Pele cleansed Puna
of ‘wrongdoing’
It’s a beautiful day in Hawaii.
My home resides in Puna, which is where I have grown up my entire life. However, I look around and it doesn’t have the same atmosphere as it once did as when I was a child.
I look around and for miles, and all I see is ‘a‘a (volcanic rock). The reason for this devastating reality is that of the outcome from an eruption that happened back in 2018.
The goddess Pele decided it was time for the people of Puna to be cleansed of their wrongdoing, and she gave Puna a fresh start again. No longer could the volcano goddess sit back and watch her beautiful land be torn apart from the drug users and the foreigners taking over her land.
This I believe is the reason the eruption started. She shot her lava out of Kilauea and went on a righteous path, headed toward Puna, for she could no longer stand what was becoming of her beautiful Hawaii.
Since the eruption, people have lost their whole communities and houses, even their way of life. Moreover, now the people of Hawaii have experienced what she’s capable of first hand and no longer take her beauty for granted.
We as a community, as the people of Puna, need to establish what it means to live in Puna once more and adapt to this change that she gave us, for it’s not too often we get a fresh start, and the great goddess Pele gave us exactly that.
Now, with this fresh slate, we can rebuild the way it should’ve been from the start — a way that is respectful to honor our land and Hawaiian traditions, not take them for granted.
I leave you with this thought: Next time anyone thinks of desecrating our land, you better think twice, because Pele is always watching your actions.
So, lead a life on the righteous path — the path that honors our land and way of life, not one that brings shame and destruction.
Otis Emch Jr.
Puna
Lupton’s singing
will be missed
Like many people on the Big Island, I was saddened to learn of Greg Lupton’s passing last month. The article about his life was heartening to read regarding his advocacy work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.
One key part of his life was not mentioned in the article. Greg was a musician who touched many lives.
He hosted “PINK: It’s a Show” at the Hilo Town Tavern, a monthly entertainment presented to full-capacity crowds. He sang with Hilo Community Chorus. He sang with Puna Men’s Chorus, and arranged songs.
Greg’s tenor voice and his positive approach to life will be missed by audiences and fellow musicians alike. We in the Hilo Community Chorus will miss him.
Michael Steele
Pahoa
