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It might not qualify as a miracle, but spending a safe evening out with friends can still be a rare luxury these days.  Rightfully wary about attending large, social events for the past 18-months, and even though now vaccinated, many are still having second thoughts about socializing as COVID cases here have risen dramatically this summer.

So it was a pleasure to dine outside with a few friends and then rock to the enthralling sounds of the Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra and Windborne’s “Music of Led Zeppelin” recently under the stars at the Waikiki Shell. With a rare, August breeze omni-present, plus contact tracing, mandated proof of vaccine, and social distancing in the seating area, it was a great night to watch symphonic rock frets born from Chicago and Delta blues without fretting too much about the virulent, Delta variant blues.

I’d somewhat forgotten how live music can lift one’s spirit, soul, and physical essence, as we soaked up one classic Led Zeppelin cut after another. Mesmerizing, mellifluous music for the masses, a beautiful venue, a gorgeous night, and a fulfilling dinner- all things we might have simply been called “Friday” two years ago, nowadays it’s an elusive wonder.

The orchestra provided ample depth to the Windborne players, which included a few spell-binding solos by electric performers. The authentically-covered Zep tunes were performed in the right register by Brody Dolyniuk, who’s sincere, soaring Robert Plant-istic vocals included memorable grunts at the appropriate moments in a dozen familiar tunes. It took me back to July 7, 1973, when I happily witnessed the real Led Zeppelin at Chicago Stadium; yup, 48-years ago…

And with few cell phones obnoxiously held up for inane, social media one-upmanship (“nanny nanny boo boo- look where I was that you weren’t”), the show flowed without interruption, save for an unnecessary 20-minute intermission. I mean come on, older people do need to get home by 9pm! 

But the point is, if just for one night, I was happily reminded how the old normal felt, and reawakened to what we will inevitably get back to, albeit later than we planned due to… well, never mind, we’re divided enough without another pundit’s shot in the arm. So keep on rockin’ in the free world (thanks Neil Young) and search for safe, soul-salvaging diversions until the coast- and everywhere else- is clear enough to let your guard down.

Think about it…

Okay, let’s have some fun this week and take some popular summer-themed, movie titles of years past and re-imagine what they might be about if re-made in 2021. Get it? Why do this, you ask? Oh, you really wanna talk more about delta variants, vaccine holdouts, wayward web misinformation, or selective personal freedom some more?!

“Independence Day” (from 1996)- ahhh, that wonderful day where we can again trust the safety of associating with other human beings, where we can hug sans masks, and where we can smile without worrying about what we might inhale due to the presence of others.

“E.T.” (1982, man, I feel old…)- the heart-warming story of a young boy re-connected to his grandparents, who he hasn’t seen in two years, thus thinking they must be aliens.

“Clueless” (1995)- what even the smartest people seem like at times in 2021 month to month as rules and regulations related to COVID-19 morph, are revamped, disappear, and return. You need to use the Feynman Technique (communicating complex topics in a simple way) to figure out how many friends you can have at a funeral, wedding, meeting, or dinner.

“Stand By Me” (1986)- what a classic…but the new version could be a dream, or perhaps a nightmare, as we simply can’t allow (most) people to “stand by me” in the pandemic twilight zone we still find ourselves in.

“Do The Right Thing” (1989)- boy, what a remake you could do with this Spike Lee classic, as sadly too little has changed and doing the right thing in far too many instances remains a separator of far too many far too often.

“The Goonies” (1985)- simple- this is what we call anyone who disagrees with us.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997)- Yeh… nothing.

“The Parent Trap” (1961, 1998)- What far too many kids found themselves in due to on-site college cancellations; also what far too many parents found themselves in due to, well… you get it.

“Dazed And Confused” (1993)- this time, you don’t even need illegal substances (or legal, as the case may be in some states) to realize how this title explains life in 2021.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (1998)- filmed, in part, at Turtle Bay. Nowadays, it’d be pretty easy to forget Sarah and just about everyone else you don’t see or talk to!

OK, back to reality. Stay safe; and it’s hurricane season.

Think about it…

In a bizarre, post-truth world, we still find items that can amaze and/or amuse. Like these two recent local stories…

The Hawai`i Authority for Rapid Transportation (which is proving to be anything but rapid) announced that the latest projections for daily choo choo usage shows an expected  drop of 18%, from 122,000 to 101,000 daily boardings when the train runs its full route to Ala Moana Center. But we’re supposedly still nine years away (wanna bet?) from the full implementation of that plan, and ridership is apparently already down. Apply this logic every two years through 2031, and we could be down 18% five more times, and potentially see very few riders by the time this steel-wheeled enigma gets going!

While ridership numbers are constantly looked at and adjusted (after all, what else have they got to do right now), it is disconcerting to see usage projections drop while prognosticators, experts, and weekend warriors still postulate whether or not this train will even run past Middle Street. Stay tuned, because you know there’ll be another “are you kidding me?!” HART story just down the tracks.

On another local transportation front, a fire truck was stolen two weeks ago while idling outside of a late-night, emergency medical call. The leeward side call was apparently completed when the first responders went back outside to find their light-flashing vehicle gone. This theft might be tempt a new dictionary definition of “chutzpah”, as there is no subtlety tooling around in a purloined, bright yellow, 40-foot truck with a cool ladder.

The alleged absconder was soon found at a nearby 7-Eleven store in Makaha, undoubtedly sucking on a Big Gulp. How do I know? Well, the only plausible excuse one could have made when asked why he would do such a thing is, “Hey, I was thirsty”. Yes nothing is as satiating as a huge drink, no matter the obstacles.

In 2021’s twilight zone universe, where sides are taken and lines are not simply drawn, but often constructed with mental cement, many hope for a return to semi-harmony, sensible discourse, and rational compromise to once again run our democracy. A proven way to calm down and stop making everything a major, politically-charged issue is to chuckle, laugh occasionally, and take important things seriously while not taking ourselves too seriously. Well, maybe we can all agree on one thing- don’t steal fire engines.

Think about it… 

Flustered folks who sometimes just can’t get things done lament, “I didn’t have time”. Which seems a tinge ironic, because the only thing we really do have- is time. When we officially run out of time, well, the ballgame’s over. How we choose to allocate our time- aaah, there’s the rub.

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things, including how we think about allocating our precious time, our irretrievable time. Spending time with family/friends, staying engaged as our kids grow up, just taking time to breathe fully. Some people thought they’d go stir crazy but found out that being in some control with idle time (forced by issues beyond their control) led to self-reflection, recalibration, and a realignment of personal priorities.

Monster.com tells us that of 650 people recently surveyed, 95% said they were considering a job change. OK, but that’s info coming from a job platform site. Microsoft Work Trend says that 40% of people want to change jobs. If everyone simply opts for some other job, one that someone else abandoned, won’t people end up unhappy again later? If a chunk of workers are disenchanted, will the grass really be greener on the other side, where others appear equally disenfranchised?? Many appear ready to find out.

Four million Americans quit their jobs in April, the highest monthly total in 20-years. Accommodation and food sector workers paved the way, but many industries have suffered. Post-coronavirus, some have decided that for health, drudgery, and/or sanity reasons, they simply don’t want to go back where they were. And for those who rationalize that government-offered, $300 per week checks are luring droves of people away from the workplace, have you thought about surviving locally on $15,600 annually? Not a well-advised retirement path.

Thoughts now focus on quality of life (rather than just quantity of life), making one’s time count, making a difference, being a part of whatever it is that enlightens you or gives more meaning to your existence. The working world is morphing big time. Two years ago we talked about possibly driving hybrids, and now we’re returning to workplaces that are hybrid (without needing to drive to work in a hybrid). Akamai bosses and companies here and elsewhere must adapt and become more empathetic, realistic, encouraging, strategic, and engaged with employees than ever before. Maybe that’s actually a good thing to come out of this pitiful pandemic.

Think about it…

40 years ago, Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays collorated on “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls”, an ambient jazz album. As an homage, this editorial’s called “As Falls Maunawili, So Falls Maunawili Falls”. After all, there’ve been lots of falls lately around Maunawili Falls… but that might be ending for now.

“Might” because people who really want to go somewhere, explore, climb, take pictures, and even muck it up, have found a way to do so for years. For reference, please see the Ko`olau Stairway to Heaven as another prime example.

Maunawili Falls is officially closed for two years; let’s watch how obedient visitors and locals alike are to this edict. Over the past month, the site has seen a serious back injury, a right knee injury require airlifting, and a young man seriously injured after falling from the Maunawili Trail. Add the repeated tales of trash being left behind, flora being crushed, parking issues, visitors availing themselves of residents’ outdoor hoses, and well, you can see that something had to give.

And “give” is a vital concept here, as tourism officials are talking about ways of giving education to visitors, asking people to be respectful of those many places and sites that make Hawai`i such a travel magnet. Thus, the next question might be: will anyone (or everyone) listen to these sincere requests, which will undoubtedly be handled local style- with aloha.

Or will the response be: “hey, I forked over thousands of dollars and flew thousands of miles, so I’ll do what I want, how I want.” Sound harsh? Reference the response to requests for people to wear masks and get vaccinated over the past 18-months. All that was meant to do was save lives. And still, angry people felt provoked, have avoided complying, and thus deaths plus long-term COVID-19 ailments (unnecessary with the advent of vaccinations) continue to pile up.

In “Dirty Dancing”, Patrick Swayze reminded Jennifer Grey’s stern father that, “nobody puts Baby (Grey) in a corner”, as he escorts her onto the stage. It seems like nowadays far too many feel cornered or scolded, even when facts and reality appear to be on the side of those doing the asking. Hopefully, the environs of Maunawili, its trails, and pool will heal over time. Even with kapu signs, compliance will require dutiful restraint from self-anointed freedom-seekers for this plan to work.

Think about it… 

Remember kinder, gentler times, when the biggest medical decision many people faced heading into autumn was whether or not to get a flu vaccination? Well, if you go by statistics from this past flu season (October, 2020 through March, 2021) the numbers in this country are staggering… in a good way. 

Since 2010, the annual U.S. flu death toll is about 35,000-40,000 people. The estimates from the 2020/2021 season that just ended? Under 1,000 total flu deaths. Surely our hibernation due to COVID-19 helped, but so did the fact that everybody’s worn masks for so long. And while some view masks as an affront to their personal rights, COVID knows no boundaries, shows no mercy, and hasn’t heard that the ballgame’s over. 

You might argue that your chance of surviving COVID-19 is 98% or so. But an estimated 30% of people who get COVID-19 in any form (mild or major) end up with some long-term ailment- breathing issues, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, depression, hair loss, stomach pains, nausea, brain fog, loss of taste/smell… the number of ailments identified now totals well over 50. The 30% figure (collateral damage?) means that over 12-million post-acute COVID-19 syndrome Americans still suffer regularly. 

It would be tough to be 25-years old and suffer stomach, brain or lung problems for the next 60 years when you realize it probably could have been prevented by getting a vaccination and wearing a mask just a little while longer. Tired of hearing about this? Me, too. But celebrations are premature.

Wearing a mask has been an accepted custom, not a statement, for decades in Asia. To protect others at the first sign of a sniffle, many conscientious people wear masks in major East Asian cities. Air quality issues also factor into masking decisions in some cities, but the point is- it’s not just about “me”, it’s about the collective “us”. As things loosen up post-COVID, it’s not about being so over this mask-charade, it’s about accepting responsibility. Want proof? Talk to the 12-million collateral damage cases.

As many uncover (and haven’t vaccinated) in celebration of our newly won semi-freedom, also remember that flu season starts soon. Keeping safe from COVID-19 with masks could also prevent many of the 500+ flu deaths we see annually right here in Hawai`i. The germ war is being won by smart, action-oriented people, but it’s not over until it’s over…

Think about it.

In late-May the Associated Press reported that California’s legislature is looking to allow developers to build housing units on commercial sites without necessarily changing zoning laws. As many retailers see potentially perilous times ahead (and as Amazon gets ready to put its first warehouse on a 14-acre lot in Sand Island), the time has come to think out of the box- as in the retail store and office building box.

Ala Moana Center has already shown that (pricy) housing and shopping centers can coexist. So as more big box retailers cut their footage in Hawai`i, is it time to consider reasonably-priced apartment buildings on site? While “affordable housing” is a relative term, with parking and existing structures already in place in many neighborhood malls, maybe high-priced infrastructure and material cost reductions would allow for units to be a reality for the “average” household in Hawai’i, perhaps costing under $500,000?

We can’t keep asking rhetorically and waxing poetic about emigration, brain drain, lack of higher paying jobs, homelessness, and the growing at-risk population here. Aloha United Way’s ALICE household acronym stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. It’s estimated that fully half of our local population is now in the ALICE category, families barely getting by month to month. That number stood at a staggering 595,000 local residents pre-pandemic in January, 2020. These are neighbors, relatives, and friends; working hard, getting by, but without much in the way of savings, retirement funds, or good options if a car or refrigerator breaks down… or if paychecks become unavailable due to economic cutbacks.

Let’s go big or, as they say, let’s just go home; how best to now utilize struggling structures and retail sites? Let’s consolidate under-utilized government buildings and office buildings; let’s retrofit vacated buildings into affordable rentals or apartments. A possible legislative roadblock (in California) is that retail sales taxes provide cities/states with more money than would residential taxes on owned units. OK, figure that into the mix, but it’s a given that emptier office buildings and shrinking retail malls will require new thinking. 

Health clinics, homeless shelters, public/transitional housing, community centers, retail fulfillment locations, schools, job training sites, child care, remote offices, off-price retailers, and resident-owned units- the “what if” list must be explored as we considered how best to utilize limited, existing, quality locations in neighborhoods and perhaps near rapid transit. What’s in store? Maybe your next apartment.

Think about it… 

A lot of talk locally over a lot of years has focused on finding alternate, vibrant economic options to tourism. Things really ramped up last summer when we realized that not only was no one coming for a while, but we didn’t have a lot to fall back on to ease that pain. It came as no surprise, as the talk, for decades has been just that- talk.

Now that the tourists are coming back in increasing numbers, can we take that talk to the next level with plans, ideas, partnerships, and/or public/private entrepreneurial ventures? Could we become home to an East/West medical hub, boast of a space exploration site (on a spacious Neighbor Island plot)? Can we entertain cyber security entities in conjunction with our large military presence or possibly harness alternative energy options here to become leaders in that valuable sector?

Or… will we continue to just talk- about economic options, affordable housing, re-training employees now bumped out of jobs, and how education matters because the “keiki are our future” (which they are, whether we say it or not)? Let’s strive for bold initiatives with specifics, substance, research, and capital? As overcrowding becomes a bigger issue, will nerves get frayed further here and thus will our local population continue its recent emigration surge eastward?

So let’s get crazy (as Prince would say) and embrace successful tactics deployed elsewhere to help change things for our future. Maybe start by retrofitting under-utilized government or office buildings into temporary housing shelters. Or taking problematic, under-visited shopping centers and re-shaping them into fulfillment centers or kupuna apartments, perhaps even creating “affordable” (a squishy term at best) housing by going up ten stories high and giving tax breaks as incentives. After all, as a builder/business entity, why build $400,000 living units today when the $950,000 ones sell out immediately?

Let’s acknowledge that every bold move won’t be met with resounding applause and encouragement, but let’s start mapping out and then acting upon strategies to get us through the next pandemic, hurricane, airline strike, or economic slump without facing the huge indigestion that’s occurs every time our hotels (and restaurants) aren’t full. Let’s look outside at other isolated tourist communities around the world to see how they’ve managed to lessen the weight that tourism plays on far too many aspects of local life, while we still welcome respectful visitors who frequent our shores.

Think about it…

Two months ago, the Center for Disease Control said that about 15% of Hawai`i’s adults remained “unsure” or “hesitant” about getting a COVID-19 vaccination. That “wait and see” attitude is still in play, even with positive vaccine results worldwide and widespread incentives locally being dangled for anyone who gets a shot. And we know that Hawai`i people love to gamble. But not getting vaccinated- gambling with your life (or the lives of those around you)? Not so much fun. That 15% figure represents over 120,000 adults here- a lot of still cautious and/or doubting vacci-waiters.

So exactly when will “wait and see” morph into “OK, now I feel comfortable”? After all, it’s been six months since the first mass vaccines were given, and things seem to be working out quite well. Need more proof? How come. We’ve had proof for decades about the value of avoiding cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, fried food, processed food, and sugar drinks, yet many ignore good science and keep right on trucking. 

Aside from the ridiculous political overtones the vaccination concept originally took, some people are probably tired of “the man” telling them what to do, what to put or not put into their bodies. I get it. When the world seems reduced to eating just kale, blueberries, and walnuts, it’s not much fun. But vaccinations are more than just about “me”. They’re about everyone you come in contact with, love, like, or hope to see again.

How sad would it be, after 16-months, to get a wicked case of COVID with possible lifelong complications? After all, you’ve managed to get by… so far. Some don’t have the wherewithal to get to vaccination sites due to schedules, economics, or a true understanding of the situation. The state is doing a lot to help those people through convenient community and mobile sites, working with ethnic elders to spread the word, etc.

Some avoiders here also still don’t believe the COVID threat. Not sure what part of millions of COVID deaths or tens of millions incapacitated in some way (possibly for life) sounds phony or conspiratorial, but I hope you don’t find out the truth the hard way. 

Let’s push beyond the so-called “herd immunity” threshold soon here. Let’s be #1 in saving lives and avoiding COVID-19 spread; it sure beats being #1 in cost of living, housing, milk, Spam consumption, and doing business.

Think about it…

While we certainly can’t chuckle about the “bad old days” of COVID-19 yet, we can see a light at the end of the prolonged, dark tunnel. So let’s plant our tongues firmly in cheek,  jump ahead a couple of years, and look back at some terms that have morphed in meaning, as it’s never too early to smile:

• “Antibodies”- it was what we all wanted to help fight off a stealthy invader, but now it simply defines people we just don’t want as homies
• “Cluster”- a place to avoid in the COVID era; now it can be seen daily at Leonard’s as malasada-craving tourists have re-appeared
• “Community spread”- that was when someone got COVID some place that couldn’t be easily identified; now, it’s just another AYSO soccer potluck on Saturday
• “Convalescent plasma”- an antibody donation made by community heroes who’d beaten the disease; now, it’s that 77”, $4,000, 4K, OLED TV you can’t possibly afford, unless you saved your government stimulus check (yeh, right)
• “False positive result”- was when you didn’t have COVID but thought you did; now it’s what you say when you didn’t like a presidential election result, despite facts
• “Herd Immunity”- that which we wanted so badly as a species that we bribed people to get vaccinated; now, it’s just a term for a bunch of mad cow disease-free cattle in Kamuela
• “Long-Hauler”- in 2022, this was one of the many millions still suffering COVID aftereffects; now, it’s just Bob, the guy trucking your Tesla to Long Beach for shipping here
• “PPE”- was the vital equipment that hospital first responders couldn’t get enough of during dire times; now, it’s Twitter shorthand for a renown, North Shore surfing spot
• “mRNA”- the single strand, molecular magical meanderer that helped fight off the dastardly pandemic, courtesy of Pfizer/Moderna vaccines; now, it’s the miracle medical breakthrough in our fight against cancer, HIV, sickle cell anemia, Ebola, Zika, influenza, etc. No joke here.
• “Social distancing”- was what we did to keep the virus away; now, it just refers to the mandated, awkward rule during slow dances at junior’s 8^th grade social
• “Super-spreader”- formerly a human to avoid, super-spreader now merely indicates a benign, but wide, butter knife
• “Zoom”- a human zoo inside transparent boxes where we all used to congregate to be seen far too often; now, it’s what we all aspire to see our lives do, post-COVID-19.

Think about it…