And I Was There

Hawaii Civil Unions Bill

 Wins Final Approval

New Governor Will Sign!

Hawaii State Senate Chamber, Yesterday


Feeling the weight of history on my shoulders,
I was there for all those abused folks
who never lived to see this day.

There had been much contention and hurt feelings. . . Years of sign waving, lobbying,

tears and slurs;

but the day had really come.

After some final speech-i-fying:

 Souls Took Flight!

Song of the Day!

                                 

How Long Has He Waited?  

Will she ever understand

 how it used to be, or 

the battles fought for her?

Those are the people we elect. . . doing our business.

Mahalo - Thank You!

Wonderful New Day

Aloha

Welcome to a New Day for Hawaii!

"I absolutely believe in revenge.

A dish best served cold?

I say: get it any way you can."

Fran Lebowitz

 

"Smiles

are the soul's

party dresses."

Cloudia

 

"Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane. . . "

John Denver

"Be to her virtues very kind,
Be to her faults a little blind."

Matthew Prior

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Today, the team I have supported

is being sworn in as Governor

and lieutenant Governor

of the State of Hawaii.

 

 

A ticket to the proceedings

sits right here beside my keyboard.

 

There is a concept in the Hawaiian Culture:

PONO.

According to the authoritative 

Pukui/Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary,

Pono means:  goodness, uprightness, morality, moral qualities, correct or proper procedure, excellence, well-being, prosperity, welfare, benefit, behalf, equity, proper, righteous, right, upright, just, virtuous, fair, beneficial, successful...and so much more.

Things in our islands

have been in disharmony

for eight years.

With all the problems we face today

a new, inclusive, regime is needed.

By all appearances,

that new regime is now come.

Humans will never be perfect

and I don't expect to agree

with every move "my" guys make.

But that longed-for inclusiveness is afoot,

as seen in the recent proposed appointments

of good people.

I have a confession to make.

A very rude and inflexible person

has been in charge of the State Department

that over-sees the State Harbors.

As residents of a State Harbor,

my neighbors and I have been under assault

by an antagonistic, pre-determined process

that has made us unwelcome

in our own beloved neighborhood.

The other day,

I saw that rude woman,

who had hurt so many peoples' feelings

(and made some boaters homeless)

crying before the TV News cameras.

Bullies always cry 

when they finally get the punch in the nose

that they have courted.

I felt a satisfaction,

an ancient one.

It's good to see those

who have made themselves 

you enemies

CRY.

Even better:

We welcome Pono Hawaiian Gentleman,

William Aila

Waianae Boat Harbor Master,

Hawaiian Activist,

& gadfly for what is right,

as our NEW 

DIRECTOR, Dept. Of Land & Natural Resources.

He is expected to be confirmed easily.

The war is over.

Now there's LOTS to be done.

But we the people of Hawaii

will do it together.

It's a wonderful day.

             What is pleasing YOU today? cloudia

BONUS:

Stroll around Honolulu @ Christmas Time!

Nothing is Easy

A L O H A

Today's song

 was my "theme-song" for so long.

NOTHING is easy.

Micronesian Ladies Wait for the Bus.

Scooter girl takes this shot.

She her reflection?

"The detached observer's view

 is one window on the world."

Kenneth L. Pike 

"Character is what you are in the dark."

-Dwight L. Moody

Riding Along With Dad

"He opened the jar of pickles when no one else could.

 He was the only one in the house who wasn't afraid to into the basement by himself.

 He cut himself shaving, but no one kissed it or got excited about it.

 It was understood when it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door. 

When anyone was sick, he went out to get the prescription filled. He took lots of pictures ...

 but he was never in them."

-- Erma Bombeck 

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Hannukah

is a holiday of LIGHT

like Diwali.

Tonight is the second night.

The war was over:

the Earthly Power

had won.

Yet

a dark lamp

remained in the

defiled

temple.

Rebels lit that lamp,

the light that should never

go out.

And though it

"shouldn't have"

it shined

eight days

and eight

crazy nights.

Let's celebrate

the improbable 

victory

of delight

just when

grim problems

seem to have

"won."

Miracles can happen.

You are one.

I am another.

Tomorrow

is

another.

From one miracle to another:

Don't give up the faith,

your faith

that the 

BEST

can happen.

It often does.

Celebrate!

Believe

that all can be

easy,

dare to believe it,

and it will be

so!

Thanks for coming by,

and please leave the gift

of your "hello"

       in comments.  cloudia