Hawaii
Current mood: rejuvenated
I got a phone call from my good friend in Hawaii this past January. She sensed I was down, troubled and needed a helping hand. We hadn't spoken since last summer so the call caught me off guard. It couldn't have come at a better time, because I was somewhat down and out, mostly tired from thought, jail time pending foreseeing the faces of all who've I had let down once again, caught in the middle of my decision of where I was going to move to next, what I was going to do happily for a living, etc.. but forever knowing that I would always follow my heart.
We smoked a joint on the phone and she started talking about parts of the island that I've never seen before and painted the most perfect pictures of paradise indelibly in my soul, with her by my side and slowly pushing her way past my walls and into my heart.
I felt as if I was making decisions that would be recorded for life, unlike normal decisions we make everyday that can easily be corrected any following moment. In short, her overall message on the phone aside from her overwhelming stance on Hawaii's beautiful islands was there to massage my spirit and get me back on track. In words from the heart, she offered her hand over the seas and extended the invite to the soul of the south pacific. I graciously accepted and quit my job a few days later.
Tonight I stood in the exact spot she had called me from just a short while ago. And I got it. I saw myself back there and understood what she had been reminding me of. And more importantly, I saw the good in that day and how it made me appreciate this night. This night is one of the many miracles I have been fortunate enough to write about. And the gift of getting here is just as great as everyone's ever told. It's medicinal every time.
.... Hawaii.... is an interesting place. I come back every year and NONE of my friends from the mainland ever join me. I don't know why... they just think it's too far or something. You'd never think it was part of the ....United States.... and you quickly understand why some of the locals are fighting for its sovereignty. To save time, I'm going to simply say that it is indeed paradise and it blows me away EVERYTIME, as if I had never been here before. Imagine ....California.... after the inevitable earthquake they've been promising that severs the state from the mainland, and then subtract all the nonsense of hurry and hype about anything. TV isn't popular. Cars aren't the stars of open road. What kind of job you have matters as much as your age. It's irrelevant. I've found that people aren't judged here. They heavily support outdoor activity, the arts and most of all, having a well-balanced body and a centered state of mind. They don't ask that you be thin or pluck your eyebrows. In fact, they don't ask much at all. There are no questions in Hawaii... everything just is the way it is. Hakuna Matata.
Needless to say anymore on such a spectacular night, it is full of wonder here. I wonder why I've never been to this part of the island before. I wonder when I'll be back. I wonder if the waves will be gracious tomorrow. I wonder if the cats and dogs and chickens know how lucky they are. I wonder how I found myself laying on a beautiful beach, staring at the moon.
So I wonder when I'll be back. I wonder at the whales and what they're saying to each other. I wonder if the sea turtle overheard me saying that I wanted to pet his little head, and wonder if that is why he swam closer to me. I wonder if there has ever lived a native of these enchanted shores who has traveled to the mainland and appeared on The Price Is Right and won a trip to Hawaii..... That would be silly. So is all my wonder… as they are nothing more than lame questions.
What's important right now in addition to my newfound love, is that I am still happy, healthy, and in love with what I do, how I do it, and with whom I'm doing it with. Were it not for my many friends, my loving family, my mysterious higher power, and the moon of course, I would just be me. And that would be all right too I guess. So life can't suck either way. I hope you feel the same about yours. If you're spending too much time questioning it these days, take some time for yourself to close your eyes and ears and open your mind to something new that is in fact older than we'll ever be. It may be time you visited Hawaii :)
