though I did not learn much. A man of few words, Warren was also on the clock and eager to get back aloft.

It wasn’t until 15 years later when I was invited to attend his 80th birthday party—a remarkable feat by itself—where I learned that he had just been “kicked out” of hospice and was going to be doing a poetry reading and playing the harmonica!

I became fascinated with this real-life Tarzan and decided to do a filmed interview with him and add him to my Kūpuna Talk Story series. Only during the filming did I discover who this beloved man of Kohala really was.

Warren described his fear while having a heart attack and his will to survive. This second chance at life filled him with gratitude and appreciation for friends and community and a newly inspired love for writing poetry. The spiritual philosophy of this man who spent his life in the trees reminds me that in every kupuna is a story filled with treasured wisdom.

Keith: Warren, what made you decide to climb trees?
Warren: Trees were my passion, I guess, as a young kid, climbing and being in the woods.

I took pride in being able to climb any tree put before me—and they were pretty big, really tall trees. And as a teenager I would show off a lot (he flashes a mischievous smile).

I would always look for the tallest tree to climb, then climb it and hang from one hand from the highest branch. I would dare the other kids to do the same (he laughs).

Keith: When you were working, what was one of the biggest trees you ever climbed?
Warren: One of the biggest trees I ever climbed was a tulip tree—even 40-feet of ladder didn’t reach the first branch because the first branch was about 50-feet off the ground! I had to find a way to throw a rope to that branch just to get into the tree—it was very exciting.

Keith: How did you learn to climb trees and make a business out of it?
Warren: When I was just learning how to climb I was very aware of established climbers not being too eager to share what they knew, so I saw it as a competitive thing. It was up to me to learn my way of doing what they do or copying them whenever I could.

Initially, climbing was all about knowing how to throw a rope. Going into the tree, sometimes you need to throw a rope up to the next branch as a way to get to up to that branch.

Over time, you get it down. You make the best of what the tree has to offer and sometimes a rope will often bridge the gap. You throw a rope to the closest branch you can find and learn how to swing like Tarzan, ‘cause me and my friends, when we were growing up, we enjoyed watching Tarzan.

We would build treehouses, preferably near the river where we could have a rope in the treehouse and swing and drop into the river. We spent a lot of time flying through the woods, not even touching the ground. We would throw ropes and swing from tree-to-tree like Tarzan—and have a great time doing it.

Keith: What would you say was the best part of that job?
Warren: Well, the best part about that job would be being out embracing nature.

It brings to mind my appreciation for trees in general and why they’re here and what I can do to make their situation better.

Many times people don’t like a tree that is in their yard, and for some reason they say, “Let’s cut it down.”

I will try to find a reason for them not to cut it—or at least think twice about.

Keith: Warren, what made you want to come to Hawai‘i?
Warren: Well the weather was a big deal when I was climbing trees on Long Island, New York.

In the winter time, well, there was no joy in that. You get the work done and you try to go home before your feet freeze. My feet would easily get frosted frequently—and my ears! For years I couldn’t even lay on my side on my pillow because they were frosted and peeling from frostbite. So living and working in the warm country was inviting to think about. I have relatives here in Hawai‘i, so I used that as a reason to come for a visit. And I never went back to Long Island (he smiles).

Keith: How long you been living here?
Warren: I don’t remember the exact date. I think it was 1960, so it’s probably more than 50 years.

Keith: In this past year I heard you went through some pretty serious health challenges?
Warren: Yeah, pretty serious ones, that’s for sure. I was carrying a five-gallon jug of water in the house, and I felt some pain in my chest and I could hardly breathe all night long.

Keith: That must have been a pretty scary experience. What kinds of things were going through your mind?
Warren: Yes, it was a very helpless kind of feeling. I was starting to feel the chest pains and not wanting to expect the worst.

There were people who I could’ve called but they weren’t within helping distance, and I didn’t want to worry them.

I was just thinking about all the things I should be doing for help, but the strong push was for me to get in the car.

I knew I had to go get some help, and I was pretty sure I’d be able to do it without any difficulty. So I drove myself to Kohala Hospital about eight or 10 miles away.

So sure enough, I got to the hospital okay and there were definitely people ready to help me. They stuck me in an ambulance and drove me down to ‘Upolu airport and flew me to Honolulu. It gets pretty scary when you can’t breathe, so I’m glad I got some treatment.

Keith: Was this the first major health problem you have had?
Warren: No, I’d already had open heart surgery with a quintuple bypass in 2004 and I was up against the same outlook where I either lived with what I had—which was a weak heart and kidney—or elect to do another open heart surgery—which they told me was considered to be a greater risk. So, I decided not to risk it.

I ended up in hospice, and I had nurses and doctors helping around the clock. With their loving help, I guess I got a lot better, because hospice kicked me out! I guess that’s a good thing. I guess I was too healthy for them (he smiles).

I never felt so good since getting home and especially after going through what I’ve gone through. It’s been maybe the happiest time of my life. Everything is just falling into place. I have no regrets.

I felt very appreciative of people in the hospital and people driving the ambulance. It’s nice to know that help is out there.

Even though the bill for the ambulance was some unbelievable figure—when you’re hurting it doesn’t matter what color the bus is (he laughs).

Keith: What got you started writing poetry?
Warren: Years ago when I was spending quite a bit of time with a young lady friend I seemed to get very inspired. And, as a result I ended up writing a lot of poetry. It was really very moving for me to spend time with her and the writing came very easy. She’s since left town.

Keith: As you enter this new chapter in your life, it seems that you have a new lease on life.
Warren: Yes I feel like I have a new opportunity that I might not have taken advantage of before.

My writing has brought me to a new place of sharing it… and having it appreciated, and well, that’s the icing on the cake.

I’d like to continue writing and not waste so much time sitting around just wishing.

I have written a children’s book. I wrote that when I was living in a commune in California.

We had a camp where I spent quite a bit of my time. We ended up getting a couple of guinea hens. It was fun to have them in the camp because they would follow us around and imitate us a lot and make a lot of noise.

We discovered they would warn us of rattlesnakes in the neighborhood. When the guinea hens were cackling, we knew enough to look for a snake. We’d find the snake, catch them and put them in a barrel and run down the road and dump it in the woods instead of killing him. So, I decided to write a children’s book about that story.

Keith: What kinds of things go through your mind now after you’ve had this kind of life-threatening experience?
Warren: Well, for me it’s about appreciation. The one thing I do think about, and will keep thinking about (he begins to cry) is appreciating what I have—my friends, my family, my community. And not wanting to waste so much time. Spending more time with what I know I can be happy with—and that is my writing. I find I’m able to make people laugh a lot when I do a certain kind of writing, and I get a kick out of it, too.

Keith: So, do you ever think about what’s next after all of this?
Warren: In some ways I find myself getting closer with certain relationships than I have ever experienced before. I frequently tell myself, Hey, you’re 80 years old; don’t get any big ideas! I’ve just gotten very friendly with a lot of people and I’m happy for that.

As far as work goes, my crew runs my tree business, so I’d like to see myself spending more time writing.

Keith: On that night that you had the heart attack did you ever consider what might be next?
Warren: Oh, it definitely makes you wonder if your time has come.

I do believe it’s a happy time to leave the world, and I don’t believe there is suffering when you die. So I’m so open to it; I’m not fearing it. I’m happy for all these experiences since getting ill. I’ve had a lot of time to think about where I’m going from here. And one of the things I have written in my poetry is, Where does one go from here… Is everywhere going to be like me?

Keith: Is there anything you regret in your life?
Warren: Well, now that I see more than ever my own creativity—the writing and playing my harmonica—I think if there are any regrets it might be to make up for time I wasted and spend more real time doing what I know I like to do.

Because I spent a lot of time (laughs) just having a good time, not getting real serious about life.

Keith: Is there any recommendation you have for us?
Warren: I would suggest looking at yourself and how happy you are with the life you live. I do believe I’ve found a lot of myself in meditating and finding quiet ways. I think silence is golden and so little appreciated. I get sad when going to the coffee shop and seeing a family on an outing and they’re all sitting at a table glued to telephones or iPads and not relating to each other.

I think there’s a certain danger of too much of the electronics becoming an excuse for communicating with a real live person. So I’ve avoided the computer for the most part, though I do have a cell phone. Is it too much of a good thing? I don’t know, maybe.

Keith: Now that you’re 80 years young, do you have any words of wisdom to share with us?
Warren: Well, the first thing that comes up for me is to appreciate the people around you. You don’t realize what a support system you have around you until it’s threatened one way or the other. This community of Kohala (holding back the tears) is outstanding. You never know who’s going to knock on your door until you need it—the world is so full of surprises.

I also feel so well taken care of beyond the community. There’s no question about whether there is a God or not—because we are he. I can’t blame God for anything—except being God. ❖

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Current photos by Keith Nealy
Other photos courtesy Warren Vignato

Contact Warren Vignato: 808.884.5036
Contact writer Keith Nealy: KeithNealy.com
Kūpuna Talk Story ©2014 Keith Nealy Productions

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Spirit

Spirit has filled me
Overflowing
Blessed me
With a righteous knowing
Come what may.

The light has shown me
Inner glowing
Lit the path before me
Showing
This the way

Where ever I go from here
I’m going
In the name of the spirit
My faith is growing
Day by day

Angels must be in the vicinity and yet what am I at 80
doing writing about angels? I’m so far from being one
It’s a wonder if I’ll ever get my wings
I can barely walk the path of doing the
right things and loving my brother
The light at the end of the tunnel needs batteries.

And so… Where does one go from here?
Is there a direction
Or Is everything
Going to be
Like me?