Page 2 - MidWeek - July 21, 2021

2 MIDWEEK JULY 21, 2021
FAs Falls Maunawili
eryone’s purpose is unique. And when I say everyone, I am including our friends in the animal kingdom.
orty years ago, Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays col- laborated on As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls — an ambient jazz album. Similarly, we
Our purpose is to express our true nature in this world, to live a life where we are authentic about who we are and not hide our gifts, espe- cially from ourselves. It is very painful when you be- come separated from your true sense of self. Life gets much smoother when you have the freedom to be your natural self.
Now, all of Asher’s natural exuberance and boundless joy has been channeled into his purpose.
might also say that “as falls Maunawili, so falls Maun- awili Falls.” After all, there have been lots of falls lately around this hiking trail, but that might be ending for now.
I say “might” because people who really want to go somewhere, explore, climb, take pictures and even muck it up, have found a way to do so for years. For reference, please see Ha‘ikū Stairs, more commonly called Stair- way to Heaven, as another prime example.
Both humans and dogs thrive when they find their purposes in life.
Instead of losing his life, he is saving the lives of many people he has never met. I wish everyone could be as happy and fulfilled as Asher. Life unfolds perfectly when we are true to ourselves.
Maunawili Falls is officially closed for two years. Let’s watch how obedient visitors and locals alike are to this edict. Over the past month, the site has seen a serious back injury, a right knee injury that required air- lifting, and a young man seriously hurt after falling from Maunawili Trail. Add the repeated tales of trash being left behind, flora being crushed, parking issues, visitors availing themselves of residents’ outdoor hoses and, well, you can see that something had to give.
I want to tell you about Asher. Asher is a brown hound with long floppy ears and green eyes you can dis- appear into. But his outcome was—howshallIsayit— not looking good. Asher was returned to the animal shelter
Fortunately, Dr. Claire Guest from Medical Detec- tion Dogs in England ad- opted him and trained him to become a Canine COVID Detection Dog. Asher learned to detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus by sniffing clothing samples.
Canine COVID Detectives are able to recognize the pres- ence of the virus five days be- fore symptoms occur, which is very important because 40% of positive people do not even know they have the coronavirus.
Genie Joseph, Ph.D., is the creator of The Human-An- imal Connection Training Program, which believes that honoring Animal Wisdom makes us better humans. Visit thehumananimalconnection. com.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Robin Stephens Rohr and Lynne Johnson.
And “give” is a vital concept here, as tourism officials are talking about ways of giving education to visitors, asking people to be respectful of those many places and sites that make Hawai‘i such a travel magnet. Thus, the next question might be: Will anyone (or everyone) lis- ten to these sincere requests, which will undoubtedly be handled local style — with aloha.
seven times.
“He is just too much dog,”
A dog’s sense of smell has 300 million olfactory recep- tors (compared to us humans with 6 million), and a dog’s brain has 40% more of it ded- icated to scent analysis.
Asher is as accurate as the medical tests. But the best thing is that he has found sat- isfaction and his place and purpose in life.
Or will the response be, “Hey, I forked over thousands of dollars and flew thousands of miles, so I’ll do what I want, how I want”? Sound harsh? Reference the response to requests for people to wear masks and get vaccinat- ed over the past 18 months. All that was meant to do was save lives. And still, angry people felt provoked, have avoided complying, and thus deaths plus long-term COVID-19 ailments (unnecessary with the advent of vac- cinations) continue to pile up.
KELLEY
The Canine COVID Detective
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for Ysomething.” — Winston Churchill
our purpose is your fingerprint on the journey of life. Ev-
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
the last lady said when she tearfully handed him over.
We’re all looking to find our purpose, our place in life.
CHASING THE LIGHT
with Genie Joseph, Ph.D.
In the movie Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze reminded Jennifer Grey’s stern father, “Nobody puts Baby (Grey) in a corner,” as he escorts her onto the stage. It seems like nowadays, far too many feel cornered or scolded, even when facts and reality appear to be on the side of those doing the asking. Hopefully, the environs of Maun- awili, its trails and pool will heal over time. Even with kapu signs, compliance will require dutiful restraint from self-anointed freedom-seekers for this plan to work.
Think about it ...
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com