Hawaii Writer's Itch

" Good Morning Waikiki!"



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"Local Bananas in Chinatown"


















"Kwan Yin Altar"


"Want some BUMP-lings?"
or
"Won't you be my honey-tripe?"





"It's better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
- Melville



"The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously." - Hubert Humphrey


"Most of the writers I know work everyday in obscurity and close to poverty, trying to say one thing well and true. Day in, day out, they labor to find their voice, to learn their trade, to understand nuance and pace. And then, facing a sea of rejections, they hear about something like Barbara Bush's dog getting a book deal.
Writing is hard even for the best wordsmiths. Ernest Hemingway said the most frightening thing he ever encountered was 'a blank sheet of paper.' And Winston Churchill called the act of writing a book 'a horrible, exhaustive struggle like a long bout of painful illness.'" - Timothy Egan, in the New York Times

Today I felt well and truly blank, like a wall or like Hemingway's sheet of paper. After completing my early chores, I escaped to Chinatown. The busy streets, the currents of people and traffic, always make me feel good. Investing your years and memories in a place is what makes it home. The gritty streets of Honolulu's Chinatown say "Home" to me. Come, let's walk along for a bit. We can even stop for dim sum! And when I'm ready to move on to my next home, you can spread my ashes at Maunakea & Pauahi Streets. . . . A L O H A! Cloudia

Whales and Tales

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Ted Trimmer, Maui by Air, top


"Invention is the mother of necessity." - Thorstein Veblen

"One's real life is often the life that one does not lead."
- Oscar Wilde

"The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are."
- John Burroughs

Lahaina Maui, one-time capitol of Hawaii, is also infamous as the battlefield of the "Whaler-Missionary War" back in the 19th Century. Missionaries were none too pleased when rough & ready sailor-men ("wooden ships, iron men") followed valuable oil - whale oil, that is - to the rich winter calving grounds of the humpback whales off Maui. These guys were no choir boys, and their hard-drinking, two-fisted, profane activities while ashore clashed seriously with the hymn singing, religious instruction, and "useful" labor that the men & women with the monopoly on God were trying to impose, er, offer the benighted Hawaiians. That "war" must have been some brawl! Imagine obscene pirates trading "licks" with fire & brimstone preachers wielding axes, and egged on by their indignant, hatchet-faced wives!

Today we lack the rectitude of the missionaries, and the pure spit-into-the-wind brio of the whaling men, but the whales still winter in Hawaiian waters and they still favor leeward Maui. Today they are protected and admired. Yet small boats of gutsy people still occasionally chase the whales, as one craft did yesterday. These pursuers were not whale-hunters but whale-HELPERS. In response to reports by recreational boaters of a whale entangled with discarded fishing line & nets (some an inch thick!) the team went in search of a giant mammal in distress. The gaffs, hooks, and blades they carried were all designed for the purpose of freeing the intelligent mammal to pursue it's hemispheric ramblings unencumbered. The ensuing water ballet would have baffled the whalers of old, as the scientists and marine specialists worked quickly but carefully to remove the debris straight-jacket. Finally the creature tired of the sport and swam for deep water. Scientists say that enough line has been removed to guarantee the oceanic visitor a good chance of healthy survival. . . To save Earth will require profound changes in our attitudes and activities; But for one afternoon, an important victory had been won. One of many . . . .one at a time . . . Experts estimate that 1700 humpback whales are currently wintering off Maui.

A L O H A ! Cloudia

Fiction & Nonfiction

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King Kalakaua at a lu`au.

Honolulu ca. 1851
Traditonal Grass Hale (house)1800's

"Men show their characters in nothing more clearly than in what they think laughable." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul."

- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"We taste and feel and see the truth. We do not reason ourselves into it."
- William Butler Yeats

The two categories of books are Fiction and Non-Fiction, not False & Non- False. Facts can me twisted to say any damned thing, but a story must have some deep truth at it's core - or why would anybody read it? Fiction is truer than non-fiction because without that internal truth it's not really a literary work at all; it is only a literary attempt. . . Like too many of us I rarely read fiction anymore. Never mind that some of the great life-changing relationships of my life have been with fictions: Winnie the Pooh, Babar, Franny & Zoey, Orlando . . Well, recently a good friend, a fan of my little novel (yes, 'fiction') bought me a copy of Molokai, a Hawaii novel by Alan Brennert. I tried to be gracious - not like I'd been given an assignment, but I didn't feel hopeful when I saw the words: "National Bestseller" on the cover! How good, how HAWAII TRUE could this book (by a mainlander!) be?! Then I started reading:

Chapter 1

1891

Later when memory was all that she had to sustain her, she would come to cherish it: Old Honolulu as it was then, as it would never be again. To a visitor it must have seemed a lush garden of fanciful hybrids: a Florentine-style palace shaded by banyan and monkeypod trees; wooden storefronts flourishing on dusty streets, cuttings from America's Old West; tall New England church steeples blooming above the palm and coconut groves. to a visitor it must have seemed at once exotic and familiar; to five-year-old Rachel it was a playground, and it was home.

Certain things stood out in memory, she couldn't say why: the weight and feel of a five-cent hapa`umi coin in her pocket; the taste of cold Tahiti lemonade on a hot day; palm fronds rustling like locusts high above, as she and her brothers played among the rice paddies and fishponds of Waikiki. . . But most of all, most clearly of all, she remembered Steamer Day - because that was when her father came home."

. . . I was tentatively hooked; the names of local places and local things-past always cast a magic spell on me. When Rachel bought fresh bread from Fanny Love (we still have Loves bread!) I was all-the-way hooked!

The story begins in 1891 when Rachel is 7 years old. A Hawaiian Kingdom is her home. During her lifetime the Islands become a Republic, a Territory, and finally a U.S. State, the fiftieth star on the flag. She (and we!) experience the end of routine sail travel, the birth of island flight, the passing of a culture. I remain touched and impressed that a man from California could express the soul of Hawaii, and of her people, with this level of sensitivity and skill. There were no glaring mistakes (common in books by 'outsiders') and many rich surprises for me, plus wonderfully realized characters, several of whom continue to haunt my imagination . . . . This is one of those books that you lose yourself in! I just got teary typing the opening lines, remembering the incidents, those characters, the Hawaiiana, the history, the humanity, the HEART that I found in this wonderful novel! I cherish it as a great work of fiction, and as a deep work of truth about how Hawaii became what she is today. Well done, Mr. Brennert! I won't hold your bestseller status against you. Sometimes the crowd is right. Read Molokai, then come back here to Comfort Spiral to share YOUR thoughts; And to thank me! Mahalo, George Cattermole!

A L O H A! Cloudia

Blog is a Kite

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"You don't need to outdo the competition. It's expensive and defensive. Underdo your competition. We need more simplicity and clarity."
- Jason Fried



Ted Trimmer Photo: Magic Island (Top)


"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
- Albert Einstein

"If you can't convince them, confuse them."
- Harry Truman

My blog is a kite
I send up every day.
Your daily dose of Hawaii
Through my eyes.

Some blogs are fighting kites
Cutting the strings
Of their opponents'
Arguments.

But Comfort Spiral
is a message in a bottle:
"Like minded people
Come out and play."

And like miracles
Or migrating butterflies
You come to display your colours.

The Sky is full of kites
Each one is different
Yes,
Another wonderous day . . . A L O H A! Cloudia

Friend Divorce

Note: Some of you have asked about a post regarding the passing of Bettie Page the "iconic Pin Up" that I posted briefly yesterday. I was concerned that some Comfort Spiralers might find it a risque` "turn off" and removed it. In response to your inquiries I have placed it under today's post for those who want to pay their respects, relive private moments of youth, or be titillated today. You know who you are! ;-0 ;->

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Ted Trimmer: Moon Glade

Cute Nephew, eh? (bottom photo)

"Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot."

- Clarence Thomas (!)

"Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped."

- Calvin Coolidge

"You meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it." -Carl Jung

While facilitating after-school groups for "at risk" island teens a few years back, I learned more about life, and about myself, than I ever expected. At 14 they were children. At 18 they were young adults; some even got their diplomas and went on to college or jobs. The kids might cut school sometimes, but they snuck BACK on campus to attend group. The rebel in me liked that, though I frowned officially for the requisite second. We ate, we did "ice breakers," we talked, AND we listened to each other too. Once in a while I took the kids on visualization journeys that they really enjoyed and asked for often. It was amazing to see them settle into a place of calm after they came bouncing into the art room that we used. Occasionally I would write something for them about issues that they were bringing up. These kids didn't exactly have a love of the written word, their complicated lives challenged them daily with more pressing matters than "book learning." The official reason that I was there: "HIV/Aids prevention," speaks only a part of it.
I was touched when the kids would show me creased and dog-eared letters or hand-outs that I had given them months before, and tell me that it meant something to them. I wrote with one eye to the "authorities" who might stop the group if we pushed too many boundaries, so I tried to keep it positive enough to read out loud in a vice principals office at 9am on a Monday. But I tried to share my meagre life-truths with them. In some ways, it was the most important writing I've ever done. When I bump into them today (rare, but small island, eh?) they are adults with lives, and I realize the passing of time as only parents do. They are excited to see me. But I'm MORE excited to see THEM! I know that I have accomplished something for Hawaii by being dependable and real with THEM. My gratitude for this only grows with the years. Here is a piece called: "Friend Divorce." I never realized while writing it for da kids what a relevant and helpful reminder it would become in my own life. . .

Friend Divorce
There will always be meanies and idiots out there trying to share their hurts and resentments with you. They have many clever ways of getting their “hooks” into you. One thing they will try to do is make you feel guilty, or that you owe them something. But never forget: all relationships (outside of your family) are voluntary! Family relationships are special and may need special help, but there is no reason why you have to hang around non-relatives (or even relatives) who make you feel bad about yourself.
Sometimes when we are not confident, or we are lonely, we are glad to hang around with anyone who seems interested in us, or who will tolerate us. But this is not the best position to be in. By feeling, and acting, unworthy we are setting ourselves up to be treated badly. We may be willing to be the “doormat” for cool people, but that doesn’t make us cool – it makes us a doormat for “cool” people to walk over.
Every day people without good self-confidence search for “losers” to look down on. This might seem like it builds them up, but it just makes more meanies and idiots. Really feeling food about yourself doesn’t come from looking down on other people, belonging to the cool crowd, or from the things that we own. A secure person can kick it with whoever they want to at any given time.
Even after you find a friend, problems can and do pop up. It’s only natural. When you are unhappy with a friend don’t jump to assume that it’s their fault right away. First: just spend some quiet time thinking about what it is that you really want out of the relationship. Is your friend triggering some bad experience that you had before with someone else? Are you looking for somewhere to put uncomfortable feelings? Are they REALLY a lying scumbag? In the old days if things were going bad everyone would pick out a goat, the scapegoat, and blame it for all their problems. They would throw stones and drive it away hoping the bad luck and bad feelings would go away with it. Are you making your friend the scapegoat? Are they doing it to you? Only you can answer this for yourself – just take some time to think it through.
After you have taken the time to think first, pick a good time to talk openly with your friend about your true feelings. Don’t just throw them a bomb and run away! Choose a safe time and place and don’t accuse. Start slow. Check things out with each other. Be nice! This is (was?) your friend, after all. Remember, it’s not their job to please you! And it’s not your job to be a judge over your friend. (Or vice versa) Sometimes people just don’t enjoy being together, and that’s cool! They may be great for someone else if not for you. When you are not getting good things out of a friendship, then you just might need a “break” from each other. But sometimes, if you really can’t come to agreement, it might be kindest just to end it.
When you are sure that the chemistry cannot be fixed, a “friend divorce” is an option to consider. But DON”T jump into this drastic step without a lot of thought! It is most important that you are sure that this is what you want, and that you do it with kindness and class, For YOURSELF! That’s the kind of person that YOU want to be.
The best is when the other person doesn’t even know that you wanted to break up with them. You just start drifting away. All relationships are voluntary, remember?
It isn’t a good idea to throw mud on the other person, or yell at them about what a disappointment they’ve been to you. After all, friend divorce means that you are moving on. It’s the last scene in the movie, so don’t go over all your hurts. It’s too late for that. Now you need closure. Be polite and kind.
If you write them a letter, don’t send it right away and DON’T flame them online – that can come back to bite you in a BIG way! Look at your messages with “cool eyes” later and decide then. Writing about your feelings is always a great idea, sending it may not be. You can’t take back that “send” later!
Sure, move on! But do it with class. Friendship isn’t about winning. A friend divorce is always a bit sad even if it’s the best thing to do. If you are confident that you ARE doing the right thing, then you don’t need to convince others by “talking stink” about your ended friendship. You might even come to understand your part in the difficulties. This is called personal growth.
What builds the confidence to be this kind of “evolved” person? The answer, like the path, is different for each of us. But as long as we are looking to others to build us up we will never find it. Finding out who you REALLY are and WHAT you really want takes courage: the courage to look inside honestly.
As you patiently handle life’s challenges, big and small, and as you show true courage day-by-day, your confidence will grow, I promise. Satisfaction, and even joy, will find you when you consistently make good choices.
Lots of people are afraid to look inside, so they create dramas with heroes and villains. You don’t need to find an enemy to make yourself a HERO.

Pin Up Bettie Page Dies!

Bettie Page
"R.I.P.
to a cultural icon"


Link to New York Times article below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/arts/12page.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Day After

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To view video of yesterday's heavy weather go to www.khnl.com for stuff the chamber of comerce won't show you!



"Da Morning After"

"Yum! Ono Des"

"Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends."

Czech Proverb

"When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object." - Milan Kundera

"Live your life as though there is great joy to be experienced... an abundance of goodness in each person you come in contact with, and the knowledge that you have enough inner wisdom to answer the mysteries that challenge you."
- Meladee McCarty

Today dawned bright & gentle. Even the sidewalks were dry. No more lashing winds, but tame, delightful breezes, to dry everything out. "Light! Sky! Well being! Bien Estar! Nachas!"

Tip for da day: Everything we worry about may happen as we fear, or has happened as we regret. When we dwell on those, we absent ourselves from This Moment - also known as the Here & Now - where all the power, pleasure, and possibility are in play. . . To stop, blink, and really inhabit the present means being in the Presence where inhalation & exhalation dance to the beat of our heart. This is where life is taking place all the time, mostly unnoticed (we have more important things to think about). This is not about mental concepts. This is about really giving yourself permission to BE. . . DOING is our servant which has run mad. Symptoms of your progress will include a growing tolerance for ambiguity, and your walls & boundaries becoming permeable membranes . . .

A L O H A! Cloudia