Walking to Work

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Plumeria bloom found on the sidewalk
 
We live in the same town as my work.   This was a conscious decision.
 
My commute involves walking 1.5 miles.
 
Because of this, I get to see old and new Waipahu, new construction and old buildings, manicured and wild properties, dry and lush environments.
 
Pothos garden landscape
 
I pass private homes, businesses, churches, and temples.
 
 



 I pass children and teachers at school.
 
School motto painted on the outer wall
 
I pass kūpuna (older adults) out walking or tending their property. 
 
I pass wealthy homes, middle income families, and homeless encampments.
 
Trash near one of the homeless encampments.
 
I meet dogs behind fences, and sometimes feral ones on the street.
 
In Waipahu, and all of Hawai`i, there is the constant music and presence of birds.  Some are varieties I saw in Michigan; most are not.  Often their behavior and singing have surprised me.
 
I didn't know egrets perched in trees.

Through it all, my commute has always reinforced the dichotomy between old and new.  
 
One world is the street, with its River of Busyness.  Cars, trucks, buses, and even the new rail system are all taking people towards their modern life.  Even in Hawai`i there is the hustle and the bustle.
 
One world is off the street, in the neighborhood.  In the places of nature, the homes of people, and even in the businesses and community centers, there is an incredible Peacefulness here.
 
Two worlds living next to each other.  Hawaiian culture teaches lōkahi, which roughly translates to unity.  Lōkahi is an essential part of health and well-being.
 
Perhaps this is one of my quests, to find the unity between the old and new Waipahu.
 
Below is a short video where I tried to bring out the dichotomy, and my own search for lōkahi.  I was standing on the bridge on a busy road, overlooking the original natural springs of Waipahu.  They are still flowing strong today.  In the background, I was hoping you would hear the cars as they passed behind me on their modern river.
      

 

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