I don't get Hawaii. Oh, sure. What's to get? I mean, it's paradise, right?

My love for Hawaii started in 1973. I was sixteen that summer and ready for some adventure. But, come on, I was only sixteen. A neighbor called my dad to tell him that job interviews were being conducted for pineapple pickers in Hawaii. It sounded too good to be true.

I showed up the next Saturday morning hoping to get an interview. I waited around and finally got in. I must have done all right, because a few days later I received a job offer. I got a calendar, numbered the days until departure and started my countdown.

When all was said and done I had spent two summers picking and planting pineapple on Lanai. It is a remote, sparsely populated island. In the early 1970s there was on town, Lanai City, and the harbor. Oh, and many acres of pine fields. I spent 10 weeks the first year and 11 the second as an employee of the Dole Corporation making $1.60 and hour. By the third week each summer we had moved from 5 eight hour days to 6 ten hours days per week. After the fifth week we were working seven days a week and at least ten hours a day.

It was the first time in my life that I 'd been exposed to the concept of a bonus. We were given a quota every day and when we exceeded the number of trucks of with pineapple for the shift (a team effort and reward) or the number of planted crowns (an individual initiative) we received additional pay. It wasn't great, but after our weekly allowance ($5 as I recall) I ended each summer with nearly a thousand dollars in my savings account.

At the end of the summer we were also rewarded with a week of tour. This was a combination of 4 days on one of the outer islands (Kauai in 1973 and the Big Island in 1974) and three days on Oahu. This turned out to be a brief respite after a long summer of tough physical labor.

It's been 30 years since I last picked pineapple and since I last stepped foot on Lanai. In that time I 've returned to Hawaii on four separate occassions, as a tourist. I've returned to the Big Island twice, spent time on Maui once and, this week, I'm here in Oahu with my family.

The evening prior to my departure I watched a documentary about Hawaii. It was done by a native Hawaiian woman. She talked about how difficult life is in the 50th state. According to her narrative, Hawaiians suffer from increased hypertension, strokes, shortened life expectancy, and greater depression than most other Americans in other states. Why? A high cost of living, fewer jobs, who knows?

So, for the tourists, perhaps Hawaii is paradise. For the locals, it's not all sunshine, surfing and pina coladas. So, while I love Hawaii, I worry about the people and the impact of the tourist and military industries that dominate the state. From what I could find on line, it turns out that Hawaii has a population of about 1.2 million. And just under 1 million of these live on Oahu. I would guess (and it's just a guess) that about 900,000 of those living on Oahu live in close proximity Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. A short 45 minute drive to the north shore reveals an Oahu that is sparsely populated and very much like some remote areas of the other main Islands.

In 1920 Prince Kuhio helped push through a homestead bill that allocated parts of Hawaii to native Hawaiians. A great gesture. One of hope. Land is expensive. So those who have little money, but much invested in the Islands, could hope to receive some land to make a home. I understand that some older Hawaiians have gone one to their eternal rewards after spending years on a waiting list to receive a Hawaiian endowment of land. So the homestead act has turned out to be only a gesture for many.

I do love Hawaii. I love the smell of the air. I love watching the pounding surf. I love the fresh fruits and juices and I love spending time in a slow, laid back way that is unique to Hawaii, at least in the United States. I certainly plan on returning many more times in my life. But I will think more about the other aspects of Hawaii and wonder if my fun is at the expense of others who are less fortunate.
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