Waikapuna

This is from a paper I wrote for an English class when I was a freshman in college. I found it recently and thought it was sweet.

Sometimes it is nice to just sit and remember...

I am sitting on a large rock on the coast of Waikapuna. The sun has already begun its daily ascent, yet the air is still chilled from the coolness of dawn combined with the stiff breeze coming in off the ocean to the East. My thoughts are lulled by the pounding of the white surf against the black lava rocks. This is where I meditate and this is where I dream.

My eyes are drawn to the place where the sea and sky meet. I have always been drawn to the horizon. It seems to be a place where I can set my goals and where I can think about my future. The very real horizon is a symbol that makes my goals and aspirations seem all the more possible. What lies beyond the horizon is my future, all that lies ahead of me, the great unknown.

The sun has moved higher in its path and is begining to warm me. The rock I sit on is a large , rectangular boulder. It definitely stands out from the rest of the shoreline, which is an expanse of flat pahoehoe lava. The very top of the rock is covered with shallow little indentions and around the top edge are larger holes completely encircling the boulder. One might think that the boulder is quite a work of are by Mother Nature!

I enjoy looking inside these holes because each one holds a special gift, a link to the past. I dab my finger in and out comes a beautiful white crystalline substance. I touch my finger to my tongue and smile. Its salt.

This rock was used by the Hawaiian community that once flourished in this area. I do not know how the holes were formed. It could have been a natural occurence from the constant pounding of the surf or the Hawaiians may have had a way of carving them out of the stone. It is such an ingenious concept. The waves and the sea spray drench the rock at high tide. The sun comes out and the little pools of salt water that are trapped in the holes evaporate and all that is left is the salt. Nature's process of making salt went on before Hawaiians ever touched foot on this land. The process continued as the Hawaiiand lived along this coast and discovered how to harness this commodity. And the process continues as I sit here feeling the sea spray on my face and the salt on my lips. This will continue long after I leave this earth. The point of the present is to enjoy the taste of the salt, the cool of the sea spray, the warmth of the sun, the depth of the horizon, and all of the many miracles that Nature and God offer me every minute of my life.

Much later in the night, after everyone has gone to sleep, I creep outside of my tent with my flashlight in order to do my business. Not liking this aspect of camping, I get through it as quickly as I can. When I am done, I stand up and stretch, lifting my head to the night sky. I am awestruck. The sky is amazing. It looks like a million diamonds have been tossed onto an infinite expanse of black silk. I sit on the cool sand listening to the surreal crashing of the waves nearby, barely visible in the darkness, and gaze at this vast universe before me.

There is so much to know and experience in this world. It seems impossible to do it all in one lifetime, even in many lifetimes. We often take for granted the significance of the heavens. In the city, you barely have time to glance up. If you do take a moment, the magnificence of the night sky is marred by the street lights and buildings in the way.

But out here, the sky completely envolopes me and takes me in. I realize that this is the same sky that the first Hawaiians used to guide them here, and many sat on this same coast and stared in awe just as I do. People around the world, on the other side of the horizon, look at the same sky. This is the sky I will continue to look at after I have reached my own horizon. It is a constant. It has always been and will always be. We are the ones who move on. Who knows what else is twirling around those millions of suns we call stars? All I know is the depth and breadth of it all can make you seem really insignificant. But we are a part of this vast universe. There is a reason why we are here. We are a part of the immense cycle of life. As Annie Dillard quotes from the Koran in her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, "The Heaven and Earth and all in between, thinkest thou I made them in jest?" We are the in-between and we are not made in jest. The true meaning of life may be beyond our grasp, but if we live our life to the fullest, and with love and kindness, we will probably get as close as is possible.

Joe is the man that brought us to Waikapuna. He was a part of the experience as much as the ocean and the sky. He was a part of my life as much as a father and a friend. He took care of us here, on this beautiful yet foreboding landscape - cut off by a sheer cliff to the North, and expanse of lava and brush to the West and South and the great Pacific to the East. We all relied on Uncle Joe to head the camp and foster our survival, as well as our enjoyment. We followed his directions without question or complaint. We trusted and respected him compeltely and in return he never let us down. When we camped, he provided for all our material comforts. He made us delicious banana pancakes for breakfast, hot brackish water so we could takes baths, and electric lights at night - the generator humming in the distance. More importantly, however, he gave friendship, love and laughter. He gave all of himself. He made everyone who knew him feel special and important.

Now he is gone. He is no longer "in between", he is now a part of Heaven. He, like all of us, was made in earnest and not in jest. He was an important and significant soul - we all are - even if he wa just a speck in the universe. He contributed so much in his lifetime and he enjoyed every moment of his life. I, too, enjoyed every moment of my life with him. From the wisdom of his life that he shared with me comes an enjoyment of my life now. Even though Joe is no longer here with me physically, I have the memories of life with him and that is more than enough to fill the rest of my life. I will continue the cycle of love that I was born into and although I may not find all of the answers to my life's questions, at least I will enjoy looking for them on my journey to the horizon.

Sometimes it is nice to just sit and remember!