Page 2 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - March 31, 2021

2 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK MARCH 31, 2021
Savoring The Sweetness Of Life
— Mark Twain
“I’ve had many worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
WLive Long And Prosper
I heard a story years ago from the Zen Buddhist teachings about a man
He grabs hold and then sees it is being gnawed upon by two mice — one black, one white. He finds himself at choice — to be devoured by the tiger or fall to his death on the rocks below.
felt as though we were run- ning from a metaphorical tiger. At the same time, we were facing an uncertain future — barely hanging on by a slender vine. We have experienced the op- posing thoughts of hope and despair.
hile it’s been a rough 12 months that we are hopefully now leaving behind in the rearview mirror, here’s some minor uplifting news.
who has gone for a walk and discovers he is being followed by a ferocious ti- ger. He attempts to get away from it, but as he runs, he finds himself at the edge of a precipice. Below him are jagged rocks and behind him is the tiger. He then notices a slender vine clinging to the side of the precipice, which seems to be his only hope.
As the man wrestles with his fate, he notices a ripe, red berry along the side of the precipice. He plucks it, and as he tastes it, he says, “Ah, what a sweet, juicy berry.”
only leads to emotional bat- tles within ourselves. When we take a breath and live in this precious now moment, we can taste the sweetness of life. Life can be uncertain. These times are uncertain. Life is fragile. Yet, seizing the day and savoring the moment opens us to fully experience this sweet thing we call life.
The Rev. Dr. Peggy Price is a minister, teacher, writer and inspirational speaker. She is currently affiliated with the Center for Spiritual Living on Kaua‘i as minister emeritus. She lives with her husband Don in Kalāheo.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr. Edited by Sharon Linnéa.
The newest U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vital Statistics Report (say that three times fast) indicates that people living in Hawai‘i live longer than people living in any other state in the union. And, one could argue, with quantity of life here comes quality of life.
For some of us, the past many months may have
The compelling, night- marish idea of this story may seem dramatic, but it car- ries an important message. Looking back at the past or trying to predict the future
There is an obvious price one pays for paradise, but it’s nice to know that we’re No. 1. People here have an average life expectancy of 81 years. In comparison, West Virginia ranks at the bottom of the U.S. life expectancy chart at 74 years.
Stay safe, stay well and savor the moment.
For the seniors in the audience, the news is also good. Hawai‘i ranks No. 1 for life expectancy if you’re already 65-plus years old, with a life expectancy of 86. With the economic, geographic and social pitfalls that we experi- ence, a lot of items do work in our favor here, and these are generalities, including lifestyle, air quality, sunshine, flora, pristine coastlines, exercise, local diet choices (with- in reason), quality health care, strong community bonds, empathy, perspective on life and optimism.
While you can quibble about the details of any of these pieces of the longevity puzzle, the realities of poor eat- ing habits, redundant stress, harsh winters, pessimism, tribalism, rampant poverty, and any other proverbial ills you care to throw into the social bouillabaisse are sim- ply not as predominant or applicable here as they are in other states.
A Zen Buddhist teaching about a tiger has showed the author the importance of appreciating the moments in life taking place right now.
CHASING THE LIGHT
with The Rev. Dr. Peggy Price
Like ‘em or not, local government policies make a difference, as do our relative demeanor, attitude, accep- tance levels, respect, culture oeuvre and other intangibles that help to give us this longevity edge. These positive differences do not minimize problem areas that cry for attention nor resolve growing concerns about this state’s future, but we can humbly acknowledge the melting pot of humanity that’s evolved here, along with our differ- ences. It’s what makes Hawai‘i unique, and possibly a worthwhile petri dish that other locales might study in a quest to improve the quality (and length) of life in their states. East meets West meets Polynesia has proven to be a successful formula, with flaws, for those who care to make this isolated archipelago their home.
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 11
RATING: GOLD
Think about it ...
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com