|
Aloha
Aloha: Hawaiian word meaning hello or goodbye; the spirit of love, affection, or kindness.
While working in Hanapepe, Hawaii, with Kauai Habitat for Humanity, I learned many things—how to frame a house, build walls, set drywall, and other construction skills. More importantly, I got a lesson in aloha and a reminder of why I joined AmeriCorps*NCCC.
On the first day of work, my team jumped right in by cutting wood and pounding nails. It had been about a year since I had held a hammer, and I was a little rusty. Just as I was about to scream because the nail I was working on would not go in or out, an older man approached and pointed to the impossible-to-work nail. "It won't budge," I said. He smiled with warm eyes, took his hammer in hand, and—with some difficulty—removed the impossible nail. That is how I met John.
John was a Habitat homeowner who spoke Hawaiian fluently, but not English. The Ianguage barrier was never a problem with us; it was broken by our common goal-to build houses for those who needed them.
One day we were working on John's house and had to make a trip to the dump to get rid of some excess materials. We arrived at the dumpsite, and I realized that we were going to have to wait our turn because there were five cars in front of us. Instead of just sitting and waiting, however, John got out of the truck and began helping the people in the first car unload their trash He motioned for some of us to join him, and two of us hopped out of the van. How nice, I thought. Plus, this would speed things up so that we could get back and put the floor on his house.
We helped every car ahead of us unload its trash, and when it was our turn, we unloaded and began to gather our things to leave. John hopped in his truck, pulled out of the dump, and pulled his car to the side of the road. He returned to the dump and, with a smile and without being asked, he helped the remaining people unload their trash.
I stood there in awe. It was then that I was reminded that we are often so focused on our own personal goals that we forget to look around and extend a helping hand to others. What struck me most is that John didn't think twice about it. He helped men and women, young and old, do a very unglamorous job. He didn't know any of the people that he helped, and he could easily have just gone back to get more work done on his house. Instead, he took the extra ten minutes to help his neighbors.
Day after day, I discovered that John was always right there to help with his hammer, encouragement, or a warm smile and a hello. That is why I joined AmeriCorps*NCCC: I wanted to give my "ten minutes"—or ten months—without being asked. It may seem insignificant, but often it is the little things in life, just as much as the big things, that make the difference. I had learned the true meaning of aloha. |
Forms
