MidWeek Column

Well, that was close! Hurricane Douglas took a northwesterly tour above the island chain on July 26^th, and we lucked out… again. Storms/hurricanes Kenneth (2005), Flossie (2007), Felicia (2009), Iselle (2014), Darby (2016), Madeline (2016), Lane (2018) all showed “big body” but then huffed and puffed their ways pretty much around us. Stiff wind shears and cooler waters in our midst are two factors that historically mitigate westward-heading storms that we normally see. But beware the next one, or the tempest that approaches from the south. Ignorance is not bliss.

While we all lament the high pressure this unforgiving coronavirus is causing, thank goodness for the high pressure system that encircles our islands and usually deflects or denigrates approaching hurricanes that emanate in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Yet our ocean waters appear warmer than in recent years, and our high-pressure winds have shifted a bit; thus we appear more vulnerable to a direct strike this year, or next year, or… well, you get the picture. Dot (August, 1959), Iwa (November, 1982), and Iniki (September, 1992) proved that while we’re truly a tiny speck in a vast ocean, shift happens. It would be foolish to let our guard down and not prepare well as these summer/autumn natural events take shape. Because rest unassured, we will be hit again, at some level, some day.

Iwilei Costco was not a madhouse right before Douglas’ flight arrived (everyone already has toilet paper and water supplies from COVID-19 hoarding). Shelters had some issues- there are too few in number, and volunteers were possibly scared away amid social distancing concerns). Perhaps the overall lack of Douglas panic can be explained by the state we’re all in right now- fragile, fatigued, world weary, and by the sense that “really… with COVID- 19 cases on the rise and so many concerns about health, school, the economy, and our futures, we really have to deal with nature’s nautical tease!?” Shelter in place at home? That request was easy- we’ve been doing it for the last four months.

So yes, keep your guard (and your facemasks) up. As the old adage says: Man plans and God laughs. But plan we must. We have no direct control over nature, but we can maintain absolute control over ourselves and how we (re)act. We must exude hope and keep positive vibes coming, in general, because the sun always does rise tomorrow.

Think about it…

Dateline, August, 2023… It seems so long ago, so far away. Yet it was just a few years ago that Hawai`i and most of the planet Earth had to deal with that equal opportunity offender, COVID-19. At times it was so bad, so pervasive, and so divisive.  Thankfully, even most renegades finally put their masks on, the virus flare ups died down, and then we got treatments as we’ve arrived at the new normal. I do look back and marvel at some of the coronavirus realities that truly made a vital and viral impact…

…Time spent in close quarters with others, getting along for sanity sake, actually listening when others were talking, working, eating, entertaining and schooling as a family. With so little fresh TV programming of note and no live sports, we managed to entertain ourselves for months and months. We even put down our digital devices often enough to listen to one another; yes, vanquishing trolls does grow tiresome. Houses became homes with improved family unity.

…Chivalrous tales of health care first responders putting their lives on the line daily with insufficient protection, putting themselves in harm’s way, but I shuddered at stories of how these very same saviors had their work hours cut back as the virus settled down, but elective surgeries and regular appointments took a back seat to a fear of medical facilities.

…Hordes of volunteers gathering, packing, and handing out food week after week in the hot sun simply because it was the right thing to do. Empathy. Volunteers smiled through masks, as there were no barriers and no judgment; it was humanity simply heeding the call, acting appropriately to help out neighbors they didn’t even know.

…Neighbors shopping and stopping by the homes of the enfeebled and elderly, satisfying physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. Retailers paying employees even while closed to help provide funds for sustenance and rent for worker’s families as businesses barely hung on, or didn’t. I even remember that 2020 winter window where wearing masks helped lower seasonal flu numbers, which saved additional lives. An unplanned benefit!

2020 is a haunting memory. Yet there were some outstanding moments and lessons learned. Relationships salvaged, families bonded anew, employees realized that loyalty is a two-way street. The list of good things that came out of that darkness gives me renewed hope, as long as we don’t suffer severe memory lapses.

Think about it…

We hear it far too often- the widening rift in this country. Even the seemingly simple concept of wearing a mask to protect the human species from the coronavirus scourge takes on a red vs. blue tone. Ridiculous. We are not a nation of pure red and blue. Yes, some states and people lean right and some lean left. But we’re actually a purple country.

Purple is cool. Prince serenaded us with “Purple Rain”. Lavender, violets, blueberries eggplants, and amethysts are all shades of purple. And thank goodness for Deep Purple, or we wouldn’t have the incredible “Smoke on the Water” (the live version from Japan, of course). The Purple Heart is awarded to soldiers displaying great valor.

For every rural or reddish area of this nation, there’s an offsetting city or college town that leans blue. One purple-impassioned author pegs purple-loving people as those who live in a dream world. Ah, if only… Purple has also been tied to royalty, wisdom, dignity, mystery, power, independence, creativity, and magic. So, purple is all over the place, much like the belief systems of many Americans, even red/blue leaners. 

Purple is not one of the colors on the visible spectrum; you have to search deeper to find it… how poetic. The Purpleologist website (yes, it’s real) suggests that the color purple can calm nerves and the mind, is uplifting, offers creativity, and encourages spirituality. Perhaps we could all use a little more purple in our lives.

We need to stop allowing separatists to exacerbate the very real problems which can drive a deeper wedge into our “united” nation. People disagree all the time, and then things get resolved. Hawai`i, of course, had an esteemed senator at one point named Daniel Inouye. He knew the value of reaching across the aisle; he rationalized that compromise was necessary to move things forward at times. He partnered often with Alaska’s Republican senator, Ted Stevens, to get things done. Yes, a progressive and a conservative actually worked together well in an era of “purple reign” in Washington, D.C. Imagine that.

Alas, those days and those leaders have been replaced by far too many who shirk their appointed duties while simply pandering to keep their jobs. Maybe we’ll see a purple resurgence in 2020. Red and blue together, a refreshing thought for the beleaguered masses. Working together for the common good; it’s not so purple-xing!

Think about it…

With much at stake, some ponder if we should be assessing some of our fraying systems here. Education, tourism, traffic, housing, education, working from home- the list goes on. We should always seek to improve things via great forethought and action (plus accountability, often lacking locally… but that’s another story).

But right now, we need a reality check. People are suffering. We don’t have five years to revamp our major economic engine- tourism. Over 200,000 jobs statewide were supported by tourism last year, according to the annual Hawai`i Visitor Statistics report. By year end, an estimated 60% of Hawai`i households will be a single paycheck away from having trouble paying bills- rent, food, medical, transportation, et al. Over 700,000 residents could be in need of assistance, according to Aloha United Way’s 2020 ALICE Report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are working households, added to those already in poverty and dire straits. And let’s not forget the mental stress this pandemic is causing. The tax on that silent threat is forthcoming.

Suggestions that hotels “simply” raise rates by 20% to help offset a 20% loss in visitors (or two million people annually) to keep our tax base strong through 2021 is naïve, illogical, and simplistic. As Waikiki and the Neighbor Island doors re-open, hotel beds will not be filled at 80% capacity any time soon. Room rates will be lowered as businesses try to entice tourists back. Economics 101. And if rules are followed, illegal B&Bs won’t bounce back. Some economists have projected a five-year path (whatever that path might look like) to get us back to the $17.75 billion that visitors spent here in 2019. 

Yes, we need actionable, forward thinking. Call Elon Musk about a missile site; call the Mayo Clinic about an East/West medical consortium; convince Silicon Valley neophytes to set up an enterprise in paradise. Practical, alternative energy businesses might thrive here. There’s a lot of capital waiting for entrepreneurial opportunities today. Just don’t expect many new concepts to start impacting our economy for years. We need answers for locals in August and also in February of 2021. We need our statewide ‘ohana to ensure that Hawai`i stays vibrant, unique, and livable. Everyone will be tested. Not everything will get done (hello, potholes). Reality insists that we deal with today’s issues today as we search within and without for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Think about it…

A few unrelated items to ponder this week as we navigate new beginnings…

Kaiser High was acknowledged in April as the #1 public school in Hawaii and was also tied for #1 in the entire United States among public high schools in math and reading proficiency, according to U.S. News and World Report. “It’s Academic Hawai`i”, a weekly, academic game show featuring some of the brightest students from local high schools, ran from 2012-2018 on KFVE. The show had only one three-time champion in seven seasons- Kaiser High School. Kaiser’s principal commented on the local/national math ranking by saying “we challenge ourselves”, according to Pacific Business News. As it should be! Go Cougars! It’s always great to see our public schools earning deserved academic kudos both locally and nationally…

Moving on, comedian Dennis Miller once said that the toughest job in the world was being a bank security guard in Alaska: 20 people walk into a bank… they’re all wearing masks (insert laughter here). Well, reality nowadays is- 20 people walk into a bank, socially distanced of course, and they’re all wearing masks. Suddenly, a guy walks in without a mask. Everyone gets really scared… As Bob Dylan sang 20 years ago: “People are crazy and times are strange / I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range / I used to care, but things have changed.” 

Finally… we simply can’t seem to do it. As a species. We’ve paid the price, darn it, and now we have a right to go out unencumbered as we frolic and play. Without masks, without physical distancing, without practicing safe sanitization. Well… someone forgot to tell Beelzebub, a/k/a/ COVID-19. Because it’s still here and it also wants to play, and (for now) it’s here to stay, thanks to human transmission and letting our guard down. COVID-19 appears to be mutating, morphing- and who knows what that portends. We’ve already seen death and long-term damage via more than eight million (confirmed) cases worldwide in just seven months. We need treatments, we need a vaccine, and yes, we want our freedom. But for today’s purpose, what we really need is to have a clue, sports fans. As stoics love to remind us, freedom is not free; well, neither is winning this biological war. So put on your equipment, give space, and keep fighting the good fight, brothers and sisters. No slackers allowed.

Think about it…

Why are some people consciously choosing to not wear masks or practice social distancing? Yes, everyone’s been inconvenienced as “the man” made us stay home, but this medical safeguard has nothing to do with the shattering COVID-19 economic toll. If this is a so-called “war” we’re fighting vs. the coronavirus, and if you’re not doing you’re small part for our state and country in that war, does that make you a traitor or a snowflake? The novel coronavirus is not going away soon and is surely not a problem solved, yet. 

Moving on… recent peaceful protests around the country have pointed out just how far we haven’t come as a nation where all people are supposedly created and treated equal. The cry for justice and change is as loud as it’s been in many years, which hopefully will be a cause for immediate action beyond the poignant words.

We’ve been here before, and not just on this one particular issue of racial inequality and mistreatment. Back to 1970, we saw apparent headway being made by Women’s Lib, Black Power, and Gay Liberation movements. Yes, a half century ago, some of the very problems we see today were being addressed. But as Black Lives Matter, Me Too, and LGBTQ movements show us in 2020, we certainly have a long way to go.  

Minneapolis just banned neck restraints and chokeholds as methods of police restraint, but that’s merely a rules change. What needs to change universally is mindsets. As daddy once told me, learn right from wrong when you’re young, because it’s hard(er) to change when you get older. Civics and ethics courses should be mandated in schools, if we truly believe in the words of our nation’s founders (who themselves were quite naïve and hypocritical in some humanitarian areas).

Judge people by their actions and souls, not by their skin color, shape, social proclivities, religious choices, physical challenges, mental conditions, accents, or even where they went to school. Civics should be taught alongside the ABCs, and taught early and often. Alter or adjust evolving mindsets before wayward or antiquated notions seep in and you’ll see change. Sunday schools should also play a big role in this moral mandate. Enough tribalism; enough us and them. While we all may be different, we’re all in this together. It’s 2020, not 1863, not 1607. Time to wake up, everybody.

Think about it…