BEING MEAN AND LIVING ALOHA: AN ESSAY
LAHAINA, APRIL 3—The blogger is upset about an incident that occurred this weekend. A simple request was rejected in a very disrespectful manner, insulting not only me but two prominent people standing nearby who were the subject of the request.
Most people consider me nice, and I try. to be a person of aloha. and believe I succeed 99 percent of the time. I do not lash out to others. My suspicion is that most people who are not nice never think about being nice.. Never think what is pono, the right thing. And do not realize that a strident question or comment ..even if a legitimate one—can be distressing to a recipient.
This is a land of aloha and it can be found everywhere. It is spiritual. It is what sets Hawaii apart from the rest of the world.
Remarkable people of aloha is the title of the first selection in my new book. I reprint it here as a reminder of what we should all strive for.
The biggest failure along these lines these days are speeches in the election campaign filled with vitriol and nastiness directed at other people. What a role model for youth!
We are better than this as a country.
LIVING ALOHA
“IN HAWAII, WE GREET FRIENDS, loved ones and strangers with ALOHA, which means love.” the great Olympic champion Duke Kahanameka.
You have heard it as s luau begins, at music venues, , ice cream parlors and ABC stores sometimes pronounced in three syllables: A…lo…HA. And you hear some simply pronounce it ALOHA in one breath. (continued)
ALOHA is not an affectation. It is real. Despite the popular bumper sticker, ALOHA is not practiced. It is lived and comes from within.
One theory is that the word ‘aloha’ sprung from the missionaries since compassion for others was at the heart of the Christian message.
Aloha has within it the word “ha” which means breath in Hawaiian.
Even to this day, many Hawaiians greet each with exchange of ha (breath). Impressed with this distinctive way of acknowledging others, missionaries may have incorporated the two letters in a word they believed was at the core of what they wanted to preach. Alo…ha.
Still others believe that living aloha was a way of life long before the first tall sailing ship landed on these shores.
Either way ALOHA is real . Kahanameka, known as an ambassador of aloha when his Olympic success made him well-known around the nation, went on to say that “Aloha is the key word in the universal spirit of hospitality that makes Hawaii renowned as the world’s center of understanding and fellowship.
“Try meeting and greeting people with aloha, “ he said. You will be surprised at their reaction. I believe it and it is in my creed. Aloha to you.”
ALOHA is empathy for others that resides in the heart and it can be acquired naturally.
If given a chance. ALOHA can take the form of a smile, a friendly manner or an act of kindness. Growing up in Hawaii in cherished na ohana (family groups) Hawaiians learn ALOHA by example in youth and see it flourish in adulthood.
Newcomers can become persons of ALOHA too and many are.
ALOHA is an acquired approach to living available to those of us who live here who are passionate about Hawaii, to newcomers, and to visitors who catch the spirit. ALOHA, however, isn’t automatic. There are some Hawaiians (those with Hawaiian blood) who find the concept of ALOHA alien.
ALOHA is subject to many interpretations. Duke Kahanameka, the six-time Olympic swim champion and Hawaii ambassador, wrote:
“In Hawaii, we greet friends, loved ones and strangers with ALOHA, which means love. ALOHA is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality that makes Hawaii renowned as the world’s center of understanding and fellowship. Try meeting or greeting people with ALOHA. You will be surprised by their reaction. ALOHA to you.”
Pastor Laki Ka’ahumanu is also fond of saying there would be no ALOHA without Hawaiians. The good news is you can find ALOHA without even looking for it. ALOHA is just one of many of the island’s gifts to the world.
Reprinted from Voices of Aloha Beyond the Beach, a series of profiles of remarkable people of aloha, and a few who do not meet the definition. Available on amazon.com
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MEGA CHANGES FOR MAUI TO AFFECT LOCALS, RETURNING VISITORS
Investors plan mega changes in Lahaina
Voices of Maui • Beyond the Beach
March 31, 2016
BY NORM BEZANE , Lahaina News
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LAHAINA – Inspired by the committee studying whether the County of Maui should have a county manager to run things instead of the mayor, a group of wealthy Lahaina residents (who made fortunes on the Mainland) are backing a move to make Lahaina a separate city, this column has learned exclusively.
ViSITORS LIKE THESE WILL BE AFFECTED.
Key backers of the plan pointed out that Lahaina has suffered for years by being neglected by the Wailuku-based county. “There is no reason we cannot do better and at last make Lahaina a town that works to the highest standard,” stated the head of the group, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Lahaina would get a new $200 million city hall to be built on the site of the old Chart House Restaurant, which would thankfully be acquired and torn down. The community eyesore is now the first thing you see on the Front Street entrance road to Lahaina Town proper after leaving Kaanapali. “This will be the people’s building,” a multimillionaire close to the project said.
Members of the new City Council will have to be content with chambers facing mauka along Honoapiilani Highway, while citizens will enjoy using a new community center with a glass atrium and grand restaurant with beautiful ocean views just a few feet away.
The council will be made up of seven members (restricted to four-year terms) who will represent Lahaina proper (two), Launiupoko, Kaanapali, Honokowai and Napili/Kapalua. Olowalu (outside city limits) would continue to be part of the county.
“One of the first things we would do almost immediately would be to build sidewalks with curbs throughout Lahaina Town. We would also build a three-story parking facility on a vacant lot on Lahainaluna Road with a facade compatible with the historic character of the town,” another millionaire said.
An important city service would be recycling and trash removal. The city would operate its own municipal garbage fleet and pick up common recyclables that would be separated by type.
The city would acquire 14 acres of land mauka and makai of the restored Pioneer Mill Smokestack and replace the ugly recycling station that fronts the highway at Lahainaluna Road. Visitors entering town would look out on a new municipal park covering what is now an unsightly area leased out as a staging area for buses and trucks.
An excellent museum now located at the Old Lahaina Courthouse would be expanded and housed in a new structure adjacent to Moku’ula (with good parking) that would become a prime tourist destination. Three-fourths of the facility – to be named King and Queen’s Center – would be devoted to cultural displays and programs with emphasis on the historic role our town played in the evolution of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The remainder would be devoted to the town’s whaling and plantation traditions.
Affordable housing would not be neglected either. Through tax incentives and heavy subsidies, the town would create an apartment park similar to an office park. Building free-standing homes that are supposed to be affordable – but cost $400,000 each – makes no sense, according to one source.
Instead, “We will build a large number of two- or three-story, four- or six-plexes that will put workers in two- to three-bedroom apartments to be sold for about $200,000,” a millionaire stated.
Through rigid zoning, Front Street would be transformed into a quaint village supervised by a historic preservation officer, who would enforce neglected building codes and requirements that buildings not be painted in garish colors. Rent controls would be instituted. Building owners would be required to set strict standards for tenants to eliminate shops selling cheap souvenirs not made in Hawaii.
In a surprising admission, the group claims that it has what it takes to overcome the State Constitution that set up county governments. “We plan to spend a lot of money lobbying legislators to make the change. ‘Money talks,’ ” the treasurer of the group said.
First evidence of the plan will occur the first of the new month with a large banner above Front Street that will proclaim:
“Happy April Fools’ Day from Lahaina News.”
REPRINTED FROM MY COLUMN THIS WEEEK. http://voicesofmaui.com
DANCING STARTS EARLY
LAHAINA–Who says guys are not into dancing. Me. Yet this young boy gets an early start. Let’s hope he recruits more. One wonders why eight beautiful women dancing away have to dance by themselves except when this blogger was not taking pics. http://voicesofmaui.com. http://joysofkaanapali.com photos
FISHERS OF MEN OR FISH ON EASTER WEEKEND: APOSTLES HAD BIGGER CATCH
KAANAPALI, MAUI–21 centuries ago, apostles were fishers of men. On Easter weekend Hawaiians fished for fish. The apostles got a bigger catch. http://voicesofmaui.com and http://joysofkaanapali.com photos
NUMBERS: TRUMP WINS 42% IN HAWAII, ANOTHER BLACK MARK FOR THE COUNTRY
LAHAINA–Record numbers of voters jammed Lahaina Civic Center at the Republican caucus Tuesday evening giving the Donald a victory with 42 percent of the vote. Voters still do not understand that Trump is a demigod, poor role model for our youth who are learning to disrespect people, with little experience in foreign affairs. His ascendency is feared by leaders in Germany, France, China and other countries. Trump talks about horrible lies of opponents. when his lies are at the top of the charts. Maybe, it takes one to know one.
voices of maui com political commentary from the perspective of Hawaii, 6000 miles from D.C.
NUMBERS: How many wine glasses does it take for a wedding on a beach?
Kaanapali, Mar 7–Sometimes just two. This evening, at the Hyatt Residences, 32. voices of maui .com photo
HAWAII WEIGHS IN ON ELECTION BIG TIME
Congresswomen Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has been prominent on the national stage the last few days including this evening as she appears on numerous national news programs explaining the need for a candidate who would not be an interventionist in foreign wars. Gabbard has seen war first hand and met veterans struggling with war injuries. She makes a strong case that Bernie Sanders would make the best president because he understands the implications of wars and their effect on soldiers.. Gabbard with the Democratic National Committee and resigned as vice chairmen in order to make her views known. Tulsi is fast emerged as a GOP superstar. ONE OF A SERIES OF POSTS ON SUPER TUESDAY.
ANOTHER DISASTER WITH NO JOY
Trump wins Virginia, a progressive state. One wonders why so many people do not get it–that this man has no experience, does not know history (important for a president), exaggerates, lies, insults, disrespects women and much more of dubious merit, to say the least. more commentary from the perspective of the mid-pacific far away from New York and Washington conventional wisdom.
NO JOY FOR AMERICA ON SUPER TUESDAY
MAUI, HAWAII–With the polls about to close in many states in less than 30 minutes, demagogue Donald Trump is likely to win a huge bundle of delegates. Trump sounds like a dictator saying he will do this and that. I will do this, I will do that does not work. We have a Congress that must pass laws for many of the things Trumps wants to do. It is unlikely they would ok most of the things he would like to do. Even much of the GOP establishment opposes Trump. The people need to listen.
JOYS of KAANAPALI 
