Graduation Speech: Wake Up In Old Hawaii

Let’s take a walk, close your eyes and simply listen to your surroundings. I want you to think about old Hawaii nei. I want you to wake up before the sun comes up. See the blessings all around you. Look up at the Mauna, as many of us look at the Mauna as guidance to find peace of mind in the morning to start a positive day. As we look up we think about the crisp cool air. We think about the mana (power) that the Mountain holds. We feel strength in ourselves from the spirit of the aina. That strength is our motivation to get through an ordinary day in modern society. Just like what you were thinking about the Kane waking up at the crisp of the morning and finding that strength finding that positivity. As he is still awaking and the sun is peaking above Haleakala, this kane may not be getting dressed in Levi’s and a neon Shirt getting in a big run down truck and heading to a This kane is going to chaotic construction site. Back in old Hawaii day this Kane might head to the Kai (Ocean) or to the
It’s hard to show your family happiness while providing what they need. It is hard to keep a steady peace of mind. It is hard to keep that positivity fire ignited. It is hard enough that the things Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad are teaching the keiki about what they know about the aspects of life. They teach us about how we are supposed to take on the world. How are we supposed to use these methods and different secrets to make life easier if life around us just keep changing. We cannot rely on the things that keep us going because they are being torn down and built over. These moments in time are all we know and the things we have in this life are the only way of remembering those moments for generations to come. Watching all of this fade away is sort of a shut down for all of us to reboot and see what we are supposed to do to stand up for