Walking around Le`ahi, looking at the kiawe trees against the dry grass of the hillside, reminded me of being back in Kawaihae on the Big Island. I fondly remember our summer fun camps where we’d sleep at the pavilion near the beach, take walks to the heiau and the shark’s cove where we were told Kamehameha would sit on the rock and feed the sharks and sting rays as they circled in and out. True? Not sure, but pretty cool stuff nonetheless for a kid in elementary school. Experiences like these are the ones that I carry with me and help to define who I am today.
Many stories were shared with me by my grandma, aunties and uncles, and parents around the kitchen table about their life experiences. “You know we had to pick and carry 100 pound bags of coffee? Your mom was so strong!” “Your grandpa was taken to an internment camp during WWII (because, as an architect, he was seen as a person of influence in the community.) They just took him away. When grandpa came back he never talked about it.” These stories and these people helped to shape my values of hard work, loyalty, the importance of family, the love for good friends, the importance of education, and the desire to want more for the next generation.
The art of mo`olelo seems so simple and yet can have such a profound impact in a very lasting way. I sometimes share my own personal stories when working with students as the self-disclosure helps to illustrate that I understand what they’re going through – and give some ideas on how to deal with a situation. Other times it’s to make connections – or just for fun! Isn’t that why we’re still here? Eh, where you from?!
Yup! I know exactly where you are talking about. That would be Pu'ukohola heiau, Mailekini heiau and Hale Kapuni the shark heiau that is now under the sand at Spencer Park. I remember my Mom and Dad taking me through the 18 feet walls of the heiau and walking to the top of the heiau where we sat at the top of the heiau looking out into the ocean while the sun went to sleep. My father with his guitar in his hand my mother sitting next to me as we sang Hawaiian mele that spoke of Hawai'i island. Thanks for bringing up that story Sheryl it helped to recall stories that lay somewhere in that repository of mine.
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