Three Sides to the Story...

[David M]

I'm starting a new thread because I'm about to"rant". This rant is directed at no one in particular but everyone in general. I won't name names, point fingers, or even try to make direct quotes, so if you see yourself here, it's you not me. All is just my opinion and since I've been here almost since the beginning I do feel I'm entitled to it.

Please feel free to just skip reading this post and reply as to want you thought I might have said as that seems to be part of the current method lately.

My observations:

EDUCATION - yep, seems to be a rash of it lately. Quite honestly, I feel I've learned things from reading both sides of some issues. Doesn't mean I agree with either, but I have still learned. That said, I disagree with the "I'm right and you're wrong unless you can quote a source I accept" philosophy. I don't really care for education delivered with nastiness. Sure, nastiness is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes, denial doesn't mean it wasn't there.

LANGUAGE - I struggle with English, even if the language of my birth. You won't find my posts eloquently written, perhaps barely readable at times, but I do agree that sometimes words have significant nuance of meaning. I respect that some Hawaiian language concepts have no literal English translation. I also respect and appreciate when those concepts are shared with explanation. I also believe words are used for the benefit of nuance. For example, if we wanted to identify a particular group people because of their particular actions/attitude: To most members of this forum, "DISRESPECTFUL" would indeed identify a target group - one we most likely would not want to be associated with and quick to condemn. Again, to most members of the forum, "HAOLE" would mean a white person, a few others would define the larger group, but probably to a lesser extent. Of course, our target group would only be a small subgroup. Hopefully, a very small subgroup. Most members would read the term "FOREIGNERS" to be a vastly larger group, one that included both previous groups. In fact this group could be so large as to be nearly everyone one in the world, everyone except perhaps a smaller group identified as being indigenous to the island(s). So my guess is, the choice of how large an audience one wishes to address is a function of the word purposely chosen for the meaning to most of the readers.

If I were to post "I kinda dislike liver" you'd form a very different opinion than if I write, " I absolutely abhor liver". You can read my "TONE" without hearing the words, the inflection of my voice, nor seeing the facial contortions as the words form.

Anyone know why we don't have Hawaiian words on all the signage etc instead of Spanish??? I'd appreciate learning the Hawaiian words for items in HD, HPM, Walmart. I have no use, nor really care what the Spanish words are.

HOME - Not sure about other languages, but I know of no single English word that defines it. To me - home is not strictly a place, but a feeling, a spirit. It has little to nothing to do with what or where my grandparents or parents called home. My blood has many origins, yet none of those define home for me. Here, this is my home. No one on this forum can tell me it isn't, no more than I can tell them it isn't their home. Yes, I was born somewhere else, but "there" is not the home of my heart. I will die here, my ashes to remain on this land God has entrusted to me for a short while.

GETTING IT - LOL. I surely don't post here to get approval of others, nor to give either. I have and will disagree with information posted for a variety of reasons. As for "getting it", I had the honor when I lived on Oahu of having someone who thought it important to teach me "Hawaiian ways" (his words, not mine). Johnny actually was born and raised on the BI and to me was my 2nd Father. I felt that way because of his role in our friendship and his age. What was important, that Johnny thought "I got it". He's passed for too many years, but otherwise would be about 88 now.

Get the sense that I've thought about recent postings? Yep, and I'm not the only one. I agree with Rob as to openness of discussion etc. I also suspect that if the current trend continues, this forum will change to reflect a new direction, one possibly populated with a changing membership - one of less helping each other, more just listen to what I'm saying...

Reminder- this rant is just my own humble opinion

David

Ninole Resident