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 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.