Aloha; a Celebration of Who We Are

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Comments

[Troy Worman]

Wow. Aloha. Indeed. Intesity. I love it. What an awesome theme for February. The short month. Perfect. Valentine's Day. Passion in the air. Red everywhere. It makes sense. Particularly for me. January wasn't the wham bam hot damn success slam I had planned. No ticket tape parades. No prestigious invites. No red carpet affairs. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'll spare you the sour grapes. Suffice it to say that some very important people who apparently love me very much have slapped some sense into me and now I've awoken to find myself fast approaching the midpoint of Q1 2007 with not one NYR in hand. Aloha. Indeed. Or oh shit. Or get real. I should say. Then sustain. Keep it real. Channel the energy. Unchanneled energy results in anxiety. Focused, channeled energy, equates to intensity. Good luck.

[Rosa]

I don’t think you’re alone in some of these feelings Troy, far from it. January does create these huge expectations for us. That’s part of the reason why I like to have the value of Ka lā hiki ola for January; it IS the dawning of a new day, and we can just be present in it, and enjoy it for the wonder it is, all by itself. I call it the value of creativity too, but it is a creativity with the balance of presence. Then in February, Aloha takes us back inside the good we have within us, for the starting of OUR new day, one of celebrating the wonder WE are. The intensity seems to come with the whole deal – the world seems to conspire – but Aloha can help us harness it instead of battling with it. January is over, and now we can relax again with better focus.

Thank you so much Troy, for being who you are. You add richness to our community in so many ways, this comment is but one more example!

[John Keoni Monte]

Aaa-Looooooooo-Haaaaaaaaa!
As a child 'coming home' to Hawaii was so energizing! And as if keikis need more energy - at my half a century, I could sure use some!! (hee,hee!) Daily, I observe the mini-est Monte: Teri Ki'ilani, age 6 - who in an instant can 'go for broke', no matter what time it is. She'll go play all day...then after dinner, she'll start slow down...but then, that shiny brightness in the eyes will gleem, and she gets a 'second wind'...and wow! She's off and running! That's ALOHA.
I started my comment with the long, drawn out: Aaaa-Looooooooooo-Haaaaaaaaaaaaa! Which takes me back to the many trips home during childhood; my Father was right hand man to Red Skelton, the comedian - so we lived in Los Angeles, Ca. But, one of the events I would always see and hear while strolling around Waikiki(my dad always put us up in hotels...he said if we stay with ohana, we'll never get out of there from all the other ohana visits!)was the Hawaii Calls show with Webley Edwards. He would always open his show with that long, drawn out A-LOOOOO-HAAAAA...and I would marvel at the audience response of returning the greeting, loud and proud and all the big smiles on their faces...then a couple of years ago, while doing my emcee duties opening up a Keola Beamer concert here...during intermission, a local came up to me and commented that the long, drawn out Aaa-Loooo-Haaaaa - is not the proper way to say it - that it was commercialized by Hauoles that way. My response: it's all good, because it's ALL ALOHA! White, Brown, Purple, Yellow or Blue - it's ALOHA; and funny how, by the way, that delivery style started by Webley Edwards before I was born, still gets response to this day! That's ALOHA. Like Hawaiians...goes on forever!
There was also my 9 months of unemployment period...no matter how much I tried - at times sending out 300 resumes a week thru various search engines...nothing! After nearly exhausting da savings...I started to stress. Then this wonderful wahine, named Rosa wrote in her book about ALOHA...about letting go and trusting yourself...and know that what is best will surface...just 'hold the vision' and pay attention, so as not to miss the opportunity when it shows up. The moment I let go and followed this wise one's advice - everything started to flow and things got mo better! That's ALOHA.
And since each one of us has that 'little keiki' inside - while very young, I was taught a concept handed down from my beloved Hawaiian Ancestors: ALOHA involves all that we have been - all that we are - and all that we will be; it involves our very breath - that very breath is given to us the exact moment that we are born...the Creator gives us breath - because breath IS LIFE...it is our connection to the Creator which is eternal and cannot be broken, it is a gift from our source...and if you don't believe me, try hold your breath - see who wins! That's ALOHA!
Lastly, 'remembering Aloha' moment to moment is key. Last year, I decided after some 20 years to write a book about my Father's work ing life with Red Skelton - a first of it's kind photo book/journal that is completed by the buyer, making it a family heirloom. So once I decided, I aimed for funding to sustain me, so I could devote 40 hours a week to writing and having the book ready for the Holidays. Well I could not find anyone who was wanted to fund somebody to not work, but sit at home and write. One person, came forward, but countered my proposal with funding released over time and proving up of work done toward finishing the book. At first, I resisted...I whined a bit...kicked my feet (my inner keiki, yeah?) and then struggled for 3 months balancing out working for reals, and scheduling in writing times. Ahhhhhhhhhh...'balance' that was the key...in fact, that is always the key to Life...BALANCE! Me and Book, are coming along just fine...and that's ALOHA!
And all of the above is my ALOHA - to All of YOU! With special ALOHA and BIG HUGS to Rosa, for encouraging us - enlightening us - and enabling us to cross that bridge of ALOHA every day...keeping it real!

John Keoni Monte

[Rosa Say]

When we completely accept and celebrate who we are, there is such energy and joy that bubbles forth from us. Your February message illustrates that so beautifully John; there is a radiance of beauty in the way your words and stories have tumbled out of you to swirl here like a fresh breeze of aloha-filled hope and encouragement for the rest of us. Mahalo.