Page 2 - MidWeek Kauai - August 17, 2022

2 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK AUGUST 17, 2022
Our Imaginary Walls
In a changing world the only thing we can do is change.
— the Rev. Dr. Seigen Yamaoka
FA Passion Play
We all live with imag- inary walls. Some walls are necessary because they offer protection by creating healthy boundar- ies. However, others can be- come obstacles that hold us back. At one time, these walls were necessary but as condi- tions change, they are no lon- ger needed. We easily become attached to certain conditions and continue to operate as if life is fixed and unchanging. This is a common theme in my work when I counsel people to reflect on old habits that may need changing.
When I was a child, we built an extension to our house. We enclosed the back patio but left the sliding glass door in place separating the dining room
cided to remove the door to widen the opening between rooms. This made a remark- able difference as a whole new open pathway was created. However, over time, the same area began filling up with box- es and a narrow pathway had again formed. I was struck by how the former glass door had become an imaginary wall. We didn’t even realize this had happened until it did!
irst, we tended the soil. Well, my wife did; I simply watched. Then, she fastened a single vine against our retaining wall. Next, she had a trellis built
up despite no longer being nec- essary? What habitual patterns do we fall back into even when conditions change? Can we discover a new way of being that is appropriate for our cur- rent situation? At the very least we can live with less clutter.
The Rev. Blayne Higa is the minister of the Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, a Shin Buddhist sangha, in Kealakekua.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Robin Stephens Rohr and Lynne Johnson.
to allow roaming vines to drape over and intertwine, as they’re wont to do. Bees, buds and flowers were obviously great signs. Within months, voila, we had our own mini liliko‘i orchard. We (yes, we) now pick up freshly fallen fruit every few days, slice it, gut it of its luscious pulp, and my wife concocts an amazing jelly/jam from the nectar.
Instead of discovering a new way of being, sometimes it’s easier to stay in our habits and keep walls up, literally and proverbially.
Despite knowing this, we simply continued to clean around the boxes leaving the wall in place. It’s amazing how when we live on autopilot, our actions can so easily become habits. Change is hard because it requires conscious action on our part.
There is a lot of passion (and vermicast) that goes into the making of this delicacy. Handmade (with ongoing in- spiration from Mother Nature), the passion fruit provides desserts, drinks, salads, jam, smoothies — the list goes on. Liliko‘i acts as a soothing sedative for better sleep and possibly aids in relieving anxiety (now who could possibly have anxiety these days?).
from the new extension. Over time, like in most houses, the area behind the door became storage. Having the extra room just led to having more stuff.
A Conserve Energy Future post states that liliko‘i “im- proves the heart’s health, decreases the risk of cognitive decline, improves digestive health, promotes restful sleep, offers relief to asthma patients, improves insulin sensitivity, promotes skin and eye health, prevents oste- oporosis and more.” Well, sign me up!
After living with this glass wall for many years we de-
So, what walls do we keep
with the Rev. Blayne Higa
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Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 11
RATING: SILVER
The point is (beyond obvious health benefits) that from such humble roots a productive hobby has evolved, a project that reaps intrinsic rewards through physical la- bor, a sense of tranquility in watching the continuous growth, and a joyous sense in allowing us to provide omiyage to people or simply gifts as a neighborly gesture.
While crosswords, music, golf and family fun take up much of my recreational chores, being even tangentially involved in this fruity pastime intrigues me as to what might be next. We’re growing chicos, papayas, avocados, and an assortment of fragrant and/or beautiful flowers on the same property we’ve groomed (and/or ignored) for almost 40 years.
So yes, maybe you actually can teach an old dog new tricks, or at least make him/her appreciate what’s right in front of his/her nose. I credit my beloved wife for all of this produce productivity. I don’t have much of a green thumb nor a cultivational clue, but I can appreciate the planning, love, process and results.
Maybe you can find a new recreational pastime to ease your mind and/or body into. Maybe there’s something you don’t do that you could do, if only you would do. Perhaps it’s untapped, but out there ... beckoning.
Think about it.
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com