I want to write about grand events that have occurred, near
death experiences, experiences that reaffirm why I’m alive, revelations I’ve
had and lessons that have expanded my mind and helped me grow as a person. But
real life, even in Hawaii on a gap year, isn’t like that all the time. Claire
and I have been back on the farm since the evening of November 28th.
Every morning I beat the sun at getting out of bed and then get engaged in one
part of another of keeping a family owned business running. It’s good to be
back on Maui. I appreciate the Big Island and certainly the love and
opportunities we found there. But coming back to Maui prompted the discovery
that I feel something special when I’m here. Probably because I was here first
but I’m just going to go with the idea that it’s some spiritual connection I
have to magic and beauty of the island and that it touches my soul and
enlightens me or something.
The
woman who birthed me texted me saying “isn’t it time for a new blog post?” And
mothers are always right. I don’t have any one specific shocker of a story to
tell this time but I do have lots of things to share. Little, special things
that are just as valid and worth remembering as the big whoppers. At least I
think so. They go like this more or less:
-The complex social structure of the farmily has changed a
bit. Everett and Alicia, two of our really good friends have left. And Jared
(the crazy asshole) got kicked off for having a complete meltdown, threatening
Chancee, and then bringing Alicia and Chris all his belongings before claiming
he was going to kill himself. So he’s gone but he managed to break a 4 gallon
box worth of glass across the upper lettuce field before he went, which made it
impossible to work in until Claire picked it all out for her first job on her
first day back. Needless to say, he hasn’t been missed. But Alicia and Everett
have. Because Jared, Alicia and Everett have been replaced by three more
Chancee-like individuals, Chancee’s actual boyfriend, and then Whitney went to
the dark side. The nicest way to
describe the pack they have formed is to compare them to the five girls you
knew in middle school who only wore Abercrombie kids or simply to imagine what
it would be like if you met Mean Girls in real life. The nicest way to
depict their level of common sense and intelligence is to tell you that they
all went out on a whim and got tattoos, at one of the worst parlors on the
island, and one of ‘meaningful quotes’ on Chancee is now one of the most
misspelled. The same individual in question may have recently tried to spin
fire poi for the first time while wasted and walked away with a third degree
burn the size of a fire safety manual on the outside of her leg. But of course,
no judgement…to each their own. I don’t mean to be rude but with people I’m rather
passive so in writing I feel the need to be aggressive. Lets just call that a
rant…
So that’s kind of a
bummer. It changes the environment in the whole house and makes me more ready
to be home than I’ve ever been before. I miss the old farmily and chill farm
house dynamics but I’m still grateful to be here. They ignore me and I have a
week left to avoid them and enjoy the island with Claire, the boys, or just by
myself. As much as the new inhabitants are a poor trade for the old ones, it is
a nice excuse to get independent and get out of the house. I complained in a
similar manner to a friend and he said it best: “Dude, you’re on Maui! Don’t
let dumb bitches bring you down!”Point taken.
-I took that point
seriously the other day when Claire was the tired, the boys were…the boys, and
I was antsy. So after opening the fridge eight times or so, I grabbed a towel,
a pocket knife and handful of dried fruit and hitch hiked to a waterfall. There
are a big collection of highly publicized and tourist heavy waterfalls called
Twin Falls that are just a few minutes down the road from the farm. However,
Twin Falls is often crowded and generally smells like sunscreen, name tags and
money. So I hitched to Twin Falls in the back of truck with two wolf dogs, and
then hopped a fence. If you climb down the bank and find the river bed, you can
walk under the highway and follow the water. If you’re not afraid of a little
jungle, grafitti and mud, you’ll stumble upon a beautiful waterfall and pool,
completely secluded and pristine. I left my bag at the top and jumped off the
waterfall into the pool. Being alone in deep water can leave you feeling like
the jungle is watching you. But if you’re lucky, you’ll get to a place where
you can feel safe being alone. I predict a few more solo adventures while I’m
here and I’m equal parts ecstatic and terrified for the enormous solo adventure
that will be the remainder of this year.
-If we’re talking
things I do solo, island pick up soccer is good example. Just by chance, I discovered
a pick up soccer game that happens on a secret field every Tuesday and Friday.
It’s not organized or announced, you have to be cued in and invited. And
somehow I got an in on it. I played a few times before we went the Big Island,
and on Tuesday, I decided to get back on my game. The game was good, plenty of
people, including a man who’d I’d never seen there before who everyone kept
calling ‘Woody’. At one point I was marking him and he looked right at me and I
wanted to tell him that he looked just like this actor. But soccer moves fast
and I’m not that awkward so I just kept playing. Pia knows her faces. It was
Woody Harrelson. He lives in Paia and tries to come out to play every week. And
the reason he does is because everyone who plays is just really cool about it.
No one asks him to sign anything, or about movies, they just mark to him, give
him shit when he misses an easy goal, and congratulate him on a good pass. When
the game was over he said good game to me and strolled off. He didn’t even play
in shoes, just straight up barefoot soccer. Strange times. Woody has a mean
left footed cross though.
