I am a longtime resident of Hawaii—nearly 35 years. The country was home to my family. To be exact, we lived in Punalu’u, deep in the rainforest at the edge of the windswept coast. There, flocks of white birds, soaring just inches above the ocean, fly eastward at sunset and then roost in the ancient hau trees. There, water falls along the crevices of the Ko`olau Mountains and makes its way to the sea.
On that coast there is a particular moment, just after dawn, when the new-risen sun casts a silver glow across the tips of the ocean’s waves, turning their whiteness to blinding crystal. I was always most comfortable as a loner against the wind at sunrise-that incredible moment of the new day when the inky black-indigo horizon of the sky and ocean is tinged with saffron, gold, and a burning cherry red. Before the fullness of the day begins, turtles forage for food and play at the shore.
One old sea turtle, a fellow the size of a round kitchen table, is there every morning. He floats at the shore, and with a side view and one large eye he stares at me, standing there with my well-worn ankle-length cotton nightly blowing in the wind. He knows I feel a humble gratitude over the simple miracle of this life. Then as the sun crests the horizon, he swims out to deeper waters on the reef, where he can settle in among the coral and rocks, camouflaged and protected for the day.
I came to the city two years ago, feeling much like that old sea turtle, but beached and unable to find the ocean. Fortunately, my landing spot was Kaimuki, thanks to my daughter’s encouragement. She lives here and runs her design boutique and web development company, Ocean’s Design House. She insisted it would be right for me, as well.
Kaimuki is a place of goodness that wells up from the hearts and minds of its citizens. It is a 100-year-old community where civic pride and the belief in basic human kindness still flourish.
Here my dentist, Dr. Ishida, repaired my broken tooth just before Christmas and said, “No charge, Merry Christmas. You are a hard-working member of our community!”
Here my friend Vanessa, who has a yoga supply shop called Off the Mat, welcomes me with a hug when I drop by. This last Christmas I stacked up several special gift items on her counter-tea bags for the eyes, guava body butter from Greece, red rubber slippers—and pulled out my wallet. She said, “No charge. Merry Christmas. Thank you for all you do for us here in Kaimuki.
And Joanne, the Grand Dame of my salon JPS Dressers, gives me a hug every single time I go there.
And Susan at Shop Girl shares tears and laughter about life, and she leaves me voice messages that say, “I so appreciate your friendship.”
And Judy and her daughter Susan of Pzazz, who travel the world gathering the finest second-hand accessories and clothing for women, always sit with me in their parlor to discuss the latest fashion trends and offer me tea or coffee.
And Patty of Montsuki, who not only designs and sews her original kimono-inspired clothing but also runs her shop all day, always takes time to chat and giggle with me about this or that Kaimuki story.
I wanted you to know about these people. About the way their basic human kindness makes you feel. About the way they have opened their hearts and minds to our greater Honolulu community, allowing our Guardian to flower as a well-planted seed with its roots in this neighborhood of ours.
And I wanted you to know that while I often dream of those days in the country with my pal the old sea turtle and the luxurious quiet alonement at sunrise on a windward shore, I am glad I made the change and traded in that solitude for this new life, rich with the Goodness of Kaimuki.
Aloha no, A changed old turtle
Barbara Wood, Publisher, Mother Press, Ltd.
Copyright Walt & Arla Harvey, 2003-2006