What did Obama learn in Hawaii?
As we watch the actions of our new president, folks here on the mainland should research and better understand how growing up in Hawaii has affected his thinking and values. Having lived in Hawaii as an adult for 17 years and having grown up in Lake County I can tell you there is a very real difference in the two cultures.
I will share a view of some of the important differences that I found between the two. Hawaiians have treated women as equals far back in their history. Their women were leaders, stood side-by-side as warriors with the men and brought the compassion and nurturing of motherhood that influence many of that state”s laws and customs. The order of importance to the Hawaiian people is family first, enjoyment of life and nature second, honor and honesty third, job is fourth and material things are fifth. I could go on, but will address these for now.
When it comes to family, do not mess with one”s family members, as to do so will bring the whole family to your doorstep. No adult eats before the children have eaten their fill. Children are totally respectful of their elders. Wisdom of age takes precedent over social and economic standing. Most families live in a three-generation home where the grandparents take care of and teach the grandkids, the parents work, combining their income with whatever the grandparents have from retirement, etc., and the grandkids help the grandparents, when age limits many of the things they can do. The grandparents rule the home. The family shares any abundance with out-of-home family members. For example, if you catch five fish and need one for dinner, you don”t put the other four in the freezer; you give them to other families households or neighbors for their dinner that night. The same goes for cars and jobs, etc. On New Year”s Day, last year”s inter-family disputes are put in the past and never again addressed, thus no festering anger.
As for enjoyment of life, living in a mostly pollution-free environment, pure water, beautiful ocean, tropical jungle, they are used to being surrounded by beauty. The fact that both men and women wear flower leis, flowers in there hair, adds the fragrance of the same to your daily life. Living in a place that is surrounded by beautiful beaches allows for great outdoor recreation for all ages. Swimming, surfing, fishing, picnics, which always include family and friends, beer, great food, music and hula dancing are a daily happening there. Due to the many different cultures, tolerance is at a far higher range than here on the mainland. I have to say that eating and cooking is considered a competitive sport there.
Thin or buff ranks below large for both men and women as a point of beauty.
They are non-materialistic. Living on an island, it doesn”t pay to generate waste; there is no place to put it. They do not compete over who has the new car. Rust never sleeps and eats cars like we eat French fries. The fashions are based on comfort with bright colors. Far more time is spent outside than inside, so the electronics play a secondary roll in living life there. Beepers, I-Pods, etc. do not do well when in water, and as rain is considered a blessing, it is the water they drink, folks just go about their business when it does rain and just cool in the gift from heaven. Most folks move around light, as any chance to take a swim is best done that way. If their neighbor is having hard times, they don”t look down on him or her, but hope things will get better for them and if they can they help them.
When it comes to education, on a baby”s first birthday the family and friends have a luau. Everyone brings food, drink, music and dancing skills to the party. Then they leave a gift of money for the child. It can be a one- to two-day event, depending on when the food and beer runs out. The funds raised, $20,000 to $40,000, are the child”s education fund. Everyone enjoys the luau, eats and drinks well, and gets the feel-good feeling of helping provide a future education for the baby. Wedding and retirement luaus are done the same way too. They teach by letting a person start a project, and when he needs help, they help, but do not tell them beforehand how to do the project.
I bring these things, and there are more, to your attention, to let you know that anyone growing up in Hawaii will have these strong values deeply imbedded in their character and this gives me great hope that through his actions, our new president might share by example in the type of leadership and decision making he will do during his term(s) in office.
Jim Hall grew up in Clearlake Oaks.
