Think About It Hawaii

The heaviness of the times we live in can feel all-consuming. Tier 2, tier 3, keep your distance, wear a mask, wash your hands… Disparate beliefs causing surreal responses. Lack of civility, sanity, and empathy. My way or the highway. Love thy fellow man…. unless he’s too stupid and disagrees with me. Let’s try some down time with no CNN or FOX News, no insincere pontificators or social media trolls, no COVID counts for a while. 

What we need are more diversions, simple things that get our heads out of the crisis du jour and into a different space, even for a short while. Even in heavy times, we should seek enjoyment and pleasure as essential and therapeutic. 

Things need to be taken seriously, but we really mustn’t take ourselves too seriously. Diversions can provide moments of escapism, however brief. We’ve heard plenty about how the pandemic and the political realities seem absurd, even surrealistic. So let’s dive into chosen escapism more often, diversionary dips into the ocean. Invigorating, sobering, cleansing. 

Playfulness is not just for kids. We all need more levity and non-chemically induced releases. Watch an old sitcom; create a crazy recipe. “Airplane” or “Home Alone” viewing might give you a 90-minute high. Just get away from the daily grind, for eventually you will return, perhaps a bit more conscious of that ancient adage- “this, too, shall pass”. You might not see the clear light at the end of this tunnel, but diversions may help keep you from crashing into the tunnel’s walls along the way. 

We are a resilient lot, who live in, arguably, the nicest place imaginable with the nicest people around to ride out this pandemic, but the oppressive reality gets to everyone in some way at some point. So play music, eat shave ice, play Twister, visit somewhere you’ve not been in years (but, um, stay in your car).

Diversion. It might help build your creativity and even boost your mood, says psychology professor René Proyer at Germany’s Martin Luther University. No, I don’t know him, but his name and school sounded cool. Even writing down playful thoughts like that can help. Playfulness might allow you to reframe things; and you choose how and what to play. You’re in control. Find diversions and perhaps you’ll find more happiness. It’s worked for eons on kids, and it works for adults.

Think about it…

So many things canceled, rearranged, or postponed due to this omnipresent pandemic. And while we’ve been forced to at least tolerate incessant openings, closings and the inability to see friends and loved ones, something else dawned on me which has become magnified over the last 10-months.

Many of us never really got to say goodbye to friends now gone. Sure, we’ve sent condolence notes to family members, made contributions, written sincere blurbs for memory books, but we never really got to say goodbye and feel that sense of closure. We never got to hug a family member and say how much their loved one meant to us, how much we enjoyed his or her friendship, how sorry we are for their loss.

We never got to reminisce (Zoom won’t work in these circumstances), laugh, cry, share treasured anecdotes with family and friends, never got to break bread and just be there for people during their grieving times. I empathize with those who’ve lost loved ones due to COVID-19; many never got to say goodbye as medical facilities simply can’t let family members come into facilities to pay final respects.

Someday, there might be a nice tribute ceremony, a celebration of life, and that will surely help to ease the pain; but it will feel a bit too long in coming. Maybe time having passed will allow these events to be a bit less emotional, but being able to show and feel emotion is essential to humans, and that’s yet one more item this novel coronavirus has stolen from us.

So, I’m sorry Jack, Gregg, Paul, Jerry, and others who’ve left us far too soon. Sorry I couldn’t laugh with you or talk story about the fun we had along the way. Sorry I couldn’t tell your families, in person, just how nice it was having you as a buddy. I hope to do that later, perhaps by the end of 2021. In the meantime, listening to the song “Gone Too Soon” by Creed’s Scott Stapp sometimes helps me to put it into perspective.

I’m glad your loved ones got to hear or read notes from so many who sincerely cared. But I miss not having had the chance to be there near the end, or soon after you were gone, to participate in the group healing process in person. So, I’ll smile at memories, and wait.

Think about it…

We see the daily COVID-19 numbers and become numb. Many Americans took vacations or simply ventured out in recent weeks, but COVID-19 took no days off. Please listen to the pleas of healthcare workers in this war: wear a mask correctly, stay socially distant, avoid crowds, and frequently wash your hands. Sound familiar?

It’s too bad that some won’t agree that this is the best way to protect ourselves and others, but the reality is especially stunning for those on the medical front lines as copious COVID caseloads continue.  Well over 1,000 healthcare workers nationally have died from the novel coronavirus. The continued lack of PPE equipment, the long hours, the daily trauma of dealing with seemingly OK patients who quickly end up intubated, well… it’s asking a lot of these caregivers after 10-months. Frustration levels among the caregivers has rightfully grown. We must keep taking basic precautions, fatigued as we may be of rigid rules. 

On average, about 65 firefighters, 158 law enforcement officers, and 308 active-duty American military personnel die annually during active duty. In 2020 alone, at least twice as many healthcare workers perished due to COVID-19 than died in the other three professions combined. Caregivers died doing jobs where they knew there’d be risk… but not this- not all day every day- with little respite over 10-months, including post-work repercussions every single day.

Many medical personnel end their workdays stressed, knowing they can’t or won’t go home- unwilling to risk possibly infecting family members or roommates. Some don’t shower normally, eat with loved ones, or sleep in their own beds- all due to concerns after they’ve left the workplace, which makes their plight unique compared to others who place themselves in harm’s way yet maintain some lifestyle normalcy. 

Healthcare workers have seen reduced work hours as medical facilities aren’t seeing normal amounts of non-COVID-related, on-site business. Elective surgeries are put off, revenue is down, and workers lose hours. Ironically, those saving lives are being occasionally ostracized for wearing scrubs (in stores), remain isolated (from loved ones) and see reduced pay (with fewer work hours).

Nip this thing- stay safe, be wary, and tighten your bubble. Don’t let 10-months of responsible effort go to waste for a superfluous gathering or meeting now. The best gift we can provide to overworked, miracle medical workers is to not meet them while they’re on the job in 2021.

Think about it…

Remember one year ago? So much momentum for so many, with so many clever ads and promos pushing how we’re entering 2020 with open eyes and great focus, you know- “20/20” vision, that type of thing?

Well, things a got quite blurry in 1^st quarter, and then it got worse. So here we are, entering 2021 with cautious optimism, a heavy dose of realism based on facts, and the absolute need to get things back on track. When crisis entities and elected officials here historically discussed what possible cataclysmic events might affect us, the major impact items were usually nature-related: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and hurricanes. And while each of these could be devastating, you could plan how to immediately handle the clean-up, fallout, loss of power, all- hands-on-deck recovery, and more. You’d start to bounce back within days.

But this insidious, take-no-prisoners virus didn’t come and go like a natural disaster or even a seasonal flu. It lingered, or rather, it lingers. It didn’t pick one area in which to do damage; it used evil, airborne messengers to transmit nasty effects islands-wide and worldwide, disproportionately affecting those least able to fight it. 

We say “good riddance” to 2020, yet know that COVID-19 doesn’t abide by calendars or our personal resolutions to start anew just because 2021 starts Friday. Even with a plethora of vaccinations administered over the coming months, we still must adhere to distancing, mask-wearing, and repeatedly cleaning our hands. 

As we’ve learned (sometimes painfully), letting one’s guard down for even a brief moment can prove to be enough to allow this unwelcome, microscopic, invisible, hovering guest into our lives. “Trust” is not enough when loved ones or friends live outside of your insulated bubble, as you must protect yourself and your inner circle from the novel coronavirus. Paranoia? No, reality.

One thing that’s probably improved over the past year is your vocabulary- with now-commonplace terms and concepts imprinted: novel coronavirus, super-spreader, herd immunity, asymptomatic, contact tracing, flattening the curve, epidemiology, pandemic, PPE, PPE, self-quarantine, N95, social distancing, and ventilators. It’s exhausting to think of what we now have to think of!

But enter 2021 we shall, gosh darn it; we will prevail, because that’s what we do. We may be exhausted, nervous, frustrated, and optimistically looking ahead, but caution amid recovery is essential to shake the persistent grip of this most unkind and unrelenting enemy. Onward!

Think about it…    

We come to that time of the year when we reflect on what we’ve accomplished this year, what needs to be done next year, where we’re going, what we’re feeling, et al. We acknowledge loved ones and valued acquaintances through notes, emails, texts, calls, cards, or gifts, connecting- while separated- with those people who truly make a difference in our lives.

Obviously, this twisted, confining, and confounding year seems different at Christmastime and as we head into 2021. So much has been unique and surreal in 2020, a year like never before. Forced isolation, strange new rules for behavior and decorum, abandoned practices and rituals. At times it felt like this can’t really be happening. But we’ve adapted, dealing with our nightmare version of “Groundhog Day”. A better future is in sight, finally.

So in three years, when you reflect back on 2020 (and at least the first part of 2021), how will you say you handled it all? For those of means, will you say that you made a positive difference? Did you contribute through your actions, efforts, and/or giving? It’s not too late to make an impact, whether through monetary donations, giving of your time, or even via virtual volunteering?

Check out this volunteer website: http://www.hiho.org/, or call one of the thousands of local non-profits and simply ask, “What can I do?” Contributing to local cultural organizations through their virtual events can lift your spirits via quality entertainment as you provide much-needed revenue for our struggling local arts and artists. There are all kinds of ways to give or give back. 

If your thoughts all along have been to hunker down until things get back to “normal”, you might be disappointed come 2022 when some of your favorite retailers and restaurants have simply ceased to be. Giving back to your community now, even remotely, might be the best way to allow you to someday reflect back at this bleak blip in time and feel good about having done some good.

So many locally are just trying to survive this on-going confusion. If you have the means, energy, time, soul, empathy, creativity, and/or funds, now is a great time to take action. When you reflect on the saga of this COVID-19 era, you’ll know that you didn’t just survive it or watch idly, but you actually made a difference. It’s not too late to just do that, starting tomorrow.

Think about it…

In a year where we need more feel-good stories, a recurring character connected to the Hawaiian archipelago just popped up again to make us smile. Her name is Wisdom; she’s a Laysan albatross who returns every couple of years to Midway Atoll. But this bird of a different feather doesn’t just show up to soak up some rays and nosh on fish eggs; no, no. 

Wisdom’s homecoming a couple of weeks ago was heart-warming, as she’s now hatched over 35 chicks in her seven decades of life. Biologists have proof that Wisdom is at least 69 years old! Crustaceans for everyone! The Honolulu Star-Advertiser recently updated us, and this bird is an inspiration to humans and perhaps to the millions of other albatrosses that call Midway Atoll home. Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956. She and mate Akeakamai have been together since at least 2010, but rumor has it that they first got together when Wisdom recorded her hit, “Roe, Roe, Roe Your Boat” back in the 1990s. In this season that celebrates birth, Wisdom is something of a miracle.

Akeakamai, which means “philosopher” or “lover of wisdom” (get it?) is obviously no bird brain, as he accompanies his beloved mate trip after trip. Yes, they’re frequent fliers. They take turns nurturing newborns, with the non-nester flying off to hunt for food.

The Laysan albatross is one of 22 albatross species and is considered to be an incredibly efficient traveler. They take long flights over the ocean, expending little energy- maybe like far too many of us who’ve been inactive on weekends since the onset of intermittent COVID-19 quarantines. 

National Geographic called Wisdom the “oldest confirmed wild bird and the oldest banded bird in the world”, but she stays young through her consistent Midway treks back to give birth. Human grandparents at age 69 never have to say they’re sorry, but rather, “here, you can take junior back now, I’m done playing…” when visiting their kids. And yet here’s Wisdom, popping ‘em out with her innate intelligence and remarkable fertility. Wisdom just might change that age-old stereotype about something or someone being an “albatross around your neck”. She’s a symbol of hope, a sage of survival, a wizard of will, and the plucky persona of perseverance. She is shattering stereotypes, a valuable lesson to anyone seeking a dynamic New Year’s resolution.

Think about it…

Sometimes it’s little things we take for granted which mean so much. In a season loaded with thanks, praise, ecards, reflections, and gifts, it’s time to praise the ones we don’t consciously think about often enough, but who really do make a difference.

Like Kit, who always smiles with sincere appreciation whenever she sees me waiting at her fast food, drive-through window. I know, it’s just a burger, but she always asks me how I’m doing and really wants me to have a good day. How can you not drive away feeling better?!

Or Keith, who drops off the newspapers every morning with little fanfare in pristine condition, rain or shine, housed in their sleek, plastic bag. If something is amiss (infrequently), I comment online, he calls me within 15-minutes, and the missing periodical appears within 30-minutes. Amazing. I’m soothed. Again, the little things…

Or Beau, who every couple of years whitewashes our mildewy roof. He confirms a price, shows up on time, cleans up well, and smiles in appreciation with his passion to do things right. Quality people who take the concept of “just doing their job” and turn it into an art form, more than a perfunctory routine, a grind, or a chore. It’s so pleasant to work with people who are so pleasant.

Like David, who would come in after business hours to clean our offices for decades, always asking how things were going, always with genuine interest, asking if anything needed extra polishing, waxing, cleaning, or care. Just because.

Or Brett, who ensures that the office furniture looks right and fits right. And Nick, who treats placing a golf bag on a golf cart like surgery- carefully, with focus, and as if it was his own… so you smile as you drive away.

I could ramble on about many more people who we all encounter in our regular orbits. We usually don’t know them well, yet they provide comfort through consistent caring and conscientiousness attitudes. We leave their presence feeling better than when we showed up. Yes, a big mahalo this holiday season to those who make that difference (especially in these tough times) by living aloha, even if our interactions with you are brief and infrequent. Quality service is (unfortunately) not a given, but you folks provide a wee spark to uplift us, free of charge. Merry Christmas!

Think about it…

I heard a cool song that I’d never heard the other day during a TV commercial. So, I got up, rewound the DVR to replay the ad, then used my Shazam cell phone app to identify the name of the song, went to Spotify, copied the URL of the song and sent it to my email for later listening and consideration on my annual “top songs of the year” list. Gratifying…

So many things going on there that even a semi-Luddite could I appreciate- rewind capability, mobile apps, easy access, email, etc. Years ago, I would have had to remember that tune and hopefully figure it’s title later. The point here is that in this nightmarish year, now’s a great time to reflect on things you’re thankful for beyond the sometimes-taken-for-granted-but-shouldn’t-be joys of life (family, health, friends, a job). Imagine what school would be like in a pandemic world without distance learning. Yeh, it’s flawed, but it’s manageable. Imagine how office work would have been handled in 2020 without those now-overdone Zoom calls.

How would we have connected with loved ones without wireless devices and virtual, visual get-togethers? Of course it’s not as good as actually being there, but it sure beats total absence. So here’s to digitalia allowing us to stay in touch and be touched when we can’t touch. No one covets COVID, but we’ve survived with the aid of tech tools as we bemoan our relative isolation, week after week.

Let’s be thankful in a viral year to live where we can comfortably spend time outdoors from November to March, while much of the nation shivers- forced to be inside… a lot. Here’s to local food merchants making the best of this pandemic with delivery, curbside service, pop-up locations, and can-do attitudes. And first responders- you rule.

Thanks for monetary help provided to people in need from family, friends, neighbors, programs, and forgiving lenders. Thanks for the creative spirit to help the downtrodden see a distant light at the end of this viral tunnel, when things will return to a new sense of normal, when the term “going viral” won’t trigger thoughts of catastrophe.

Yes, this season of giving thanks provides us with time to reflect, remember, and realize that while 2020 has been ugly in oh so many ways, if we search, there are always things we can smile about and be appreciative of.

Think about it… 

While the numbers are still being sorted out, one thing about the 2020 election is for certain. Hawai`i voters came out (or mailed in) in huge numbers. We relinquished our position of being the most apathetic state in the country (when it comes to voting). “Ainokea” was replaced by “AiDOkea” as our voting ranks swelled to about 70% of all registered voters, a huge jump from the decades of weaker local election turnout. Our total vote count of about 580,000 was 27% higher than when Hawaii’s own Barack Obama first ran for the country’s top office back in 2008.

A full two-thirds of all local ballots were handled through the mail- simple, easy, convenient, and precedent-setting. Well, precedent-setting locally, but Union soldiers ramped up our country’s mail-in voting process way back in 1864 (they were a bit busy in the field, as you might imagine). Most states allowed soldiers to vote from afar during World War I, when the practice really took hold nationally. Bottom line- absentee voting is a centuries-old tradition in America. Oregon has been exclusively a vote-by-mail state since 2000, and Hawai`i now also joins Colorado, Washington, and Utah as vote-by-mail states. Yes, both red and blue areas do it without rancor in a purple world…

Some persist that there must be some gamesmanship (or worse) going on. According to TIME magazine, in the election year of 2016, “Despite claims of vote fraud when voting is conducted outside of polling places, only 0.00006% of the 250 million votes by mailed ballots nationwide were fraudulent, according to MIT political scientists who analyzed numbers from the Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database.”  Thus, there were about 150 dubious votes cast out of 250,000,000 in 2016. Even in a skewed, jaded, divided, sometimes post-truth world, statistics can be revealing.

Emotions and stakes seemed higher this year, helping to drive up voting numbers, but the good news is that more people in 2020 participated in our hallowed hallmark of democracy rather than choosing to abstain and then whine. Numerous closely contested races suggest that every vote does matter- a truism in every election. 

COVID-19 concerns made absentee voting easier to rationalize and a safer option for many, and the bottom line is that Hawai`i overcame its historically apathetic approach in experiencing the biggest percentage growth of voters of any state. Here’s hoping that spirit becomes a long-term habit.

Think about it…