November is generally the month where we think about and express gratitude. Despite the somewhat checkered history of Thanksgiving Day, the fact that we have earmarked a day on which we give thanks for what we have rather than complaining about what we don’t is probably a good thing.
This time of year also opens the season of Makahiki, during which Hawaiians rest and reflect, among other things. Regardless of one’s religious or cultural affiliation, harvest time traditionally gives us an opportunity to express gratitude for the plenty supplied by the land and those whose hands helped to plant the seeds and harvest the crops.
So, in the spirit of expressing gratitude, I have been thinking a lot over the last few months about why I love living in Hilo. When I first moved here, folks were somewhat apologetic that Hilo did not have all the amenities of Honolulu or even Kona in some respects. My response was generally that I had never lived in a place large enough to have both a Macy’s and a Home Depot! And really, we have most everything we need here. Sure it may cost more or maybe we do not have all the varieties of all the things, but we have what we need.
I love the relatively small size of Hilo. Combined with our sense of aloha, it means that county government offices, local businesses, and institutions are run by our neighbors and friends. Offices in Hilo are not impersonal, faceless bastions of bureaucracy. People truly care for one another and it shows in the ways in which we interact, even when we are dealing with personal or professional challenges. Yes, the wheels still turn slowly sometimes, but knowing who the folks are who are turning those wheels helps us understand why delays happen.
I love that we support ‘ohana and community. I see this every day on the Hilo campus. Our enrollment may be down, but last year we hit 10-year highs in both grants and gifts. People care about the important things, and work to support them. UH Hilo recently had the opportunity to host faculty and educational assistants from Hilo High on our campus. They were excited to hear about our programs, and we were excited to talk about how we may partner on educational success of our young people. We’re all part of the big educational ‘ohana, and we need and want to work together to improve life in our community.
I love the sense of sportsmanship in our community. When UH Hilo recently played UH Manoa in basketball (men’s and women’s), the games were exciting and our Hilo fans also welcomed the outnumbered Manoa fans in attendance. Even more importantly, the teams together held clinics for local keiki because that is a tightly held value here in Hilo.
At another event this fall, UH Hilo Women’s Volleyball was playing Western Oregon, whose coach and a couple of players were from Hilo. My husband and I were surrounded by WOU fans where we were sitting in the stands, some of whom would ordinarily be wearing Vulcan attire, but at that game we were all Hilo, cheering for our respective teams and congratulating our opponents for good plays.
I also love Hilo for what we don’t have — crazy traffic! Sometimes driving across town takes a few more minutes when school is in session or Merrie Monarch is happening, but we do not spend hours sitting behind the wheels of our cars. We also rarely hear a car horn, unless someone is honking truly for safety reasons. Road rage is rare, and what a delight it is to see people driving with aloha. Last night on my way home, the stop light was out at Komohana and Nowelo, and drivers immediately began treating the intersection as a four-way stop. We did not need someone directing traffic, logic and an aloha spirit just took over.
I love our diverse little community. The rich blend of culture and cuisine means there is always a performance to attend, a good meal to eat, and people with whom to share it all in a beautiful, lush environment. Much to be thankful for, indeed.
Bonnie D. Irwin is chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Her column appears monthly in the Tribune-Herald.