Page 4 - MidWeek - July 7, 2021

4 MIDWEEK JULY 7, 2021
HAWAI‘I’S FAVORITE MEDIA SURVEY By Kelli Shiroma Braiotta What’s your favorite theme park ride?
D Almost Famous
uring all the years I’ve worked for MidWeek, I’ve had the good fortune of meeting many great peo- ple. Most of my favorites are the working persons,
parents, teachers, kūpuna, nurses and civil servants like cops, firefighters and refuse collectors. There’s really too many to list, but I consider all of them to be exceptional members of the community. Then there are the A-listers, well-known politicians, entertainers and business leaders who are bona fide celebrities.
BRIGITTE SCHELL
Honolulu, Teacher
“The Dumbo ride in Walt Disney World. It was my first theme park ride
and one of my favorite childhood memories. I can’t wait to bring my son and continue the tradition.”
JUSTIN LIMASA
Kāne‘ohe, Homelessness Assistant
“The Dizzy Dragons are my favorite. Be warned, you’ll probably hit your head a few times from the inertia, but that’s half the fun.”
DARA YOUNG
Mō‘ili‘ili, Public Relations Director
“Expedition Everest in Walt Disney World. There’s a point in the ride where it stops and you can hear them changing the tracks, and then the coaster goes backward. So cool!”
BRANDON FRANCO
Honolulu, U.S. Marine
“Tatsu from Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita, California. It is the only ride I ever been on that you face down the whole entire time, to give it more of a thrill.”
I can count many of those as friends for I’ve gotten to know them over the years in part because of my role at the news- paper. I am usually in awe when in their presence, as I’m the original fanboy.
The other week, my wife and I were invited to a private birthday luncheon for a well-known philanthropist. He’s al- ways been somewhat of a mentor to me, as he is a generous yet humble supporter of our island community. His guests were an exceptional who’s who of down-to-earth and im- pressive individuals. My wife and I had the honor of being seated next to former Gov. George Ariyoshi and his wife, and that made me immediately anxious. I was in the presence of someone I consider to be a legend. I didn’t know what to say, for although he is 95, he’s the sharpest man that I’ve ever met. I knew that because I listened as he spoke to others who stopped by the table to greet him and the former first lady.
A MINDFUL MOMENT
Alice Inoue
I Social Exhaustion
f you’ve noticed more awkwardness at social gatherings or experienced more fatigue than usual after, you may have social atrophy. Just
like muscles atrophy from lack of use, our social skills atrophy from a reduction of social events, leading to a decrease in social stamina.
With low social stamina, a night out can leave you over-stimulated, tired and grouchy. You know you have social atrophy when you feel like avoiding social situations more than you did before the pan- demic. If this is you, you’ll recover faster by simply pacing your social schedule and easing back into it.
Experts say to allow six months for every 12 months of isolation to get back to your previous social form.
alice@yourhappinessu.com
Ron Nagasawa
Director of Content / Supplement Products
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Director of Advertising dnakakura@staradvertiser.com (808) 529-4726
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Managing Editor
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta
Senior Staff Writer
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Director of Advertising kharrison@staradvertiser.com (808) 529-4351
Dennis Francis
President & Publisher
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Chief Revenue Officer
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Executive Editor
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MidWeek Staff Writer
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I felt the same way you do when you’re about to ask a girl to dance. Before I could open my mouth, the governor turned to me, poured me a cup of tea and asked, “So, Ron, how are things going over at MidWeek?” Of course, I was blown away and he completely disarmed me with his charm.
We then entered into an in-depth discussion about local politics and island history. He had just written and released a book, Hawai‘i’s Future, which serves as a blueprint for the current and future generations of the state. It’s a must-read.
He imparted much of his wisdom on the past, current solu- tions and challenges he envisions we will face in the coming years. He also left me with hope. Not just for me, but for my children and their eventual children as well.
I was also delighted to speak with Mrs. Ariyoshi. She ex- udes class and warmth, plus she had something in common with my wife and me — we are all Leilehua grads! As we left the restaurant, I offered to carry some of their leftover food packages when they went outside to wait for their driver. Someone wanted to take their picture and asked me, their “driver,” to step out of the photo.
Oh, well. Back to the C-list for me.
rnagasawa@midweek.com