02-25-2008, 02:33 PM
Thank you for taking the time to share your viewpoint. I don't think anyone is trying to sell Puna as a paradise. Quite the opposite. The abiding message is "Don't come". Puna is considered by many to be the armpit of Hawaii. But if the armpit is on Angelina Jolie (or I guess to my taste, Junior Seau), then maybe resting there a moment in perfect stillness (if you can stay still) is not such a bad thing.
I have a different list of negatives than yours: frogs, larceny, catchment and contractors top my list.
All of Hawaii has meth problem. All of America has a meth problem, although there are, of course, pockets of protection. For years, my home, San Diego County, was the center of the meth manufacturing business. Meth makers would occasionally blow up their own children trying to make the stuff. Of course, now the market is international, as is production. It is very sad. Each of us can be part of the solution, wherever we go. I have an unwanted ability to spot people who are high on meth. I have seen them right here in Oceanside. Last week, I was at a pet store and the cashier was using. She made it through the transaction and the closest person behind me was a few feet away so I leaned over and said as sincerely as I could "Thank you for your help. Meth will kill you if you let it. Quit if you can." She was shocked but grabbed my hand (hers was ice cold), and nodded. You can be the person that speaks to the 12 year olds getting high on Kehena Beach.
The deluded young hippies. God bless deluded youth everywhere. Being somewhat deluded is, to me, the very essence of youth.
Seeing youth in dreadlocks has never made me suicidal. It has reminded me that bad taste is timeless, but never suicidal.
I met a young man in New Orleans, just outside the Quarter, who played, quite improbably, the digiridoo. It requires a very special mouth technique. He was very adept at it. To say I was mesmerized would be an understatement. It is probably one of the few musical instruments that can withstand the weather in Hawaii. I have pretty much abandoned the idea of bringing over my piano, or of even playing it again.
True, one doesn't need to come to Hawaii to find oneself. I find that Hawaii is actually better for getting away from yourself -- the self you brought with you, and for becoming more integrated with the natural world beyond oneself. But you have a point. Wherever you go, there you are.
The economic price for living in Hawaii is high because it is an island, dependent on oil, and "leaders" have done nothing to promote energy independence. Hawaii is, however, one of the best places to try disengaging from the economy at large and to practice sustainability. A difficult goal, but worth trying for. Our "economy" is not sustainable.
Pahoa and Hilo run down? Definetely in the eye of the beholder. As an ex-Orleanian, I can tell you that some people would come to New Orleans and say "This is the filthiest town I have ever seen and the buildings are so run down". Others would come and see a sensuous, slightly dilapidated old beauty with a few tricks up her silky sleeves. I love the way Hilo looks, although I have spoken to people who share your viewpoint. As much as I love the West side, I much prefer the look of Hilo to Kona.
The staph problem is real. Thank you for pointing it out. We need to do a better job of keeping our water clean.
I think you are right about the volcano and mental illness in Puna. No one is really addressing the needs of the mentally ill in Puna, which would be all of us. You do have to be slightly off to live in Puna, as you are perched on the flanks of a living creature. And we name her. And talk about her as if she is alive, deliberating, sleeping fitfully and must be pacified. We are afraid of her. On the second night I spent in Puna, the house I was staying in belched sulfur from beneath it. That brought it home for me.
But then, there is great mana in the volcano and for some people, that is addictive, too. When you go somewhere else, where there is no mana, life seems dull, less vibrant, and certainly less colorful.
There are people living happy lives in Puna, and there are people in whom hell resides. It think it is true everywhere. But most people are just living, as they do elsewhere, but against a stunning backdrop in warm, if often wet, weather.
I finally read the book by the guy that lived down in south Puna whose name shall not be repeated here. Like you, he had a very negative view of Puna and couldn't wait to get back to a desert. He was very concerned that the closest shoe store was 35 miles away. Many things he said were comical, and many of them had the ring of truth. But in the final analysis, this was a guy who had to take two Xanax to get on a plane to fly to Hawaii. For some, like me, Hawaii is the narcotic and when I get on the plane I sit down and say to myself "Hawaii starts here".
And so perhaps he brought it with him.
Sometimes we bring it with us.
Take it in, take it out. Leave no footprints, unless you are suddenly covered in hot lava and have no choice.
Mahalo for sharing! I am sorry that you didn't hang around long enough for a lilikoi margarita! Don't forget to write!
I have a different list of negatives than yours: frogs, larceny, catchment and contractors top my list.
All of Hawaii has meth problem. All of America has a meth problem, although there are, of course, pockets of protection. For years, my home, San Diego County, was the center of the meth manufacturing business. Meth makers would occasionally blow up their own children trying to make the stuff. Of course, now the market is international, as is production. It is very sad. Each of us can be part of the solution, wherever we go. I have an unwanted ability to spot people who are high on meth. I have seen them right here in Oceanside. Last week, I was at a pet store and the cashier was using. She made it through the transaction and the closest person behind me was a few feet away so I leaned over and said as sincerely as I could "Thank you for your help. Meth will kill you if you let it. Quit if you can." She was shocked but grabbed my hand (hers was ice cold), and nodded. You can be the person that speaks to the 12 year olds getting high on Kehena Beach.
The deluded young hippies. God bless deluded youth everywhere. Being somewhat deluded is, to me, the very essence of youth.
Seeing youth in dreadlocks has never made me suicidal. It has reminded me that bad taste is timeless, but never suicidal.
I met a young man in New Orleans, just outside the Quarter, who played, quite improbably, the digiridoo. It requires a very special mouth technique. He was very adept at it. To say I was mesmerized would be an understatement. It is probably one of the few musical instruments that can withstand the weather in Hawaii. I have pretty much abandoned the idea of bringing over my piano, or of even playing it again.
True, one doesn't need to come to Hawaii to find oneself. I find that Hawaii is actually better for getting away from yourself -- the self you brought with you, and for becoming more integrated with the natural world beyond oneself. But you have a point. Wherever you go, there you are.
The economic price for living in Hawaii is high because it is an island, dependent on oil, and "leaders" have done nothing to promote energy independence. Hawaii is, however, one of the best places to try disengaging from the economy at large and to practice sustainability. A difficult goal, but worth trying for. Our "economy" is not sustainable.
Pahoa and Hilo run down? Definetely in the eye of the beholder. As an ex-Orleanian, I can tell you that some people would come to New Orleans and say "This is the filthiest town I have ever seen and the buildings are so run down". Others would come and see a sensuous, slightly dilapidated old beauty with a few tricks up her silky sleeves. I love the way Hilo looks, although I have spoken to people who share your viewpoint. As much as I love the West side, I much prefer the look of Hilo to Kona.
The staph problem is real. Thank you for pointing it out. We need to do a better job of keeping our water clean.
I think you are right about the volcano and mental illness in Puna. No one is really addressing the needs of the mentally ill in Puna, which would be all of us. You do have to be slightly off to live in Puna, as you are perched on the flanks of a living creature. And we name her. And talk about her as if she is alive, deliberating, sleeping fitfully and must be pacified. We are afraid of her. On the second night I spent in Puna, the house I was staying in belched sulfur from beneath it. That brought it home for me.
But then, there is great mana in the volcano and for some people, that is addictive, too. When you go somewhere else, where there is no mana, life seems dull, less vibrant, and certainly less colorful.
There are people living happy lives in Puna, and there are people in whom hell resides. It think it is true everywhere. But most people are just living, as they do elsewhere, but against a stunning backdrop in warm, if often wet, weather.
I finally read the book by the guy that lived down in south Puna whose name shall not be repeated here. Like you, he had a very negative view of Puna and couldn't wait to get back to a desert. He was very concerned that the closest shoe store was 35 miles away. Many things he said were comical, and many of them had the ring of truth. But in the final analysis, this was a guy who had to take two Xanax to get on a plane to fly to Hawaii. For some, like me, Hawaii is the narcotic and when I get on the plane I sit down and say to myself "Hawaii starts here".
And so perhaps he brought it with him.
Sometimes we bring it with us.
Take it in, take it out. Leave no footprints, unless you are suddenly covered in hot lava and have no choice.
Mahalo for sharing! I am sorry that you didn't hang around long enough for a lilikoi margarita! Don't forget to write!