02-25-2008, 02:37 PM
Yes, everything you mentioned is as or more prevalent on the mainland. It's just that the comfort of "back home" makes people willing to accept or ignore it. I've spoken to many people who moved to Hawaii and moved back. In almost all cases, it didn't work because they just couldn't accept where they were as being home. They compared everything to what they left behind. They wanted the vacation experience, without the reality of residing, but all the comforts of what they left behind. Everything negative they saw or experience was flagged to justify their need to return to the mainland. They can't admit they didn't have what it takes, so the blame everything else.
They could complain about the VOG, yet would say boo about the deadly Smog in LA. They would complain about the meth on Hawaii, yet think nothing of the cocaine abuse by their nanny when on the mainland. They would talk about the kids of Hawaii using drugs, yet ignore the Oxicodine pills missing from their own prescription bottles when they got back to the mainland. They talk about the drunk drivers on Hawaii, but think their boozing it up at a social function on the mainland is acceptable civilized behavior. How they can't help mentioning the homeless on Hawaii as they pass families sleeping under the overpass on I-5. Everything from the mentally ill to deteriorating buildings and communities is part of Mainland USA, but since it's "home", it's not a real problem because it's so easily hidden behind a facade of "Americanism".
By far Hawaii and Puna are not perfect, that's if your looking for your perfect. If you’re looking at it from the perspective of an area with it's own character and feel, it may be perfect for a person accepting that character and feel. But if you’re only passing through with some notion of seeing if it will work, maybe what you need was never this place. If it didn't fit your individual needs doesn't make the things you experienced the character and soul of the area.
Of course, there are those who just can't make it. Not that Hawaii isn't offering them all she can, they just don't have the self confidence to make it on Hawaii. For that type of person, they need to go because Hawaii sure doesn’t need them.
They could complain about the VOG, yet would say boo about the deadly Smog in LA. They would complain about the meth on Hawaii, yet think nothing of the cocaine abuse by their nanny when on the mainland. They would talk about the kids of Hawaii using drugs, yet ignore the Oxicodine pills missing from their own prescription bottles when they got back to the mainland. They talk about the drunk drivers on Hawaii, but think their boozing it up at a social function on the mainland is acceptable civilized behavior. How they can't help mentioning the homeless on Hawaii as they pass families sleeping under the overpass on I-5. Everything from the mentally ill to deteriorating buildings and communities is part of Mainland USA, but since it's "home", it's not a real problem because it's so easily hidden behind a facade of "Americanism".
By far Hawaii and Puna are not perfect, that's if your looking for your perfect. If you’re looking at it from the perspective of an area with it's own character and feel, it may be perfect for a person accepting that character and feel. But if you’re only passing through with some notion of seeing if it will work, maybe what you need was never this place. If it didn't fit your individual needs doesn't make the things you experienced the character and soul of the area.
Of course, there are those who just can't make it. Not that Hawaii isn't offering them all she can, they just don't have the self confidence to make it on Hawaii. For that type of person, they need to go because Hawaii sure doesn’t need them.