Page 2 - MidWeek - Jan 5, 2022

2 MIDWEEK JANUARY 5, 2022
The Somedays Of My Life
“‘Someday’ can be a thief in the night.” — Deborah Brown
OA Fresh Start
It happened all too quick- ly — moving officially through the rite of pas- sage to becoming an elder, or kupuna. At this milestone, I find myself reflecting on the “somedays” of my life.
ne of the things parents hopefully do is teach their kids accountability. You make a mistake, you own up to it, and you either fix it, move on and/or pre-
As a child, I had dreamed of being and doing so many things — a ballerina, a Broad- way actress, traveling the world. In the unfolding of life, those childhood dreams were put aside for mother- hood and a career. They of- ten seemed remote, but, like many of us, I often thought, “Someday, I will ...”
a symphony of nature or of musicians? I may no longer have the same level of ac- tivity, but from this vantage point, there is deep joy in knowing I did what I could when I could. I gather and treasure in memory the past dreams fulfilled — but I do not put off embracing all the someday dreams that still lie ahead!
The Rev. Dr. Peggy Price is a minister, teacher, writer and inspirational speaker. She is currently affiliated with the Center for Spiritual Living on Kaua‘i as minister emeritus. She lives with her husband Don in Kalāheo.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr.
sumably learn from it.
So why can’t adults here do the same?
We see errors being made, or we see issues kicked down
the road like rusty cans, and no one seems to say “my bad.” It’s always “the system,” or things just manage to occur, as if human decisions (or often indecision) have nothing to do with it. Come on, even Michael Jordan missed over half the shots he took. You missed — admit it. And while the pandemic surely complicates everything, the list of issues unresolved here predates pandemic-onia 2020/2021.
With maturity and the growth of my children into adulthood, I began to under- stand that I was now the only one standing in the way of re- alizing those dreams; it was time to act.
The ‘somedays’ of life are both in the past and in the future.
many “somedays” do I have left? What really matters to me now? Family? Friends? Health? With the impaired vision of age, visual delights are growing dim, but that is no reason to set dreams aside. In what other ways can I take delight? Savoring tastes? Reveling in a breeze or the touch of a friend? Basking in
Where to start? TMT, economic diversification efforts, upgrading public education, the Falls of Clyde, Lanikai and Laniākea parking issues, Stairway to Heaven, Red Hill, the Waikīkī Natatorium, the HART project, home- lessness, brain drain, an alternative Leeward O‘ahu access road, truly affordable housing, sustainable living wages, plus 20 other issues you know of that pop up and disappear like the whack-a-mole game. The issue/project/conun- drum fades from the headlines, then crops up again, with a new pledge to form a committee, review board, provide an environmental impact assessment, open up neighbor- hood hearings or ... well, you know the drill. Just too much humbug to act on things that have been nagging us for years. Accountability? Repercussions? Consequences to inaction? Perhaps entropy will ensue.
Of course, I faced diffi- culties along the way. It was
those “somedays” a reality. I have traveled the world, have lived in beautiful places, have been fortunate to meet and marry the love of my life and have accomplished much. I learned that when you have a goal, you can make it happen.
sometimes scary stepping into new territory. But I didn’t give up, and I am so grateful to have found ways to make
The Rev. Dr. Peggy Price
We witness vapid biennial campaign promises or pseudo-efforts to tackle issues over and over. Deci- sion-making can be tough and even unpopular in many cases. But at the end of the day, year or decade, some action is surely better than none. A local consumer base grows numb, weary and apathetic while leaders, er, man- agers — those hired or elected to make difficult choices — simply move on, sans movement.
KELLEY
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
There is still more to do, but the word “someday” has taken on new meaning. How
Perhaps it’ll change in 2022. Maybe people will take decisive action needed on myriad issues locally and will truly lead versus simply maintain. Not making decisions on an item is actually a form of decision-making, albeit not a very exemplary way to do things. How refreshing when someone takes over a project and says, “Here’s what we’ll do now” and then does it, or says, “My bad, but here’s how we’ll solve this moving forward.” What a great lesson for kids, and adults, in 2022.
Think about it ...
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com