70 thoughts on “The Aloha Spirit In Hawaii Gone Missing”
Bugler C
I use ShalomAloha as greetings and positive mantra affirmation and feel the belonging healing Kodesh Ruach Aloha Spirit has been calling me to live in Hawaii for a while and i pray i make it very very soon…
After the pandemic there has been a lot of division with an “us” vs. “them” mentality. Everyone could use more Aloha mentality moving past the pandemic. As a visitor before and after the pandemic, the aloha spirit isn’t what it once was, which was one of the best parts of the trip. Wishing healing and unity to all! Aloha.
I experienced the aloha spirit when I mistakenly went to Walmart on Black Friday. Suddenly it was announced over the PA that a certain item was now on sale in an aisle.
People started running and I literally braced myself thinking I was going to get crushed. I was so surprised to see people at the front of the tower of goods, passing it back to others behind them, making sure kapuna got one – all the while laughing!! No fights, no cursing like you see on mainland news – everyone was having fun! I stayed for an hour just to watch it all over again when new items were announced
It’s a story I love to tell about the aloha spirit in Hawaii.
Mahalo for letting me share my story.
I think the Aloha Spirit is awesome, along with the paper work the airlines have you fill out, as you are approaching the Islands, they should have all tourists read the law. Maybe it would open their eyes and heart to it. We have been to Hawaii 5 times and every time I fall more in love with the people and the place. We always want to be a good example of what a tourist should be! If if you want to be a jerk go to New York.
This is quite interesting to know that it is a State law, yet, many of the Government office have zeroe aloha, like the DMV where everyone is Rude! Also, Post Office in Waikiki Beach, many rude employees starting with Kawika who thinks he’s the man…making fun of tourists and being rude to everyone he comes in contact with. I believe the word Aloha needs to be re-examined on how it needs to be used by those coming into Hawai’i and those living in Hawai’i. It is sort of misused and many people and places Have No Aloha! I love the concept, so let’s really Bring It Up!
Stationed at Schofield after my unit (Wolfhounds) came back after we finished getting folks out of Saigon safely. I was just a kid on my own when I enlisted. No parents, family or any idea about life. I’ll always be grateful that the place I came back to was Hawaii. The aloha of the folks there gave me a great path to follow & a place to call home for over 30 years.
One of the clearest demonstrations of Aloha occurs about twice a day in the town of Waimea (Kamuela) at least twice a day. Whenever traffic becomes thick, drivers in the area offer courtesy to each other in order to keep the traffic flowing. It is unique and admirable to witness. Everybody, even visitors, quickly see how their own day is improved by giving and receiving aloha to each other.
Pressure to work harder and longer has resulted from poor politicians and the government supported scarcity of housing for the workers Hawaii depends upon. That pressure has yet to stifle the aloha in Waimea, but it is a great threat.
I dropped my wallet in the safeway store in Kona and when I discovered it was gone I called there the next day and they had it. Nothing was taken and they wouldn’t even take a small reward. I was so happy, it restored my faith restored in the kindness of people.
How beautifully the philosophy of aloha spirit is in corporates into the societal rules that govern Hawaii! Given the rise of facism in the US, aloha spirit needed in all 50 states!
We have brought up this point before, you reap what you sow. We are annual visitors to Kauai and always feel so welcome. This past November I started playing pickleball with the group in Hanapepe and met the most amazing people. One of them went out of her way to help me with a quest of finding something appropriate to bring back to a sick friend, which also included a blessing by a traditional healer. It was an experience that brought me to tears. She told me she meets visitors all the time, but could tell I was different. Yes, I am different, I am respectful of the people and land and I try to live Aloha on the mainland too. Moral of the story, bring your Aloha with you to receive it in return.
I lived in Hawaii 14 years and truly miss the Aloha of the local people. When I moved back to the mainland 5 years ago I found it shocking to live in a place where there’s no Aloha it doesn’t seem to exist in the heart of the mainland people. My heart has been so sad! So I share the love of living the aloha way everyday of my life. Spreading as much aloha with everyone I come in touch with. My Hawaiian name is Kealohapaū`ole (love that never ends). If your fortunate to befriend a local family that Hanai’s (adopts) you into their O’hana (family) & receive the gift of a Hawaiian name is truly the best gift you will ever receive.
There is even aloha on the mainland, if you look for it. I find it mainly in the US South. Warm, friendly, helpful people. Also many places in Europe, like Italy and Portugal. Also the Bahamas, Puerto Vallarta, Spain, Malta. Aloha can be spread and received all over the planet. It’s not just a Hawaiian concept, it’s a human concept.
Personally, I grew up in Europe and enjoyed living in the South of France for 12 years before ending up in Washington, DC which is a beautiful city. However, the moment I arrived in Honolulu in 1989 with my (now ex) husband, there was something magical about this place. We also visited Kauai, the Big Island and Molokai. I cried when we left and my husband asked why (he became an ex 12 years ago!). He tried to convince me that there are similar places closer to DC and Europe (he was born in Spain) and I remember asking him in the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico, Puerto Rico & so on, if he thought this was Hawaii and he admitted that none of them even came close. I even tried to create Hawaii in my back-yard, but I now live in Maui!
Congratulation, Ben, if you are surrounded by people who are kind, tender, harmonious, agreeable, pleasant, patient and have humility. There are certainly people who embody the Aloha spirit, especially in Hawaii, but saying that we live in a peaceful world keeping the earth green and healthy tells me that you live in a bubble.
A: Aina. The land is our foundation, our rock-literally and figuratively. Enjoy it, learn from it and about it, and respect the customs, laws, and rules. Visit the museums and the mountains both; stand on the beach at sunset and watch the power and beauty of the ocean as the moon rises and the stars emerge. L: Life is precious; it is shared and from it we learn. When you’re lucky enough to meet someone who has information to share, experiences to describe (positive or negative), a Kupuna with stories of the old days, or a child playing on the beach in the sand–take a mental snapshot and add it to your life’s photo album. Your album will be priceless and a part of you, no matter where you live or travel. O>H>A> will follow soon no more room
Some visitors from the mainland doesn’t even know the meaning of respect. If you want the aloha spirit then practice respect to the Hawaiian culture and traditions. Lately there visitors are downright unruly, rude and ignores rules of the Islands.
There are more rude people lately on the islands, also. We tend to have tunnel vision here.
Aloha is a universal concept. It is respect for the land, being kind to others, and cultural awareness, wherever you go. It has to do with how you are raised, and how you were taught how to live in harmony with nature and all the living creatures around you.
More people, more crowded, the more Aloha is needed. Not only in Hawai’i but the rest of a growing world population and shrinking land. More understanding, sharing and cooperation is needed in a changing world like this. But, try to preserve what you have now, before it’s all gone.
When we lived on Oahu, the commute was from Mililani to downtown Honolulu… a long, slow slog. But it was made bearable because all the commuters drove with Aloha. I don’t remember even one negative traffic incident. Quite remarkable! I hope that continues.
Here is the good, great, fantastic news: Just about every positive value people think of in terms of ‘Aloha’ is present all over the mainland, and also just about everywhere even reasonably peaceful on the face of this earth. Look at each adjective in your list…and think…..are these things really absent in, say, most of California? Chicago? The Netherlands? And so on?
Most people are nice. Most people are honest. Lost valuables get returned, and there are many, many people all across the globe who want to, and are able to, keep the natural world green and healthy. Yes…problems too… Yes, in Hawaii as well.
Different words for ‘Aloha’ maybe. But plenty of good people, and good earth all over.
Aloha, visitors I talk to now are always curious about what it was like on Kaua’i during COVID. I always say that here we took to masking up as Showing our Aloha by masking. I mask up for you so please mask up me. Aloha is the Hawaiian version of the Golden rule that most westerners are most familiar with.
One must slow down from the rat race, whether on the mainland or here, to recognize, receive, and give Aloha. Lucky live Kaua’i.
I still feel Aloha here. It’s mainly online that I see anger, impatience, self-righteousness, and rude words from fellow residents.
Perhaps expressing frustrations online is understandable, everyone needs an outlet. But it would be so cool if as much Aloha could be shown online as the Aloha I experience as I go about my day-to-day life.
We were outside (me walking and pushing my son in a wheelchair). I was given a bottle of water by a stranger on Oahu for the hot day. I have two handicapped sons. One autistic and the one I mentioned in a wheelchair. I offered a waiter at a luau in Lahaina a tip. He would not take it. He said to keep it for myself and my sons. We walked to the Old Lahaina luau. It was dark when it was time to go home. I mentioned I didn’t feel comfortable walking that far in the dark. A waiter called a cab for us. Maybe small things but memorable and meaningful for me. Much appreciated. I think aloha can be the “little” things. Kindness that comes as natural as breathing. Aloha. 💐
I also lost my wallet several years ago and went back to the store where I had purchased groceries. They didn’t find it, but when we got home, I received a call from a couple who had found it on the parking spot next to theirs. When we met, my wallet had everything in it, including a couple of $20 bills and I told them that I would like them to keep the cash, but they refused. It took me a while to convince them and they finally agreed that I could give it to their teenage daughter. They were from the Philippines and she was doing housekeeping for a resort and he was working on the coffee farm.
The sad part is that there are fewer Hawaiians living in Maui, so the best we can hope for is that they took the Aloha spirit with them where ever they went ….
Want Aloha? Then give Aloha. Aloha ain’t for sell. Just because you paid all this money to get here doesn’t mean you can be rude or not obey posted signs. It says keep out then keep out. That’s the local way. Respect and aloha go hand in hand.
This is rude, though. I bet you would never talk this way face-to-face. I find aloha is there in-person. It’s only online where all these negative feelings come out.
Contact all the airlines coming here to do a psa or commercial about the aloha spirit. Also pay tribute to the poet Auntie Pualahi Paki whose poem led to the Aloha spirit law.
I hate to see Hawaii loose it’s Aloha Spirit, because there is no place in the world like Hawaii. It’s a magical place.
We have been coming to paradise (Maui) every year since 1997. The last several years we have been fortunate enough to stay, in our timeshare in Kihei, for a month. We buy local when we can and go for an occssional dinner at one of the Wailea hotels. We’ve rarely experienced anything other than the spirit of aloha, whether we’re sipping a 15.00 cocktail or a $3 Mai Tai at Kahale’s. The spirit of aloha is alive and well on Maui.
I was raised in Hawaii big island since 1969 my dad moved us to Hawaii to build Hilo town and homes there was such family and aloha to mainland folks but no more. Maybe it’s because mainland folk all want to buy up ocean front property and think they own the beach not true but have had a hoale lady tell me that was her beach ha sad to see how much my home has changed. Many years but really sad
Long time ago my husband left his bag with cash, I’d, air ties, on top of rental car and drove off. Later discovered it missing. Called the fast food vendor whose parking lot it would have fallen. Not there. But later got a 📞 📲 call from airline. Said our bag with tix had been turned in. That’s when we Oahu tourists knew that Kauai had Aloha spirit.
My 3 weeks on Kauai were perfect. A shaka here and there, people smiling and having a good time. Local and visitor alike. It couldn’t have been better
Aloha!
Aloha…a simple word for the greatest concept of how people can live in harmony ever conceived by human beings ( mahalo Hawaiians! )
That aloha also guides our interactions with the natural world makes it a greater concept than any other moral guide I know of. Humanity owes an eternal debt to Hawaiians.
Aloha could be summed up in the well known words “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It isn’t difficult or impossible. We just need to keep trying – no matter who we are and where we live.
Thanks Colleen. You’re a good example of aloha. We appreciate the years of comments – nearly 400 to date. And of course getting to meet you guys as well
Today I was at my granddaughter’s May Day hula dance at her school (K-5). I saw Aloha everywhere. I saw a small child stumble and fall, and a lady walking by stopped to help him up, and make sure he was o.k…the parents nodded to the lady with gratitude and an an all-knowing of what Aloha really is. Everyone stopped to hug the aunties (we are all aunties) and the people they knew. I felt a moment of pride, that I live here and this is how we see each other. And to see it expressed as we walk through life together, being with each other, once again, I was awestruck by Kauai and by Hawaii culture. I can only hope to be that person on the planet.
From the time island boys saw our predicament and lifted our car out of a hole to when we were included in a local park re-opening prayer ceremony (after the Tsunami destroyed the park)–the time the cop let us go with no speeding ticket to sharing the beach with locals. We’ve been shown the Aloha spirit in many ways big and small.
We will be visiting Oahu from June 30-July 31 of this year & it has been almost 20 years since we last visited. We love Oahu because the Aloha spirit is truly in everything you see & everyone you meet. I hope it is still there. We always bring Aloha & respect when visiting. I’m not insulting Kauai when I say that I felt the Aloha spirit really lacking in ’10, when we visited. I had a ton of change & paid for my purchase…$6.88, at an ABC Store on Kauai. The employee working the register was very unfriendly! She did not appreciate my change.Oahu is our island of choice. Lots of Aloha!
Alas one reason for the complaint Aloha is done are the constant stream of Malahinis who behave like they did on the mainland. They do not understand the real meaning. Not every one but there are a growing number with all the development and upscale Condos being put up anywhere and everywhere.
In all honesty? It is not rude to speak up, to speak the truth and demand what we’ve asked for, a long time now. Its unfortunate, that a smile and our intent?Cannot be seen through a computer screen.
The Industry needs to do a better Job of informing their clients of Life in Hawaii. Many have a lack of respect for our people, oceans, land and though naive? Can be Said? It cannot be excusable, because that would mean? They are uninformed! They can read? They still trespass or park on the grass!? Go touch what they not supposed to?!
Help them understand. After all? The industry is what brings them here. No?
Then it becomes much easier and less a feeling of disrespect to those who live are rooted here… Aloha..
Hana, the people whose lives are rooted here are just as much to blame. They, too, trespass and park on the grass in all the neighborhoods, touch what they’re not supposed to, burn the campfires and litter the beaches and sidewalks, drive recklessly killing people on the highways, and show a basic lack of respect for the land. I see it daily.
Please try to be fair and admit that most people who are here or who come here respect the land and customs of the Hawaiian people. If you must judge and speak up against those who don’t, understand that it applies to all of the people on our islands, not just the Malahinis.
I use ShalomAloha as greetings and positive mantra affirmation and feel the belonging healing Kodesh Ruach Aloha Spirit has been calling me to live in Hawaii for a while and i pray i make it very very soon…
After the pandemic there has been a lot of division with an “us” vs. “them” mentality. Everyone could use more Aloha mentality moving past the pandemic. As a visitor before and after the pandemic, the aloha spirit isn’t what it once was, which was one of the best parts of the trip. Wishing healing and unity to all! Aloha.
I experienced the aloha spirit when I mistakenly went to Walmart on Black Friday. Suddenly it was announced over the PA that a certain item was now on sale in an aisle.
People started running and I literally braced myself thinking I was going to get crushed. I was so surprised to see people at the front of the tower of goods, passing it back to others behind them, making sure kapuna got one – all the while laughing!! No fights, no cursing like you see on mainland news – everyone was having fun! I stayed for an hour just to watch it all over again when new items were announced
It’s a story I love to tell about the aloha spirit in Hawaii.
Mahalo for letting me share my story.
That is a good story. On the mainland I have heard of people getting black eyes on Black Friday.
I think the Aloha Spirit is awesome, along with the paper work the airlines have you fill out, as you are approaching the Islands, they should have all tourists read the law. Maybe it would open their eyes and heart to it. We have been to Hawaii 5 times and every time I fall more in love with the people and the place. We always want to be a good example of what a tourist should be! If if you want to be a jerk go to New York.
This is quite interesting to know that it is a State law, yet, many of the Government office have zeroe aloha, like the DMV where everyone is Rude! Also, Post Office in Waikiki Beach, many rude employees starting with Kawika who thinks he’s the man…making fun of tourists and being rude to everyone he comes in contact with. I believe the word Aloha needs to be re-examined on how it needs to be used by those coming into Hawai’i and those living in Hawai’i. It is sort of misused and many people and places Have No Aloha! I love the concept, so let’s really Bring It Up!
Stationed at Schofield after my unit (Wolfhounds) came back after we finished getting folks out of Saigon safely. I was just a kid on my own when I enlisted. No parents, family or any idea about life. I’ll always be grateful that the place I came back to was Hawaii. The aloha of the folks there gave me a great path to follow & a place to call home for over 30 years.
One of the clearest demonstrations of Aloha occurs about twice a day in the town of Waimea (Kamuela) at least twice a day. Whenever traffic becomes thick, drivers in the area offer courtesy to each other in order to keep the traffic flowing. It is unique and admirable to witness. Everybody, even visitors, quickly see how their own day is improved by giving and receiving aloha to each other.
Pressure to work harder and longer has resulted from poor politicians and the government supported scarcity of housing for the workers Hawaii depends upon. That pressure has yet to stifle the aloha in Waimea, but it is a great threat.
I dropped my wallet in the safeway store in Kona and when I discovered it was gone I called there the next day and they had it. Nothing was taken and they wouldn’t even take a small reward. I was so happy, it restored my faith restored in the kindness of people.
Wonderful
How beautifully the philosophy of aloha spirit is in corporates into the societal rules that govern Hawaii! Given the rise of facism in the US, aloha spirit needed in all 50 states!
Couldn’t agree more ….
We have brought up this point before, you reap what you sow. We are annual visitors to Kauai and always feel so welcome. This past November I started playing pickleball with the group in Hanapepe and met the most amazing people. One of them went out of her way to help me with a quest of finding something appropriate to bring back to a sick friend, which also included a blessing by a traditional healer. It was an experience that brought me to tears. She told me she meets visitors all the time, but could tell I was different. Yes, I am different, I am respectful of the people and land and I try to live Aloha on the mainland too. Moral of the story, bring your Aloha with you to receive it in return.
I lived in Hawaii 14 years and truly miss the Aloha of the local people. When I moved back to the mainland 5 years ago I found it shocking to live in a place where there’s no Aloha it doesn’t seem to exist in the heart of the mainland people. My heart has been so sad! So I share the love of living the aloha way everyday of my life. Spreading as much aloha with everyone I come in touch with. My Hawaiian name is Kealohapaū`ole (love that never ends). If your fortunate to befriend a local family that Hanai’s (adopts) you into their O’hana (family) & receive the gift of a Hawaiian name is truly the best gift you will ever receive.
There is even aloha on the mainland, if you look for it. I find it mainly in the US South. Warm, friendly, helpful people. Also many places in Europe, like Italy and Portugal. Also the Bahamas, Puerto Vallarta, Spain, Malta. Aloha can be spread and received all over the planet. It’s not just a Hawaiian concept, it’s a human concept.
Personally, I grew up in Europe and enjoyed living in the South of France for 12 years before ending up in Washington, DC which is a beautiful city. However, the moment I arrived in Honolulu in 1989 with my (now ex) husband, there was something magical about this place. We also visited Kauai, the Big Island and Molokai. I cried when we left and my husband asked why (he became an ex 12 years ago!). He tried to convince me that there are similar places closer to DC and Europe (he was born in Spain) and I remember asking him in the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico, Puerto Rico & so on, if he thought this was Hawaii and he admitted that none of them even came close. I even tried to create Hawaii in my back-yard, but I now live in Maui!
Congratulation, Ben, if you are surrounded by people who are kind, tender, harmonious, agreeable, pleasant, patient and have humility. There are certainly people who embody the Aloha spirit, especially in Hawaii, but saying that we live in a peaceful world keeping the earth green and healthy tells me that you live in a bubble.
A: Aina. The land is our foundation, our rock-literally and figuratively. Enjoy it, learn from it and about it, and respect the customs, laws, and rules. Visit the museums and the mountains both; stand on the beach at sunset and watch the power and beauty of the ocean as the moon rises and the stars emerge. L: Life is precious; it is shared and from it we learn. When you’re lucky enough to meet someone who has information to share, experiences to describe (positive or negative), a Kupuna with stories of the old days, or a child playing on the beach in the sand–take a mental snapshot and add it to your life’s photo album. Your album will be priceless and a part of you, no matter where you live or travel. O>H>A> will follow soon no more room
Some visitors from the mainland doesn’t even know the meaning of respect. If you want the aloha spirit then practice respect to the Hawaiian culture and traditions. Lately there visitors are downright unruly, rude and ignores rules of the Islands.
There are more rude people lately on the islands, also. We tend to have tunnel vision here.
Aloha is a universal concept. It is respect for the land, being kind to others, and cultural awareness, wherever you go. It has to do with how you are raised, and how you were taught how to live in harmony with nature and all the living creatures around you.
More people, more crowded, the more Aloha is needed. Not only in Hawai’i but the rest of a growing world population and shrinking land. More understanding, sharing and cooperation is needed in a changing world like this. But, try to preserve what you have now, before it’s all gone.
When we lived on Oahu, the commute was from Mililani to downtown Honolulu… a long, slow slog. But it was made bearable because all the commuters drove with Aloha. I don’t remember even one negative traffic incident. Quite remarkable! I hope that continues.
Sad thing is , they’ve forgotten Aloha aina down here in Puna , Hawaii .. change.org/pgvpetitionaole
Jasmine, I think it might be helpful to find someone who can better explain to the general public what this petition is for ..?
Here is the good, great, fantastic news: Just about every positive value people think of in terms of ‘Aloha’ is present all over the mainland, and also just about everywhere even reasonably peaceful on the face of this earth. Look at each adjective in your list…and think…..are these things really absent in, say, most of California? Chicago? The Netherlands? And so on?
Most people are nice. Most people are honest. Lost valuables get returned, and there are many, many people all across the globe who want to, and are able to, keep the natural world green and healthy. Yes…problems too… Yes, in Hawaii as well.
Different words for ‘Aloha’ maybe. But plenty of good people, and good earth all over.
Aloha, visitors I talk to now are always curious about what it was like on Kaua’i during COVID. I always say that here we took to masking up as Showing our Aloha by masking. I mask up for you so please mask up me. Aloha is the Hawaiian version of the Golden rule that most westerners are most familiar with.
One must slow down from the rat race, whether on the mainland or here, to recognize, receive, and give Aloha. Lucky live Kaua’i.
The Golden Rule – good analogy.👍🏼 The Golden Rule coupled with environmental awareness and appreciation.
I still feel Aloha here. It’s mainly online that I see anger, impatience, self-righteousness, and rude words from fellow residents.
Perhaps expressing frustrations online is understandable, everyone needs an outlet. But it would be so cool if as much Aloha could be shown online as the Aloha I experience as I go about my day-to-day life.
We were outside (me walking and pushing my son in a wheelchair). I was given a bottle of water by a stranger on Oahu for the hot day. I have two handicapped sons. One autistic and the one I mentioned in a wheelchair. I offered a waiter at a luau in Lahaina a tip. He would not take it. He said to keep it for myself and my sons. We walked to the Old Lahaina luau. It was dark when it was time to go home. I mentioned I didn’t feel comfortable walking that far in the dark. A waiter called a cab for us. Maybe small things but memorable and meaningful for me. Much appreciated. I think aloha can be the “little” things. Kindness that comes as natural as breathing. Aloha. 💐
Aloha in Hawaii is gone. Destroyed by government, investors and military presence. The new word for Hawaii is Money.
I also lost my wallet several years ago and went back to the store where I had purchased groceries. They didn’t find it, but when we got home, I received a call from a couple who had found it on the parking spot next to theirs. When we met, my wallet had everything in it, including a couple of $20 bills and I told them that I would like them to keep the cash, but they refused. It took me a while to convince them and they finally agreed that I could give it to their teenage daughter. They were from the Philippines and she was doing housekeeping for a resort and he was working on the coffee farm.
I know what you mean, Hazz, but there is still plenty of Aloha in Hawaii.
The sad part is that there are fewer Hawaiians living in Maui, so the best we can hope for is that they took the Aloha spirit with them where ever they went ….
Want Aloha? Then give Aloha. Aloha ain’t for sell. Just because you paid all this money to get here doesn’t mean you can be rude or not obey posted signs. It says keep out then keep out. That’s the local way. Respect and aloha go hand in hand.
This is rude, though. I bet you would never talk this way face-to-face. I find aloha is there in-person. It’s only online where all these negative feelings come out.
Contact all the airlines coming here to do a psa or commercial about the aloha spirit. Also pay tribute to the poet Auntie Pualahi Paki whose poem led to the Aloha spirit law.
I hate to see Hawaii loose it’s Aloha Spirit, because there is no place in the world like Hawaii. It’s a magical place.
I agree with you, Lynn
We have been coming to paradise (Maui) every year since 1997. The last several years we have been fortunate enough to stay, in our timeshare in Kihei, for a month. We buy local when we can and go for an occssional dinner at one of the Wailea hotels. We’ve rarely experienced anything other than the spirit of aloha, whether we’re sipping a 15.00 cocktail or a $3 Mai Tai at Kahale’s. The spirit of aloha is alive and well on Maui.
I was raised in Hawaii big island since 1969 my dad moved us to Hawaii to build Hilo town and homes there was such family and aloha to mainland folks but no more. Maybe it’s because mainland folk all want to buy up ocean front property and think they own the beach not true but have had a hoale lady tell me that was her beach ha sad to see how much my home has changed. Many years but really sad
Sad indeed!
Your article was very nice, also very inspiring. I particularly like the legal angle 1986. Mahalo for your wonderful efforts.
Hi Jerome.
Thank you!
Aloha.
Long time ago my husband left his bag with cash, I’d, air ties, on top of rental car and drove off. Later discovered it missing. Called the fast food vendor whose parking lot it would have fallen. Not there. But later got a 📞 📲 call from airline. Said our bag with tix had been turned in. That’s when we Oahu tourists knew that Kauai had Aloha spirit.
I didn’t know there is an actual law! Hawaii never ceases to impress. Mahalo
My 3 weeks on Kauai were perfect. A shaka here and there, people smiling and having a good time. Local and visitor alike. It couldn’t have been better
Aloha!
Aloha…a simple word for the greatest concept of how people can live in harmony ever conceived by human beings ( mahalo Hawaiians! )
That aloha also guides our interactions with the natural world makes it a greater concept than any other moral guide I know of. Humanity owes an eternal debt to Hawaiians.
Aloha could be summed up in the well known words “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It isn’t difficult or impossible. We just need to keep trying – no matter who we are and where we live.
Hi Colleen.
Thanks Colleen. You’re a good example of aloha. We appreciate the years of comments – nearly 400 to date. And of course getting to meet you guys as well
Aloha.
We will be on Big Island in June – but won’t make it to Kauai this trip. Thanks for all your great posts! Aloha!!!
Today I was at my granddaughter’s May Day hula dance at her school (K-5). I saw Aloha everywhere. I saw a small child stumble and fall, and a lady walking by stopped to help him up, and make sure he was o.k…the parents nodded to the lady with gratitude and an an all-knowing of what Aloha really is. Everyone stopped to hug the aunties (we are all aunties) and the people they knew. I felt a moment of pride, that I live here and this is how we see each other. And to see it expressed as we walk through life together, being with each other, once again, I was awestruck by Kauai and by Hawaii culture. I can only hope to be that person on the planet.
Wonderful to read about the reclaimed backpack!!There are a lot good kind people
From the time island boys saw our predicament and lifted our car out of a hole to when we were included in a local park re-opening prayer ceremony (after the Tsunami destroyed the park)–the time the cop let us go with no speeding ticket to sharing the beach with locals. We’ve been shown the Aloha spirit in many ways big and small.
We will be visiting Oahu from June 30-July 31 of this year & it has been almost 20 years since we last visited. We love Oahu because the Aloha spirit is truly in everything you see & everyone you meet. I hope it is still there. We always bring Aloha & respect when visiting. I’m not insulting Kauai when I say that I felt the Aloha spirit really lacking in ’10, when we visited. I had a ton of change & paid for my purchase…$6.88, at an ABC Store on Kauai. The employee working the register was very unfriendly! She did not appreciate my change.Oahu is our island of choice. Lots of Aloha!
It’s still here. Approach people with a gentle greeting and a warm smile, and your Aloha will be returned.
Alas one reason for the complaint Aloha is done are the constant stream of Malahinis who behave like they did on the mainland. They do not understand the real meaning. Not every one but there are a growing number with all the development and upscale Condos being put up anywhere and everywhere.
Those Malahinis have been coming full-force for decades. Think of the expression “Ugly American”. Not a new thing.
I think we are more sensitized to it lately because of the constant discussion about it.
You easily see what you look for sometimes.
In all honesty? It is not rude to speak up, to speak the truth and demand what we’ve asked for, a long time now. Its unfortunate, that a smile and our intent?Cannot be seen through a computer screen.
The Industry needs to do a better Job of informing their clients of Life in Hawaii. Many have a lack of respect for our people, oceans, land and though naive? Can be Said? It cannot be excusable, because that would mean? They are uninformed! They can read? They still trespass or park on the grass!? Go touch what they not supposed to?!
Help them understand. After all? The industry is what brings them here. No?
Then it becomes much easier and less a feeling of disrespect to those who live are rooted here… Aloha..
Hana, the people whose lives are rooted here are just as much to blame. They, too, trespass and park on the grass in all the neighborhoods, touch what they’re not supposed to, burn the campfires and litter the beaches and sidewalks, drive recklessly killing people on the highways, and show a basic lack of respect for the land. I see it daily.
Please try to be fair and admit that most people who are here or who come here respect the land and customs of the Hawaiian people. If you must judge and speak up against those who don’t, understand that it applies to all of the people on our islands, not just the Malahinis.
Aloha!