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Pono Shim’s opening remarks to 2009 State Senate
January 22, 2009 by admin
Filed under Life Lessons
Pono Shim, son of well known island visionary Alvin Shim delivered a stirring address at the opening session of the 2009 State Senate. Encouraging the Senators with a theme of “ho’omana” (perseverance) he told them that this could be the greatest legislative session of all time. He shared with the Senators that the address was based on Aloha, Kupuna, and Mana. We share with you a shared legacy that can only be summed up in his name “pono”.
Pono’s Address to Senate
“Aloha and greetings to all of you, the theme of this Ho’omau address is Aloha, Kupuna, and Mana. Allow me to preface this address with: I believe this will be the greatest legislative session that Hawaii has ever seen and that decisions that will be made during this time will have world wide ramifications.
Ho’omau: persistence, perseverance
It was the year 1970, a Governor’s conference. Where would we find ourselves, Hawaii, in the year 2000? The emotions were high and hearts were heavy. The Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Hawaiian Injustices, angst on our College Campuses, A kupuna walks on stage in a red mu’u mu’u and begins to address the crowd. Her name is Pilahi Paki and if you’d like a chicken skin moment go to lifeintheseislands.com and listen to her full rendition of the meaning of “ALOHA”
Prior to her passing in 1985 Auntie Pilahi shared a prophetic word with my dad. She said that she had been speaking to the spirit kupuna and learned that in the 21st century mankind would reach a significant crossroads, a choice of life or death and “Hawaiians have the power to save world culture”.
It is why my father wrote and got a law passed calling for our leaders to live ALOHA, for this is the time and we are the ones they’ve been waiting for!
A few months ago a friend was going to California to visit our children in School and I asked him to take some poi and kalua pig to my daughter. So late one night as my wife slept, I prepared to ku’i. I wiped down my board with water and began to pule, inviting Ke Akua to join me and blessing this time to make food. I invited my dad and my grandparents, my aumakua-my angels, my aunts and uncles, my kupuna and I began to ku’i. With every movement of my hands I prayed that this food would bless Chantele. That it would help her to know that we love her and that she is special, that I would be the father that she needs me to be, that she would realize her gifts and her kuleana, that she would be safe and healthy. That she would find her purpose and remember Akahai, Lokahi, Olu olu, Ha’a ha’a, and Ahonui. I could have gone out and bought a bag of poi but it wouldn’t have had the dreams, hopes, and kuleana of me and my kupuna in it. It wouldn’t have had our mana. For at that moment it was the very reason for our entire combined existence.
In preparation for this address I was advised to go to someplace special and wait for the message and so on Sunday I ventured out at 6:30 am to Kaena Point. It was perfect, the park was closed, so I would go in alone. When I got to Kaena I sat down and began to call our kupuna. I called Ke Akua and Jesus, Buddha, the prophet Muhammad, Lao Tse, Ghandi, Father Damien, Mother Marriane Cope, Kahu Akaka, Sue Wesselkemper, Jack Burns, Martin Luther King, Jack and Bobby Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Pauahi, Jack Hall, Charles Kendall, Harry Weinberg, Blackie Fujikawa, Mary Moon, Nelson Doi, Yukio Naito, Tadao Beppu, Jomo Holt, Epi Yadao, Bob Oshiro, Bob Nakasone, Mayor Baptiste, Larry Kuriyama, Auntie Nona, Auntie Healani Doane, Auntie Pilahi, Nana Veary, Tutu Pukui Auntie Edith, James Bacon, Kamehameha Nui, Hewahewa, Kekuhaupio, Naeole, Liliu, Kuhio, Lunalilo, Queen Emma, Kaiulani, Brudda Iz, Kui Lee, Don Ho, Gabby, Lisa Matsumoto, Alana Dung, Cyrus Belt, Charles Kenn, Bill Heen, Duke Kahanamoku, Eddie Aikau, George Helm, Auntie Gladys, Monsignor Kekumano, Papa Lyman, Papa Auwae, Paki, Baba Muktananda, Tanouye Roshi, Tutu Pele, Patsy Mink, Hiram Fong, Spark Matsunaga, Tommy Trask, John Bellinger, Mau Piailug, David Lyman, Iolani Luahine, George Holokai, Sun Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi, my grandparents, and my dad.
And I screamed “help, we need your help”.
There was a clear one voice, one mind, one heart: “Quit putting money and power before people. Take care of each other. The paradigm has shifted and everything has gone back to zero. Create the new paradigm. The answers are in ALOHA.”
Last night as others celebrated the inauguration some friends and I united and I called the same kupuna to join us and we put all of our hopes, dreams, kuleana, mana, and ALOHA in this for all of you!
Ku Pa’a, E puka aku me kau mau makana!
Stand tall, emerge with your gifts!”
Pono Shim
January 21, 2009
Pono e Pono!
Beautifully spoken. We all should heed the advice of our Kupuna, Aumakua and Akua. Pono Shim is a good example of how to live “pono” and in harmony with the land and the people of this land. Lets spread Aloha worldwide through our individual acts of Aloha to our family, friends and friends soon to be. Mahalo for this.