One thing that I think Hawai’i is unique for is its campaigning style. No, not the coffee hours or beef stew dinners, but the campaign sign waving. Volunteers lined up on sidewalks of prime intersections exuberantly waving and flashing shaka’s to drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders and passengers.
Election season and campaigning were a huge part of my childhood. I first tagged along with my Papa into a voting booth when I was about five years old, and would beg to stay up late to watch the election results. I grew up near the McCully bridge and my sisters, brother and cousins would volunteer to hold campaign signs and wave for any politician — we were raised to make our own decisions with respect to candidates, so as children we found more joy in flashing a shaka than mudslinging. In fact, we even participated in sign waving during a vacation on Kauai to offer our support and well we considered it fun!
Those were good memories and am proud to have introduced the tradition to Chelsea (Jayden and Maiyah were home with Tutu, it’s not that they’re too young to enjoy the experience, but they’re too quick to be darting about on a busy sidewalk.
There were more than 50 supporters in the intersection of Moanalua Road and Kaonohi Street for nearly an hour waving and shaka-ing in exchange for honking horns and shaka-right-back-at-ya’s on behalf of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. My father, a proud Papa let Mayor Mufi know that Chelsea was the newly elected Vice President of the Student Council.
If you’ve ever participated you know that it takes endurance to keep a sincere smile and energetic waving despite being the in the hot sun. I have an appreciation for anyone participating in sign waving, even if we disagree with issues you’ll receive a big shaka from me!
