I’m not even supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be in Hawaii.
In what has been an inconsistent tradition, I often take my Mom out to Hawaii for the holidays and run the Honolulu Marathon. But this year being 2020, and Covid surging all over, the preeminent Oahu marathon has gone virtual.
And so this Saturday morning I got up early and ran my 26.2 miles round and round my neighborhood. I missed running past City Hall and its Mele Kalikimaka lights. I missed seeing my Mom cheering me on Kalakaua Avenue. And running past the Zoo up around Diamond Head and into the typically misty or rainy Kalanianaole Highway which often would produce rainbows on the return trip. I missed finishing in Kapiolani Park and hugging my mom, grabbing a malasada at route’s end. And I missed most of all cruising around the ocean via an open bar katamaran departing semi-regularly from Waikiki Beach.
But sacrifices now mean we can return to travel and fun later. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of pain — so wear a mask, wash your hands, watch your distance and try and stay home as much as possible. There is no reason to unnecessarily risk exposure or transmission of the coronavirus. It’s selfish and wrong to put one’s immediate wants and desires over the world’s needs. By buckling down and doing the right thing now, we can get out of this mess that much faster. Yes, vaccines are on the horizon but they take time to distribute… and require just as now people putting the needs of others ahead of their own. Get the vaccine when the time comes. Continue to think of others before thinking of yourself. That’s how we beat this thing. That’s how we get back to doing what we love… and what we want.
To throw caution to the wind, to ignore the necessities of the times for the pleasure of a moment is frankly a path to more pain and suffering.
So we alter our plans, we stay closer to home, and we try and make the best of it. Work together by working and playing apart… for just a bit longer. Do not give up, do not throw away your or others lives. Do not make the sacrifices made meaningless. Do your part. For your ohana — for the ohana of us all.
