I'm gonna interrupt this program with a related story of the exact moment I fell in love with Hawaii and it's people. It didn't happen on my first trip there, but it did happen on my first there as a conscience adult.

KOA (Kona Airport on the Big Island). Early 70's.

I had already arrived on the island and was sitting on a bench outside waiting for my girlfriend to arrive on a different flight (you could actually sit out on the edge of the tarmac in those days, and they used the roll up stairs instead of JetWays).

Another flight had just arrived and as passengers disembarked, some who were on a packaged tour and were wearing a little sticker were greeted by a professional greeter with a flower lei, as part of their package plan.

Just then a very elderly couple came down the stairs and stopped near all the package tour folks. They were not part of the tour group and did not receive leis. I could hear this little old lady say to her husband with a slight disappointed tone to her voice, "Dear, aren't we going to get a lei?"

Just then, a local Hawaiian woman who also heard this that was sitting next to me with 2 leis in hand awaiting friends coming in on another flight, got up and presented each of them with a lei and a warm "Aloha Nui."

Their faces lit up, they thanked her and they moved on their now Mele way, probably unaware what had just transpired and that it was not just something automatic that everyone arriving in Hawaii got a free lei.

This kokua Hawaiian lady then disappeared for a few minutes to purchase 2 replacement leis, and quietly resumed her seat to await her friends.

And that's when I fell in love with Hawaii and it's people.