In the span of 24 hours, my wife, Darlene, and I, experienced an almost 50 degree shift in temperature…from Hawaii to Canada! As I sit in my office on a chilly Monday morning, I am having a hard time getting engaged in work. Probably have a lot of nods of agreement on that one. I hesitate writing about this because it probably sounds like I am boasting but that is not my intention.
Darlene and I just spent a week on the Island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Island chain. We hadn’t been there before but had been to Maui and a little over a year ago, actually spoke for YPO in Honolulu…sometimes work isn’t like work. Actually, my work really isn’t like work most of the time but I digress. We chose Kauai by default really as our usual time share unit at Ka’anapali was booked so thought we’d give the Westin Princeville a try. To use a modern one I don’t usually use…OMG! So, a little disclaimer here; we all have a favourite escape and it’s not about elegance or budget or status and you’d have to be brain-dead to not find Hawaii or any other tropical location “beautiful” and 50 degrees of difference on the thermometer helps a tad, but again, this isn’t about “My vacation spot is nicer than yours”. It is about the “Spirit of Aloha”.
I have to also disclose something else very personal. I don’t share well. I blame my upbringing as an only child. Conversely, Darlene grew up with five siblings so family gatherings mean something different to her and by the way, neither way is right or wrong…it just is. The only reason that matters for this blog is we shared our holiday with Darlene’s oldest brother, Ron, and his wife, Evelyn.
Not to bore you with this, but one of Darlene’s favourite stories is how she introduced Ron to Evelyn. In 1990, Darlene was in her mid-life crisis. She had only turned 30 but believes that was the tough one. Mine, honestly and more normally, was 50. Anyways, Darlene was married to her previous husband and her best friend and co-worker, Evelyn, was divorced from her first husband and going through her own exploration phase but apparently, a new hubby wasn’t her priority. A holiday was. What a weird coincidence. It just so happened that Darlene and hubby #1 were already going to Hawaii along with her lifelong single brother, Ron, so the guys could do some scuba-diving. Darlene saw the odd-one-out scenario so invited Evelyn to come along to do “best girlfriend stuff” and she claims there was no “match-making” involved but WTF…It happened. So, we invited Ron and Evelyn to Hawaii to celebrate 25 years to the week they met and are still together. In fact, they got married in 1993 and so did we! Ah….Romance! So even though Maui would have seen Ron and Ev returning to the scene of the crime, so to speak, we went to Kauai and although my first choice of winter escape is minimal actual activity and maximum laziness, that was not the gameplan for the week. This would be a busy week. And it was an awesome week.
In case you didn’t know, “Aloha” is not just a greeting, it is a feeling. If you have never been to the Hawaiian Islands, any of them, you need to. Honolulu is probably the most popular destination and Waikiki Beach is crammed with high-rise hotels and tourists. That’s just fine, if that’s what you like. With due respect, it reminds me of Las Vegas with an Ocean! Kauai is like a deserted beach that begrudgingly allowed some tourists to come by as long as they were willing to accept that this island isn’t like any other and it has minimal intention to change. I Love That! Clearly, there is a stereotype of the “surf-culture” but on Kauai, it’s real. There is another stereotype…”Hippies”. I have to admit that I love hippies and without going into too much detail here, it’s their “way” that is so attractive to me.
Here’s a perfect example. Last Thursday, the four of us set out on a four mile hike described as “strenuous”. The Kalalau Trail is one of the most popular on the island and I have to admit, this trail was so intense, I didn’t expect to see too many adventurers out there as this is not for the “unfit”. It is narrow, rocky, and extremely steep with unguarded drops off a cliff that rises almost 500 feet from Kee Beach on the Northern Tip of the island. We also started with sun and finished in a monsoon so keeping all of this in mind, on the hike back to reality, we encountered a small group who were obviously “free-spirits” just by their appearance. They were all wearing very little, a couple of the guys had dreadlocks and they were hiking in flip-flops, not the recommended gear for this trail. I happened to be in the lead on the way down while these five guys and gals were coming up and there isn’t a lot of space so an encounter was inevitable. One of the dread wearing guys was first and as we approached each other, he stopped, and so did I, and he said, and I quote; “Dude! You did this trail without arms? F#@%ing Eh!” I politely and with a giggle replied I was born this way and he says, “That’s like the coolest thing ever. I wish I could shake your hand but obviously…”, so I told him I take hugs and this shirtless islander gave me a huge embrace and said…”Aloha”. I got the shivers and it wasn’t because I was drenched and cold. The warmth in this stranger was a common theme all week and it occurred to me that it wasn’t just the scenery.
Over two thousand years ago, small tribes of Polynesians left Tahiti in large, handbuilt outrigger canoes with sails to explore the East and 5,000 miles later they bumped into the Hawaiian Islands. They stayed a while, went back and told their pals and more came back and they are the modern Hawaiian people. My point is they left Tahiti! It’s kinda pretty there too, right? They have the ocean, palm trees, coconuts, beaches and stuff. Yet they left, found another place with an ocean, palm trees, coconuts, beaches and stuff, stuck up a flag or something, sailed 5,000 miles back, grabbed some buds and settled on Hawaii. I know this sounds hokey but walking that trail, listening to the surf pounding into the volcanic rock that created these islands, you feel something I have never felt. It is a profound connection with the planet we call home. It is impossible to ignore but you can’t feel it unless you believe it exists. It is Aloha! It brings people together, not tears them apart. It is without judgment or arrogance. It is without ego or status. It cares not about your bank account or your hood ornament. It doesn’t need makeup when it leaves the house. It doesn’t need a gym to pump and flex. It respects age and experience and honours your authentic self. It is a paradise…of people.
It is a teacher too and I could go on and on, but to end this let me just say Thank You. Thank you Kauai for reminding me yet again, it isn’t what I don’t have, it is what I have that counts. It is the essence of being. It is the Spirit of Aloha!
One Comment
Loved your take on aloha! My husband and I met you Thursday on the flight from Houston to dfw .
Lisa Cox