As I saw the elderly man approaching us, I knew it was coming, and my mouth twisted into a crooked little smile. I knew that this weathered old gentlemen would only want one thing: to exchange Hawaii stories.
We were eating at a local Mexican restaurant this past week, and Warrior Man was paying for our meal when I saw out of the corner of my eye, this man approaching us. He slowly walked up, and put a slight hand on Warrior Man’s shoulder “Excuse me, sir” he drawled slowly “where are you from?”. And in that moment, I knew for certain that the next fifteen minutes were gone.
About once a week someone in a grocery store, a local park, or a restaurant will approach Warrior Man, and ask if he is from Hawaii. As soon as he replies in an affirmative, this person or persons will proceed to gush about their recent vacation in Hawaii, their son’s job in Hawaii, or their trip to Hawaii in the future.
On this particular occasion, this man eventually brought his wife over to us too, and we quickly discovered that their daughter just moved to the very town in Maui that my Fella grew up in. This sweet couple chattered on, and on with Warrior Man, and he began telling them the sights they had to see when they visited her later this winter.
This elderly couples’ eyes were sparkling, their face took on a new glow, and they soaked in all the advice Warrior Man could give them. This is only one of many such occurrences since I began dating this man.
I never would have guessed it, but dating him involves learning to be gracious, and enjoying the “paparazzi”.
In the Midwest, my fiance is a super star all because of where he grew up. He spreads happiness wherever he goes, and people simply want to be part of that joy. He is a magnet for vacation stories, engagement trips, and recent moves to the land of the white sands, and smiling islanders. If there is someone within two hundred feet radius of him who has been to Hawaii at any point in their lives, you can be assured that they will find, and talk with him. And while I may never be the one in the limelight (for some reason, no one comes rushing up to me, and asks me if I am from Nebraska), I must say that I greatly enjoy being a small part of this whole experience.
One of the most beautiful things about relationships is that they broaden our circle of friends, widen our reach of experiences, and just generally make life more diverse, and fun. This is true for friendships, as well as romantic relationships.
So if you are in Wal-Mart, and you see a good looking Hawaiian guy walking by, go ahead and hurry to him to exchange stories about your summer trip. I will be the girl standing by his side, grinning to beat the band.
I would love to hear about your vacation stories, have you ever been to Hawaii? Or another neat vacation spot?
This is such a sweet post! I love that you have such a sweet attitude about it all and take it with a smile!
I adore the land of Hawaii, most importantly the passionate culture. I wish to God that I could exude the spirit of aloha through only the color of my skin but am not able. So I will show you through my actions. Your boyfriend is part of something special and unique, sounds like he uses it for the best. Aloha kakou.
Where on Maui does Saia live? Although I spend some extended periods in Montana, we’ve lived in Wailuku since 2012! Are you going to live there after you get married?
He is from Kihei, Lynn! That is so wonderful that you all live in Wailuku! And I have never been to Montana, but I here it is gorgeous. He is finishing up his college degree in the mainland, and it will take another year or two, and then after that we will probably go where the jobs take us. How do you like living in Hawaii? I am assuming that is not where you are from originally?
What a wonderful post, loved knowing about you. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Esha! I just love your name, it is so beautiful.
Very inspiring! I can’t wait to get to Hawaii soon.
You should definitely make a trip there at some point in your life, Manu. It is an incredibly beautiful spot in the world.
“One of the most beautiful things about relationships is that they broaden our circle of friends, widen our reach of experiences, and just generally make life more diverse, and fun.”
^I love that. So true, and something I’m learning to embrace. Love this charming post!
Thank you for reading my post, sweet friend! Life is all about growing in relationships, is it not? Glad you gleaned something from my own experiences. Love!
What a patent soul you are! There is something about Hawaii that is magical. Not going into my Hawaii stories here, other than to say the skies filled up with Ascended Masters and she was a bride.
Hawaii is definitely magical. I am glad that you had a beautiful time there as well. It is definitely one place that will change you for the better. Thanks for stopping by, Candess!
Been there, done that. Two of my ex’s were celebrities in their own right. EVERYWHERE we went, someone knew them. Now, this happens with my kids too.
Wow! Two of your ex’s were celebrities! I bet you have a lot of stories that you could tell! I would love to hear them sometime. Thanks for commenting, Jenn!
Awesome, Bethany! You have the right spirit. Others would see it as intrusion or an imposition. So, you want my Hawaiin story? When I was in fourth grade (and that was a very long time ago), we were studying the different states. We each had to write a report. I chose Hawaii. Even then, I guess, I showed signs of being a “Pedagogical Artist” and rather than simply writing a report filled with facts and figures, I created a whole story about a couple that won a vacation trip and my report told about their adventures. Lucky for me, my teacher appreciated it and didn’t scold me for not following instructions …
Enjoy your man and the people he brings into your life. HUGS <3
I love your Hawaiian story! What a creative, and beautiful mind you had even as a child. I am so glad that your teacher could think outside of the box as well, and encourage your creativity! I am sure that is, in part, what has shaped you into what you are today. Thanks for the lovely story, Judy! It made me smile.
You are an ocean of patience… yes, that the beauty of relationships.
Patience is one attribute that I am learning! I certainly am not patient all of the time. Thanks for the sweet comment, Nisha!
Really? Awww, this is lovely and brought a smile to my face!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Sophie! Glad it made you smile. 🙂
What a fun post! No, I haven’t been to Hawaii yet (it’s on my bucket list), but it seems like such a great place. I’m glad you’re so open to people approaching you; it seems like you would get tired of it!
You will definitely have to make a trip there at some point, Doree. It is just really beautiful, and the people there are wonderful, and very welcoming. Be sure and see a fire dance if you go! That was one of my favorite parts!
This post just made me smile. Such a fun and delicious melding of cultures! And you put such a positive spin on it. I love you!
Love you too, Mom! We certainly have quite the “melding of cultures” thing going on. Lots of lessons learned. Hopefully our kids, someday, will be a combination of a best of both of our drastically different worlds. 😉