Page 2 - MidWeek - February 22, 2023

2 MIDWEEK FEBRUARY 22, 2023
(the Hindenburg disaster in 1937), but balloons have his- torically represented fun, joy and happiness to so many. Now those days are long gone. From being environmen- tally disastrous to posing threats to small children and wildlife, balloons have lost some of their pop of late and undoubtedly are suffering from deflated egos.
months ago.
Andra was assigned to me
We now have Balloon-gate, with myriad mylars (or other strange, unidentified flying objects) being espied over the United States, Canada and other countries. Whatever the (nefarious) purposes might be (it sure ain’t Google Maps traversing the troposphere), these are not balloons that simply escaped from some birthday party. This will undoubtedly be one more blemish on the repu- tation of the air-filled orbs that used to bring so much joy to so many, but now leave us filled with angst. Whoever the balloonatics are, they are not subtle or very clever, and this practice must be stopped. It’s a perfect time for pinheads to pop up and puncture these projectiles ...
Learning to swim and love the water impacted other areas of the author’s life.
I thought I was capable of. After becoming more comfortable with swimming, I realized I was avoiding the waves in other areas of life, wanting to stay on the shores of familiarity. I didn’t want to have to explain my spir- ituality consulting work, for fear that others would think
KELLEY
On another note, a winding road near where I live finally got an overdue repaving. Great. Now, just a few months later, comes a road sign popping up alongside white, dotted lines drawn so that this very same road can be retrofitted for a much-needed water main replace- ment. So much for planning and communication. Can you dig it? Nah ...
For the first few months I dreaded every lesson and wanted to be anywhere but in the water. Invariably, howev- er, once in, I relaxed and left
I was strange. It was easier to hide at home rather than go and interact with others in settings where engagement in conversations could be awkward.
Venturing Beyond The Shallows
“To find the pearls in life’s ocean, you have to venture out far past the shore.” — Unknown
PStrange Things
“Snap ... and glide!” As my swim in- structor, Andra, called out tips from the edge of the pool while I practiced the breast stroke, I realized how impossible this scene would have seemed a few
as a private swim teacher when I signed up for classes last fall at the YMCA. I had avoided taking this literal and figurative plunge for years. I knew it was absurd to live near a beach populated by surfers and be terrified of the water. But it took that long for me to get myself into the pool.
ity the poor balloon. About to celebrate its bicen- tennial anniversary next year, the air has been let out, so to speak. I know we’ve seen devastation
safe as well as exhilarating. Now, after having experi- enced how fear and dread can quickly yield to freedom and joy when we dive into something we had thought scary, I am forever grateful for Andra’s gift. I’ve discov- ered that once we jump in, the water leads us to places beyond what the shore ever knew.
Laura Lapointe is a Chris- tian Science practitioner who lives in San Diego. She has worked with at-risk youth and prison populations, and is a singer and writer. Visit healing.lauralapointe.com for more information.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr.
feeling confident and ener- gized. Andra was patient but had high expectations. She pushed me way beyond what
Recalling how water sup- ports us and holds us up, I saw that being out in the sea of life might actually be
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
with Laura Lapointe
And speaking of water, the lack of any substantive answers related to Red Hill and its myriad leaks, spills and mishaps will soon place it in the vaunted realm of the Waikiki Natatorium, TMT project and Ko‘olau Stairway to Heaven. That is, local issues we discuss but invariably do nothing about. The only things that seem to leak slowly and undetected from the Red Hill area are real solutions with fixed timelines and transparent accountability ...
And speaking of moving slowly, two workers fell into a vat of chocolate at a Mars Wrigley plant in Pennsyl- vania last year. They both were rescued, but I wonder if it took a few hours for them to ask for help, and did they first ask for some raisins and nuts? The plant, which assures us that safety is a “top priority,” was fined for safety violations and apparently the dish ran away with the spoon.
Think about it.
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com