THE ALOHA SPIRIT IS ALIVE AND WELL

[schlomo]

The Aloha Spirit in Alive and Well in Waikiki

During my walk today, I witnessed two acts of lovingkindness. Blustery winds buffeted an elderly woman on a moped. The wide-brimmed straw hat that she was wearing catapulted off her head and ended up tumbling a few feet away from her. Suddenly, a nearby young man got off his bike, scooped up the hat from the road (luckily there was a break in the traffic), and gave it to the greatly relieved woman who thanked him with a pat on the back. Then they both rode toward the end of the street—almost in tandem.

A minute later as I rounded the bend, I saw an old couple slowly inch their way on a narrow sidewalk. The woman poked at the pavement with a cane, and the man, who didn’t seem to have a mobility issue, stayed right beside her. A middle-aged woman who was vigorously walking toward the couple had a choice. She could either coax the man to make room for her so that she could continue on her rapid pace, or she could lag behind the couple for as long as they blocked her from passing them. The woman, out of respect for the elderly pair, patiently remained behind them until the old folk eventually entered a hotel.

Not everyone has the Aloha Spirit. Twice last week on my walks, drivers zipped through a red light, blithely ignoring the sign that said no left turn, and perhaps unaware that I was simultaneously beginning to cross that same intersection.

But today, my faith in humanity was rekindled. Caring for one another is a hallmark of Hawaii. I experience it almost every day, whether I am walking, riding the bus, or driving in town and around the Island. The Aloha Spirit pervades and proclaims our interdependent society. Bravo!