Page 4 - MidWeek - Jan 5, 2022

4 MIDWEEK JANUARY 5, 2022
What are you looking forward to in 2022?
NNew Year Revelations
o, that is not a misspelling in my headline. I sup- pose you were expecting a list of my New Year’s “resolutions.” However, we all know that a few
days into the new year, resolutions do not end well. In fact, I should do an anti-resolution list: a gain-weight diet, no exercise, watch endless television, be on my mobile phone constantly looking at social media and procrastinating to no end. Wait a minute ... that’s exactly how I spent the last two years!
VILMAR REUTIREZ
Cook, ‘Ewa
“For everything to be normal again — no masks, no gathering restrictions and for everyone to be back to work. I wouldn’t mind a vacation, either.”
ANGEL ALTHEA
Nursing Student, Salt Lake
“Graduate nursing school and start the next chapter of my life. I have high hopes for 2022.”
MITCHELL FONG
Designer and Illustrator, Honolulu
“Fresh beginnings, better self care and — honestly — a new Lizzo album.”
ANASTACIA WATSON
Chef/Business Owner, Kaimukī
“I am most excited to see what this year has in store for my business, family and this world. We have all had a rough couple of years, but I feel like there is some magic in the air for 2022.”
Having spent the past six weeks recovering from major surgery, I have a renewed outlook on life as cliché as that may sound to you. As you probably already noticed, I have updated my photo in this column. The reason for this is simple: Since my activities were restricted, I decided to have my car serviced for some long-overdue repairs. I take my car to a specialty repair service in Kaka‘ako owned by a great wife-and-husband team. The wife runs the office and the husband runs the repair shop.
I’ve gone to them for years as having a good auto repair shop is as important as having a good doctor. I’m loyal to them and they take good care of my “baby.” Anyway, when I picked up my car, we practiced safe CDC protocols, of course. We all wore masks. When paying my bill, the wife commented that she is a longtime fan of my column.
Ron Nagasawa
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Accept Challenges, AFocus On Your Joys
fter all we’ve been through, how do we keep up hope? Well, if you enter the year with blind positivity hoping there will be
more “good” than “bad,” you’ll be let down. If you decide to embrace unknown challenges while focus- ing on the joys, you’ll be much happier. Your year will be defined by your ability to see where life is full, as well as by how well you incorporate previous lessons learned.
As for me, I learned that it’s completely OK to have multiple conflicting emotions simultaneously. People were feeling guilty about this, yet feeling both sad and joyful at the same time is part of being human. The lesson I’ve embraced is to accept and allow the full spectrum of our feelings to flow with- out judging them.
alice@yourhappinessu.com
She mentioned that I should change my photo, and that I look much better in person. I wasn’t sure how to take that as I was wearing a mask, but I briefly lowered it and asked, “Are you sure?”
I haven’t cut my hair for about two months nor have I clean-shaven my face for months. She made my day say- ing, “Oh, you definitely look better in person.” Truth be told, many readers thought I was a doctor because I’m wearing a white jacket in my old photo. Or, they thought it was a high school yearbook photo!
So, I decided to bite the bullet and change out the pho- to with one that doesn’t hide any flaws, scars, gray hair, glasses, lines or wrinkles. And, for what it’s worth, my revelation for 2022 is to merely be who I am.
Besides, perfect is boring. That being the case, I’m the most un-boring person on the planet. In a world where all we see are masked-up faces and social media perfection, I welcome genuine personality and character.
Don’t know about you, but I miss seeing the smiles on people’s faces. It’s the kind of thing that can make or break your day. And even though I won’t see them, I hope my column puts a smile on your face as we navigate 2022!
rnagasawa@midweek.com