When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be. No can help. Goinʻ be OK. Bumbai... Words of wisdom from The Beatles, long long time ago, Mary being Paul McCartneyʻs mother. Iʻll leave it to you to goGoogle and learn more.
Those of us of certain ages have witnessed more changes in and to Hawaiʻi Nei than we care to acknowledge most of the time. We recall, try to recapture, remember, but ultimately, no can. We have precious memories, multistrands of Lei Haliʻa, sometimes like food cravings, showing up unexpectedly. And yes, many of us insist that those were indeed the Good Old Days. They were. Really. Camping with four under three at Kīkaua, hiking up Maunaloa to Mokuʻāweoweo, hiking up to the tops of Maunakea, Hualālai, Moaʻula, Haleakalā, cruising many trails on the ʻāina pele of Kekahawaiʻole, and those glorious days on the whitesandyshore and in ManiniʻōwaliBlue waters. Glorious, and how fortunate for us. Then digital arrived, and with it an increasing clamor for more more more. Now. Quick. Faster!
All those photos flooding Media of ashengrey remains of buildings, between blue Pacific and green Maunakahālāwai. All those photos.
Iʻm fond of pōhaku, and also buildings made of pōhaku, or ʻākoʻakoʻa (coral). The photo below, of the Seamenʻs Hospital in Lahaina attracted me. Mostly because after nearly 200 years it still stands. Ravaged, but standing, as are many kamaʻāina o Lahaina. Note the large anchor, bottom center. And too the pool in the background may serve as a useful reference.
Sigh...nothing much else to say...Some are pointing out very real fears that real estate speculators will / are descending on the peoples of Lahaina, attempting to make them offers they, the people, canʻt refuse. Auēēēēēē
The ultimate in pilau! Weʻve all seen folks sell properties and move to other, more favored, places near or far. If itʻs a free-will choice, for a bigger home, a better view, sure. But if the move, as so many are these days, based on the fact that Hawaiʻi Nei is completely unaffordable, that must stop. Government here now give some families major property tax breaks...at least to families kamaʻāina to a place, especially an oceanfront home of generations, no matter what their malihini neighbors pay. As government should.
Below, if Imagery Dates (at bottom of photos) are trusted, see the change? That big, rust-colored oceanfront roof? 2016: Next door, to the right if you face the ocean. Had one lot with three (?) buildings? Driveway to rustyroofed garage, small hale, maybe another.
Then by March of this year, below, that property, transformed. Big House, Big sea-walled Lawn. And that light turquoise pool on the right margin, compare with the upper photo of the burnt out Hospital.
How come always gotta build so big? So fancy? Why? Cause can? Cause you can afford the staff (low-paid local labor) to upkeep the place? Clean the hale, clean yard, etc. No need! Nuff aʻready!
OK, Bob. Calm down...
In the late 70ʻs, after Hōkūleʻa came back from Tahiti, maybe in 1977 when we sailed her to Kahului, Jo, Leon, and I took a day trip to Lahaina just to holoholo. Jo and Leon knew Keola Sequeira, so we tracked him down. Part of the day was a short sail on recently finished Moʻolele, from the shore of Lahaina. And she did fly over or leap over the swells, her single crab claw sail full. Was good fun. Then thereʻs progress...Most of the time Hōkūleʻa sails with traditional western rigs, rather than the crab claws she was born with.
Moʻolele was lost to the fire.
We strolled part of Front Street, where in a shop, I bought a tuluma.
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| in the Collection at Tepapa Tongarewa, Aotearoa |
Itʻs a Tokelau islands fishing tackle box. I still have it.
And then we ended up at Puamana, that famed place by the sea, for an afternoon barbeque. We were offered cow udder, cooked on the grill. Yup. Cannot say No. I hesitated, but was ʻono. Chewy but delicious.
OK? May these histories, however theyʻre remembered, live on. I know hard time listen now, especially for those rooted deeply to the ʻāina there, but time will pass and the pain will ease however slightly.
me ke aloha,
BobbyC
maniniowali@gmail.com
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