Think About It Hawaii

We’ve been lucky. You know it; I know it. As we enter hurricane season this week, we must always remain vigilant and prepare accordingly, even during the doldrums. Because as anyone who’s been to Vegas knows, luck can change (except for those few we all know who simply insist that they win every time after they come back… amazing, or untrue?).

According to the Weather Company (an IBM business), August is the peak month for hurricanes in the central Pacific region, with many more events over the past 50+ years (74 total) than in the second most active month (July, with 45). September ranks third over the past 50+ years with 37 tropical cyclones.

If you look at our region’s hurricane tracking map over the past 30 years, you’ll realize just how lucky we really have been, as storm systems swerving like wayward drivers at times mostly missed our shores (and interiors). El Niño weather patterns affect water temperature, which affects the severity and direction of storms heading (or not heading) our way. It was an El Niño effect that blasted us with the costliest hurricane in Hawaiian history- Iniki, back in 1992. And Hurricane Iwa (also El Niño-ed) caused great damage and havoc locally 10-years earlier.

While we’ve had our fair share of swings and misses over the past few decades, it’s likely just a matter of time, energy, and ocean factors before we’re inundated with the next “perfect storm”, though any hurricane debacle would be far from perfect.  We’ve had our share of near misses, tropical storms, and distant hurricanes dump plenty of water, knock down trees, and result in flooding, but we’ve been lucky (there’s that word again) that we’ve not taken a profound, direct hit in decades.

Hurricane season in Hawai`i runs through November 30. Last year we saw just one tropical cyclone in our region- a below average number. Hurricane Iwa visited us in late-November, 1982. Hurricane Douglas missed us in July, 2020. Erick, Barbara, Olivia, Norman, Lane, Fernanda- they all dropped by (as tropical storms) or managed to stay away over the past six years. These are not invited guests. But they will come.

Stock up now on basic supplies and stay attuned to local weather reports, your first line of defense. And don’t take our lucky past as any sort of guarantee. The next one just may be on-target, intense, and devastating.

Think about it…

There is no mailbox in my neighborhood anymore. Apparently, some waste of space vandalized the old one twice, and the post office simply decided to remove it. Problem solved… kinda.

We’ve been advised not to leave outgoing mail in our home mailboxes and advertise it with the mailbox flag raised. That’s literally a red flag, letting lurking mailbox thieves know there’s something in there. As some correspondence does contain personal information, it’s probably sage advice. So, without traipsing around to adjoining neighborhoods to seek a free-standing, public mailbox, we now drop our letters off at the nearest post office… about 10-minutes away. One person’s predilection for causing anonymous angst impacts hundreds… on a regular basis. It’s sad how these things happen and we’re left to ponder, “how come?”

…like when vendors remove “your” bottle cap upon purchasing a beverage at sporting events. This apparently keeps people from slipping on full, dropped bottles, and also prevents misguided individuals from throwing the projectiles. But capless bottles are more likely to spill, and then someone might slip on the liquid. If I’m really intent (i.e. a moron) on tossing a bottle with the intent to do harm, I could just stuff it with some paper towels in lieu of the absent cap. And if I’m really a pre-ordained reprobate, I’d probably just bring my own cap from home.

If you think a bottle cap banishment seems odd, here are a few actual local laws… you cannot put a coin in your ear. Seriously. I assume that a coin earring is OK, unless you deface a legally minted coin to create said earring. Thus, if you ask someone for “a penny for your thoughts”, remember that he/she can’t pull it out of his/her ear.

It’s illegal to annoy birds (any birds) while in a local state park? You mustn’t even shoo them away while dining. Which local birds were queried as to what they consider “annoying” when this law was passed? Hmmm, perhaps it’s outdated, and thus time to set up an ad hoc committee, public forum, white paper, or research analysis to further delineate, because time flies… like birds.

Lastly (for today)… until recently, you couldn’t possess two alcoholic beverages in front of you at a bar at the same time. Apparently, if you partook of a slammer and both glasses contained alcohol, you could’ve been hauled off to the slammer.

Think about it…

“Ignorance is bliss”… until it’s not. The proverb that originated over 350-years ago is surely a truism for youngsters, but becomes less acceptable as we age and try to navigate our way through the real world- ignorance often leads to problems.

Math and reading scores across the U.S. dropped in 2022, while Hawai`i’s scores (for 4^th and 8^th graders) held their own or increased, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress… even amid pandemic issues. Nice job locally by the kids and teachers, but there’s still a long way to go.

While curriculum dos and don’ts continue to wreak havoc politically across the U.S., there are other areas of concern beyond reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic. History scores for 8^th graders plunged, there was a decline in civics, and don’t even ask about economics knowledge, as half of the states, including Hawai’i, don’t push or require it.

Locally, the Hawai`i Council on Economic Education tried (in vain) to get economics ABCs mandated in some form in our schools for decades. According to the national Council for Economic Education, 40% of Americans have less than $300 in savings; just 24% of Millennials demonstrate basic financial literacy; and 50% of America’s youth will earn less than their parents. While it’s not all or always about money, understanding (and then acting upon) basic economic concepts might help us avoid or mitigate the next financial crisis (see the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis, as confusion reigned).

25 states currently mandate that students take an economics course in order to graduate- practical, available, basic knowledge. And learning more about history might encourage more people to become more involved and encourage greater engagement on civics, ethics, and social items. Ignorance and arrogance are not great platforms upon which to run a fruitful democracy.

If you’re a parent or a mentor, help kids learn more stuff about more stuff. There are fun ways to capture history’s lessons. I just took a short, 8^th grade history exam while reading about the recent, rocky student results. I flunked… badly. A wake-up call for me. And one can always learn the basics of when not to buy things (cars, homes, credit cards, Amazon “wants”) outside of one’s existing financial realities.

No, ignorance is not bliss at some juncture. We (the collective community) need to make sure our kids learn to make better choices on alluring options later in life.

Think about it…  

Yet another balloon was sighted drifting gently over our azure skies recently. Thankfully, we were assured that it did not pose a threat and was not being controlled by some prying, foreign potentate. Apparently, it was released from a baby luau as the crowd sang “Happy Birthday”, and the overzealous birthday boy wailed away due to his sheer exhaustion, but that might be just a cable news rumor.

All 10 of the strategically-placed, red-light traffic cameras are now operating on Oahu, so we don’t even have to wonder if Big Brother is watching… he set ‘em up! Hopefully, people will not simply slow down, but will actually stop at that red thing (a/k/a- a traffic light) and also heed the yellow light rather than consider it a pedal-to-the-metal indicator.

Does anyone locally get busted for texting and driving or texting while walking through an intersection? Surely some people have been nabbed in the act. The penalty? Scofflaws are fined and their information is sent to Santa Claus at the North Pole; he then places their names on his “naughty” list. It’s true! It was allegedly reported on a national cable news show.

COVID-19 has been moved to a mellower list of “endemic diseases” as federal government restrictions are eliminated. Upon finding out, COVID-19 said, “oh yeh… you just wait, I’m not done yet” and threatened to mutate yet again. I wish this was funny, but as 18-million Americans continue to suffer with “long COVID” symptoms of some sort, the ripple effect of this disease is no joke. You can surely make your own COVID-related decisions for you and those around you, but recall the 1960s when many parents allowed their kids get chicken pox from the youngster down the street to “get it over with”. But decades later, chicken pox can lead to the lovely (not!) shingles viral infection, a nefarious viral byproduct. No joke, indeed. 

And finally, Kaiwi, the monk seal, gave birth to her fifth pup on Kaimana Beach on April 14. By month’s end, junior will hele on. Kaiwi last gave birth to a pup here two years ago, and while thrilled with that birth, she admits to the difficulties of raising kids nowadays, saying this about her now two-year old son: “…he never calls, never writes; he doesn’t even Zoom!” Well, that’s what they told me on a national cable news network.

Think about it…

The University of Hawai`i men’s volleyball team will try to serve up a three-peat this weekend at the NCAA championship tournament in Virginia. Beloved by so many, it’s been quite the trip for the VolleyBows and local fans watching this team of local, national, and international studs ply its trade on the hardwood (or Taraflex). 

For many folks, UH volleyball has been COVID relief, as we’ve witnessed this squad winning back-to-back national titles during the relative lockdown, by 3-0 set scores over arch-rival Long Beach State (2022) and Hawai`i’s long-time sports nemesis, BYU (2021). Oh, and the 2020 squad was 15-1 before the coronavirus ended the season for everyone in mid-March.

UH has won 90% of its matches over the past three years (72-8!) against the best college competition around. It heads into this season’s final weekend having just won the Big West Conference tourney on April 22. It is peaking once again, undoubtedly a scary sight for tired opponents.

With all of the starters back from last year’s team, the performance of these volley-brawlers perhaps comes as no surprise, yet think of how many teams in how many sports have difficulty repeating their successes annually. One of the great things about sports- it’s real-life drama unfolding live in person or as reality TV on our screens of choice (and please, do not confuse this showcase with the contrived, edited melodrama of so-called “reality” shows; ugh…).

This volleyball team not only displays a seamless blending of cultures and creativity, but also features an easy-to-be seen aloha that UH players share for one another, local fans, and their coaches. Hawai`i averaged over 6,600 fans at each home match this year- many schools would gladly take that 6,600 attendance figure over the course of their entire home season!

Win or lose, triumph or trauma this weekend, UH’s elite leapers have proven to be incredible ambassadors of volleyball and our islands. Their infectious perseverance, choreographed antics on the sidelines, and knowing smiles with fans (UH adorers and opposition fans) enhance this volleyball phenomenon. 

College coaches nationwide acknowledge what a thrill it is to play in Hawai`i or to play anywhere against Hawai`i. For this long-running show, now occurring annually in Mānoa, we should be thankful, appreciative, and grateful. So, here’s to UH Coach Charlie Wade, his terrific, talented team, and everyone else associated with this class act. Go Warriors!

Think about it…

Buried in the brouhaha about how to handle advertising and marketing for the state is the sense that- hey, we’ve already built it, so they will come (not exactly “Field of Dreams”, but you get the gist). If simple existence was sufficient to ensure that our #1 industry would keep performing as it has historically (minus those pesky, short-term rentals), the conundrum over who and how to market Hawai`i wouldn’t be such an important struggle.

But lest local consumers think that our speck in the ocean is an “automatic” when it comes to luring hard-earned, discretionary spending, heed the wise words of Ford Motors’ founder, Henry Ford, who said, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time”. The price we’d pay might be steep, too steep for Hawai`i to risk, no matter how we invariably market, who does it, or who we’re trying to reach. 

If branding is the issue du jour, then let the debate begin. But if you really think we can cut way back and still maintain our current visitor positioning (a big chunk of our tax base), then you’d better inform Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Coca Cola, Disney, Samsung, Louis Vuitton, McDonalds, Toyota, Intel, Coca Cola, Nike, AT&T, and VISA… the most recognized brands in the world, most with many decades pursuing customer recognition. Yet they’re all still out there daily, reminding us of their products, value proposition, and mere existence.

And yes, Hawai`i is “different”, but so claims Mexico, Canada, California, Florida, New York, the Caribbean, and other destinations that crave inbound visitors (and spending). Sure, we want a savvier, more culturally-aware visitor who’ll spend more money than in the past so we won’t need as many bodies visiting to reach annual revenue goals to ensure happiness for hotel operators and Hawai’i’s tax coffers. 

But to suggest that we can rest on our laurels and save $25 – $50 million a year because “they’ll come anyway” is most likely naïve and quite possibly dangerous. Studies from the past 100 years show that entities advertising during a recession received higher sales than those that cut back. “Penny-wise and pound-foolish” is not a viable marketing plan. A robust, consistent marketing strategy featuring destination marketing targeted to various locales is essential in building loyalty, equity, and vital top-of-mind positioning. We can’t a Ford not to…

Think about it…

You can blame technology or wonder if it’s our de-evolution as a species, but anecdotal evidence suggests that we might be reverting into entities more self-absorbed than ever before. The recent pandemic and digital addictions surely coaxed us further in that direction via isolation, fear, new habits, and enhanced tribalism (over masks, vaccines, rules, rights, etc.).

M. Night Shyamalan, movie writer-director extraordinaire, summed it up when discussing his latest scare-fest, The Cabin at the End of the World in TIME magazine. He said, “Our culture has moved toward individualism. Technology really accelerated that and then the pandemic was the final nail in the coffin… Do we find purpose when we define ourselves not only as individuals, but as part of a greater collective?”

Personally, I hope the collective thing wins out, because lately it seems that while we associate with many interesting people, many simply aren’t interested. Locally, where we share pride in a certain ethos of caring and kindness, it seems nowadays that while people may hear us, they’re just not listening (or caring).

If you’re caught up in survivalism, escapist podcasts, inflation anxiety, and self-preservation, you’ve possibly developed (understandably) a kind of shell to safeguard yourself from a more aggressive, semi-dysfunctional world. While protecting ourselves and our loved ones is primal and vital, it might be a good time to ask yourself: at what price?

Someone just returned from a trip, and no one asked “how was it?” People mentioned that they just visited their kids on the mainland, and no one asked, “how are they?” with any real intent or further questions. Friends, neighbors, family, casual acquaintances, co-workers. Most everyone’s apparently too busy with their own thing(s) to give a hoot about anyone else’s thing(s). 

Perhaps I’ve exaggerated a bit, but this is the last place in the world that I know of where people would become callous, disinterested, pre-occupied, or distant. I thought humans might be reborn coming out of COVID- more accepting, kinder, open, relaxed, and relieved; you know- we actually made it! Maybe this is just a natural phase- happily freed from hibernation, just a temporary byproduct compounded by the ridiculous inability of so-called national leaders to bring people together. Maybe it’s our human defense mechanism on steroids after so much pandemic angst, loss, economic concern, and uncertainty about next month or next year.

Whatever it is, I sure hope it dissipates. Soon.

Think about it…

Some may say “good”. That would be extremely shortsighted. Oahu’s population fell below one million in 2022 as the exodus from our islands continues. Over 31,000 O`ahu residents moved; thus we have fewer people gathering in “The Gathering Place”. The implications and ramifications of out-migration have already begun to have a ripple effect that will impact the lives of those opting to stay.

As has been stated often, we already have a local labor shortage, so workers of all kinds moving away exacerbates that problem, now and further on down the road. Add in incessant local housing problems, lack of high-paying industries, and the creeping cost of living concerns, and these latest figures, while not really surprising, continue to be troubling. This is not an anomaly; we’ve lost population here annually from 2017-2022.

If the exercise of discussing what to do to alleviate the brain drain doesn’t result in some actions and bold business outreach soon, this trend will undoubtedly continue. Our remaining population continues to age, and getting things done in many areas will be more frustrating than ever. When asked in 2019 what makes it so tough to practice in Hawai`i, a group of neurologists blamed the cost of living, bureaucracy, lack of skilled specialists, and salaries/reimbursement rates as reasons for their greatest angst.

Have those issue improved pre-, during, and post-COVID? The top reasons for staying here included location, family ties, and lifestyle for these docs. “Should I stay or should I go?” self-chats surely increase anxiety- and this is just a snapshot from one highly-specialized and vital profession from four years ago.

Business and social exercises that take the time to offer treatises on the Hawai`i we’d like to see/have in 2050 and beyond will be moot if we don’t start to plug the emigration pukas; we’re leaking people. 

Fewer residents portend lower overall spending rates- bad for business and for necessary tax garnering. With local birth rates declining over the past decade, it’s unlikely that we’re going to gain people “naturally”. Having/raising kids is expensive. 

Tourism estimates for 2^nd quarter and beyond are not shaping up well; so while having a quieter, less crowded O`ahu might have some advantages, sustaining that “good old days” mentality isn’t realistic in 2023 and beyond if we want to enjoy many of the things that still make Hawai`i special. Who’s going to step up and create bold action?

Think about it…

To mask or not to mask, that is the question… for some people. We’re now at that point in many circumstances where individual choice (while still impacting others) is the norm. And I say- good for you! If you still wanna wear a mask, go for it. Certainly surgical, N95 or KN95 masks are most effective, and some people think we’ve moved on from that era of “must wear”, everywhere…but in a land of freedoms, you get to make that choice.

In Asia, masks have been worn in public for over 70-years. Often, it is simply a courtesy if you’re feeling a bit under the weather to protect others around you. Imagine that- empathy and selflessness, what quaint concepts. Of course, we’re not referring to style masks or weather masks which, while less effective by far from the facial filters mentioned above, still serve a purpose.

We’re in this new era now that we, as a species, have somewhat decided to leave COVID behind (COVID doesn’t officially understand that yet). It’s up to individuals to decide what’s best for them, their loved ones, and people around them. I was recently on a long plane flight- about 15% of the passengers wore masks; I was one of them. At concerts I’ve attended or in large group functions, the number of mask-wearers is closer to 5-10% of attendees. Because now, except where still mandated, it’s your call.

Some have questioned whether the isolation, masking, and relative lack of dirt we’ve all experienced over the past three years has caused (to some degree) an uptick in flu and other viruses. But historically, there are seasonal ailment fluctuations, it is speculation as whether there is such a thing as “immunity debt”, as was suggested in a French research paper 18-months ago. Since we still know so little about long COVID, simply having had COVID might be a culprit affecting people’s immune systems when it comes to other ailments du jour.

Hopefully, as we continue to move forward into whatever the new normal is, people locally who do choose to keep their masks on will not be made to feel different, will not be ostracized, will not get that glare I already sense in certain circumstances. As Blind Faith once sang, “Do What You Like”… when it comes to covering up in mid-2023; for your sake and/or for others.

Think about it…

You can’t do justice to a complex situation like homelessness in a single, overly simplistic column. But as great opportunities are apparent these days in funding, partnerships, and commitment at the all-important government level, here are a few, basic thoughts to encourage more reflection, vigorous discussion, and action.

“Housing first” is a wonderful concept, sometimes. It must be accompanied simultaneously, relentlessly, and passionately with myriad social work components- counselling, mentoring, medical oversight, education, job training, financial planning, etc. Numerous cities, domestic and abroad, have alleviated much of their homelessness via intense preparation and committed follow-through under the heading of housing first. Agencies tasked to work alongside government must be held accountable, but also must be fully and continuously funded, including administrative services.

As my cohort, Kimo, so wisely points out, we need more YIMBY-ism- “Yes, in my backyard”, and less of the ever-present NIMBY-ism, “Not in my backyard”. Local communities need to do their (small) part to help resolve this problem in a way that makes sense for any given neighborhood. We need to stop thinking it’s “their” problem, somewhere else. A little bit of help and empathy from a lot of areas could make a big dent and provide productive, long-term answers.

A better understanding of the true number of homeless would be great. The number is not static. While the “point-in-time” count is a valuable tool, more points in time could provide a broader base from which to work. Some homeless live in cars and might not be counted at a given point; some fall in and out of homelessness based on financial or mental issues; others may be temporarily housed. It will cost more, but more frequent counting might help- it’s a huge determinant in funding and even in a location’s sense of progress- are we doing better than last time? Let’s fine-tune this study (or studies).

We seem to be at an optimistic “point in time” right now to further grow, push, support, fund, and improve the plight of those in need and thus uplift our communities in general. Progress can occur through sustained efforts involving greater coordination. This path is a long, winding, and rocky road. It’s time for more transitional housing, kauhale, and projects like Nimitz’s Kahauiki Village and Puuhonua O Waianae. More intelligent land reclassification and more housing units with increased social services support. A sustained holistic approach. We got this.

Think about it…