the clock on my computer says its 5:42pm, which means my body thinks its 10:42pm.  i’m on a plane somewhere over the pacific ocean, on my way back to honolulu, after having spent nearly two weeks on the mainland.  i spent the first few days in dallas, texas for a conference, but this post isn’t about that.  i’m writing about my trip home.

i was there for five days, over the yom kippur holiday.  the holiday itself isn’t one for particular celebration; it is the day of repentance and fasting and asking forgiveness from those we have wronged over the past year.  i went to services at a shul that i actually like for the first time since i’ve been in hawaii.  and i broke the traditional fast with my family, also something i haven’t been able to do since coming to the islands.

but none of this is what i really want to talk about.  i celebrated my four year anniversary in hawaii on planes and in airports returning from this visit home, which is both interesting and somewhat ironic.  when i left for hawaii, i planned to only be here for about a year, or so.  i never intended to stay for any extended period of time, though i’m not sure that i intended to return to kansas.  now four years have passed and there is no clear indication or plan as to when i might depart.  it comes as a great surprise to me that i have managed to make somewhat of a home for myself here.

saturday was a long, interesting, and great day.  it was september 23rd and hawaii’s primary election.

i woke up at 5am and headed to ali’iolani elementary school to chair the polling place there for district 19-07.  i had never done anything like that before and had only the vaguest notion of what to expect. to be honest, the day did not start out well at all.  i had misread my schedule and as a result showed up late.  when i did arrive my VAO (vice-chair) was frantic and a bit pissed off that i hadn’t been there on time.  i arrived to find five people waiting for me, only two of which had worked a polling place in the past, and all of whom were quite worried when i told them that i had never been a chair before.

we made a number of mistakes early on, and were still setting up when the first few voters started to arrive just after the polls opened at 7am.  after the first hour, or so, things started to settle down and we found our ‘groove,’ so to speak.  by the time we left, which was over an hour after the polls actually closed, i think we felt like we accomplished something.  we had all pulled together and it all worked out. i even got a couple of compliments on how well i did, give it was my first time and all.

from there, i went straight (with redbull in hand) to the akaka campaign party to watch and await the election results with my fellow akaka campaign volunteers and staff.  it was a great time and a the best way to watch election results.  i highly recommend it if you every have an opportunity.  i wasn’t near a screen, but i knew the first round of number were good when the whole room broke out in claps and cheers.  a 12 point lead!  fantastic!

by then, the long day had begun to wear on me and i was quickly losing steam, but pushed on to enjoy the company of those i had worked with for the last few month and waited for the second round of numbers: more claps and cheers!  it wasn’t much later that our opponent conceded the race, but i missed most of his concession, as i was on my way home by that point.

all in all quite a good day.  the election isn’t over and there is still work to do, but i am already beginning to feel a sense saddness.  i’ve spent so much time and energy on this for what seems like so many months, with so many great people, when its over it will be somewhat of a let down.  it’ll be nice its finally over and we will have definitely accomplished something good, but it will be kinda sad, too.

April 1, 1989 – September 24, 2006.

she was a happy, loving, playful dog whom i loved very much.  she lived a good, long life and i will miss her very much.