During the bit of rainy-and-cold we had the other day, I got to thinking back to my brother’s trip to Maui last year. One of his co-workers has a time-share condo arrangement, the third bedroom was vacant, and Phil got to take his first trip to Hawaii.
Yes, he was there when the earthquake hit on that Sunday morning. He’s an early riser and was sitting on the edge of a couch near the balcony on the seventh (top) floor. He was putting on his shoes, trying not to wake his wife, when everything went sideways — a lot.
From the three bedroom doorways came a sudden surge of sleepy friends, plus the shrieks of my panicky sister-in-law (who somehow managed to get awake, packed and halfway down the stairs in the thirty seconds before the shaking stopped.). It turned out to be a minor blip in their otherwise lovely visit to Maui, and my brother is ready to go back any time the condo is available.
But I don’t mean to talk about Phil’s vacation, or even Maui, really. My wife, Nancy, and I went to Maui a couple of years ago, and we have our own special memories of the place.
We didn’t stay at a fancy resort or condo, opting instead for a more humble establishment set back from the main downtown of Lahaina, within a couple blocks of all the charming shops and restaurants. We love to walk and browse and find little places that represent the local charm. We bought souvenirs and trinkets for the kids and grandkids and my brother’s family (he hadn’t been there yet). We ate at fabulous little restaurants with some of the freshest fish you’re likely to eat, short of catching it yourself and throwing it into a pan. We even ran into local resident Kelsey Grammer at a show called Ulalena, a Cirque du Solei-styled production depicting the mythology of the islands. The show was lovely; Mr. Grammer was quite gracious in signing autographs and chatting after the show. It wasn’t until my kids saw the photos that I realized that my lovely tropical shirt that night not only had cocktails depicted all over it but also the word “Cheers.” I thought it was cute that he wrote “Cheers!” on the autograph.
What I want to share is something a friend told us in Redding before we left to go on our Maui vacation. There’s a tremendous amount of enjoyment to be had in the planning and anticipation of a trip, much of it involving friends, relatives and coworkers. People who’ve been where you’re going have stories to tell and suggestions for things to see and do. Others have heard of things and places and want to know what you’re planning.
Well, on the occasion of our imminent departure, our friend very seriously told Nancy, “Be sure to be somewhere at sunset.” I think she asked if he meant the shower or what? Of course he meant that the sunsets from Maui are spectacular and romantic and all that, but the sincere counsel to “be sure to be somewhere at sunset” was amusing to us and has stuck in our personal lexicon.
We took our friend’s admonition to heart, and talked about it our first evening, right on the edge of the ocean in a small restaurant. There were no windows as such, just large open spaces with the lovely tropical sea breeze blowing through. A gentle surf was lapping at the pilings just below us, and the sun did indeed set beautifully into the sea, as we sipped crisp gin martinis and held hands across the table. Perfectly romantic.
That’s when Nancy pointed out that we’d spent a lot of money to do something we could accomplish quite well at home. It’s not at all unusual for us to be together somewhere at sunset, holding hands and enjoying whatever we’re doing. From our deck, past the huge black oak in the neighbors’ yard, we can see the sun set beautifully behind our western mountains, with fresh, clean, Redding air around us. I even make a mean martini.
If you haven’t given thought to it lately, just look around at what a great place we live in. Put work, traffic and politics on a back burner, and just open yourself to the joys of living in a place like Redding. I’d love to talk about local restaurants, shared moments, great local scenery, the world’s best cat, or which roads I’d like repaired, but it’s time to go.
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
Thanks for reading. It’s martini time.
