Aug21

dare to dance.

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on this day in 1959, hawaii officially became the 50th state

 always wanted to visit

but the closest i’ve come

is when i was young and my dad announced

he wanted to buy a little radio station in kauai

i quickly got ahold of a hawaiian dictionary

 forced/encouraged the family to learn the alphabet during dinner

only to discover it was just a fantasy job wish for him

years later, as an adult

i took hula lessons with close friends

we were not good at it

got into the spirit of the dance

did not get asked to perform in hawaii

but we had a a blast

you never know

where and when this skill will come in handy

plus, it’s impressive on a resume

 i’ve yet to make it to hawaii

 only a matter of time

third time’s the charm

aloha!

—

“dare to dance, leave shame at home.”

(A’a i ka hula, waiho i ka maka’u i ka hale)

-hawaiian saying

 

 

—

art credit: vintage hawaiian poster

74 responses »

  5. Happy anniversary to our 50th state! Hawaii is as beautiful as it seems on TV and the movies, Beth. Your father’s dream job … wow, that would have been a game-changer for your family. Just think if you all would have grown up in Kauai! That island was an impressive stop in my dear wife Karen and I’s tour in 2010. I loved the luau on the plantation, the slow walk through the town and on the beach … and all the stray chickens we encountered along they way. I wanted to put out a T-shirt that proclaimed The Chickens of Kauai! Now you’ve got me going … and you must check off this trip on your wish list, my friend.

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  6. What a sweet dream your dad had! Makes me smile and admire him ….
    As kids we had Hula Hopp Rings around our belly to be swung around and around. The better ones let them swivel around the chest and up to their throat. I bound my wold hair into a top knot with a rubber band so that I cd nearly throttle myself with the ring swivelling around my throat….
    And you really MUST get to do that trip. On Flickr, I had a photo pal on Hawaii. His pics were so colourful and kinda crazy. Loved it…..

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  10. Never been there either, Closest I’ve been is northern California, but I was offered a job and decided it wasn’t worth it and, looking back, I am so glad. In the end I gave up paradise for the Midwest. Some might say, I got my wish. I do.

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  15. I’ve been a couple of times for work. After a while, it’s just like any other business destination. If I get a chance to go again, I’d like to visit all the islands (I guess Niihau is still owned by the descendents of Elizabeth Sinclair, and Kahoolawee is uninhabitable except for the goats that live there).

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  20. In 1959 my parents were in Hawaii for 3 months while my dad did research or something for the government. I was 7 and you know… My brother and I stayed in Montana with my Aunt Jo and Uncle Hank. On the day Hawaii became a state, I think they grilled something and put pineapple on it. When my parents came home, they had beautiful slides of their adventure and were invited to show them at my elementary school. They brought me a hula skirt and I tried… They tried to describe “poi” but I never understood that. It sounded like school paste, to me. 🍍

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  25. I dance freely at home. Someone once tried to teach us the hula when we were kids in a knock off the girl scouts. It didn’t stick. But I love the music. Sending you hula vibes to get to Hawaii. (Side note, my daughter’s name is Hawaiin. Her father served his military time in Hawaii).

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  27. I’ve passed through every state now, though some I can’t remember because I was too small. Interestingly enough, my final two states were our last two, Alaska and Hawaii. I’m hoping to do some international travel in the next few years.

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