KOKUA: The Spirit of Kindness #AlohaFriday




Double Orange Hibiscus

Any time you ride TheBus in Honolulu, you'll hear the announcement: "Please kokua, continue to move to the rear of the bus so others can board." We don't have a Hotline in Hawaii, it's a Kokua line for help, assistance, and support. Kokua is a Hawaiian word meaning the spirit of kindness, a desire to help others without expectation of anything in return.

When I worked as a Security Dispatcher for the state's largest shopping mall, much of my day was spent taking phone calls from people requesting help. If a store lost their electricity, I would ask Maintenance to help restore their power. When someone's child disappeared - always into a toy store! - I dispatched a Security Officer to kokua, help find the child.  Shoplifter? Request HPD (no, the Honolulu Police Department isn't officially called Hawaii 5-0).

While I enjoyed that particular job for 12 years, I also spent my spare time writing, with a goal of one day publishing novels. Now I have much more time to write, and have less opportunity to help others. But I'll always remember the satisfaction of offering kokua whenever possible, and the urge to help others will always remain with me.