And so it was set forth that this year was different…
… for on this Christmas, we resolved to truly be more active listeners, more empathetic, and more compassionate.
… and officials decided to resolve many items that annually fester, are discussed, researched, studied, probed, committee-d, and inevitably ignored- like the Haiku Stairway To Heaven, the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial, truly “affordable” housing, the Falls of Clyde, the TMT, leeward-side contra flow lanes in the afternoons, incessant legislative micromanagement of UH, a bypass road for the leeward side, et al.
…and we decided to more often do what’s pono, to cherish the aina, to exchange “ha” sincerely and regularly, and not simply talk about the aloha spirit, but rather live it and breathe it consciously. We stopped taking Hawai`i for granted.
…and repeatedly elected officials decided that after a decade or so they would gracefully bow out after having given their time, input, and energy to truly help our islands move forward, rather than simply hang around past their “use by” date as they cautiously avoided tackling and resolving tough issues faced annually, much to the chagrin of the people who actually elected them to tackle and resolve tough issues.
…and all mankind locally decided to look up often from their electronic devices, to realize that the sun did come out today, that the air was clean, that birds still flew in our midst and leaves still shimmered in the (less frequent, it seems) trade winds. And we saw sights we’d never seen before, like a child having fun playing nearby, or a pedestrian crossing the intersection in front of us. When unplugged and detached from devices and social media, we focused on being truly and mindfully present with friends, family, loved ones and co-workers, and we survived… happily, in fact. Perhaps a trend can begin here- competent consciousness, awareness of our personal zone, surroundings, and beyond… an enlightenment.
…and we appreciated the people and things that we do have; we acknowledged thoughtfulness of people regularly, and mandated that we, too, would give more, and we realized that giving is not realized in gift cards given one day a year.
… and we smiled and laughed much more. Merry Christmas.
Think about it.