For Joel and Jon

For Joel and Jon.
I'm finally answering the question, why do I like Hawai`i! Ye-Ah!

Okay, I like Hawai`i. I have for years. I like Oklahoma, too. For longer than I've like Hawai`i (a place I've never been). But there's something about Hawai`i that draws me to it, and someday, I hope to at least visit for a while.

Climate is a big deal. The weather is relatively stable (unless a monsoon or something is coming), and at right about the ideal temperature for me. I like to be warm, I don't like to be cold. I like to be comfortable in shorts indoors, but often am not thanks to overworked air conditioners. I also like sleeveless shirts because they're so comfortable, but again, often need a jacket indoors due to air conditioners. So, I think I'd really like the weather.

Location is handy because it's still one of the 50 states, so I wouldn't exactly need a passport.

And because it's one of the 50 states (my home country), yet so different from the rest of them, I'm interested in it. The peoples who have come through and settled there, the mixture of cultures, the mix of languages. These are things I think would be fun and worthwhile to learn about. Plus I love the way Hawaiian sounds and repeats, and yes, I like hula.

The ocean is alluring, and Hawai`i is there. It is special to me because it is a grand assortment of things I like. Many times people have told me that I wouldn't really enjoy certain things that I thought I would like. When I got the chance to find out, more often than not, they were wrong.

I like Hawai`i and I haven't even stepped foot on an ocean beach. I like Hawai`i and I've never smelled gulf water. I like Hawai`i and I've never even been on an airborne plane.
I like Hawai`i, and someday I'd like to visit.