Last night I was bestowed the honor of becoming Kihei’s Son. I accepted (of course). Getting the key to the city was a distinct honor.
Today, we had a parade down to Big Beach and it was amazing! The flower petal trail was too much! At Big Beach, I was informed that part of the ritual was that Kihei’s Son was to be blessed by the ocean and only then could you become a true Hawaiian. I accepted and went into the waters.
I thought the waves looked a bit big. Bigger than I had experienced a few days before. I could see that if I just got out far enough, I could just bob in the big waves and everything would be cool. They crested nearer the beach. But then, all hell broke loose and a 10 foot wave was coming right toward me. I looked at Jaye and pointed and was trying to jump over and through it but…no luck. I was hit smack in the face with the beast. At first I tried to fight it. Then I remembered you were just supposed to ride it out. After being thrashed around like a rag doll for what seemed like minutes, I thought, “I this how it ends? Crowned Kihei’s Son, then swallowed by the ocean like nobody’s business?”
As the ocean became a netti pot and my swim suit filled with sand, all of a sudden, I realized I could stand up and breath again. I didn’t drown!
And there was much rejoicing!
I earned the crown and was offered a fresh coconut to drink from. Wow! What a vacation. That’s me in the center of the photo.
