A NEW PERSPECTIVE for 2016

Each New Year, resolutions float around like orphan plastic bags blowing in the wind. Some catch a down-wind and crash to earth. Others sail away to places unknown, never to be heard from again. A few resolutions stick close, tempting and pestering their maker. With luck, a strong trade wind will pick up and carry them away – very soon. One or two resolutions are usually worth keeping, though. Those should be nurtured, pampered, molded...well, you get the idea. 



Nana I Ke Kumu statue on grounds of Honolulu Hale

 

One of my brand new resolutions - I often carry over old ones from year to year - is to gain a new perspective on life. Not only in the arena of personal affairs, but a new awareness in all aspects of my life. The idea itself isn’t new. So I also wanted to develop a new perspective on gaining a new perspective! 

Hopefully my idea will be of benefit to others, also. 

 

'Iolani Palace

 

On December 20, 2015, I took the kama‘aina (local) free tour of ‘Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu. (Regardless the cost, it is well worth your time to see the beautiful architecture and period furniture on display in the palace, and to hear the history behind the unique monarchy of Hawai‘i.) When the tour ended, I spent some time in the palace basement where a display of 19^th century photographs shares space with the royal kitchen . . . and water closets of the era. 

 

façade of Kawaiaha'o Church

After viewing the Honolulu Hale’s annual wreath competition and the grounds around Kawaiaha‘o Church, I rested on a bench facing the Nana I Ke Kumu statue. That’s when the thought surfaced about how to develop a new perspective on gaining a new perspective. I could photograph sights I’ve looked at for decades here in the Islands, but in a way that gave me a new perspective on what I was actually seeing. 

detail of Nani I Ke Kumu

The photographs above reveal how I’ve always looked at these sights. When I took pictures from different angles, different perspectives, I discovered a whole new world of thought and purpose. In the weeks and months to come, I plan to photograph more sights with this idea in mind. My goal is to become more aware of my surroundings and to live life more fully. 

Again, my idea isn’t unique. For me, though, the concept is refreshing. It is a way to more fully appreciate my world of today. I will no longer look to the future for what might one day be; or even less productive: look back and try to figure ways to change what once was. I will begin to appreciate what is right before my eyes, truly seeing it . . . from a new perspective. 

May we all learn to live today, today;

and enjoy life:

from a new perspective. 

Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou - Happy New Year