On Tuesday, August 8, we were traveling to Las Vegas to visit our son and grandsons. We took the red-eye, and when we met up with them for breakfast on Wednesday, our son asked if we heard about the fire in Lahaina. “It’s really bad,” he said. “People were jumping in the ocean to get away from the flames.” It was difficult to believe. The TV was on in the restaurant, and we watched in disbelief. These past few days have been difficult as the number of fatalities keep rising and the photos and videos show a town that has been devastated and destroyed. In an island community like ours, people are all connected, and it’s hard not to know someone who has been impacted by the fire.
I remember the trips we took to Lahaina to watch the boys play tennis years ago. I remember the trip Randy and I took back in 2006, walking through the town and seeing the iconic banyan tree . I remember our trip to Maui in 2017 and our walk through historic Lahaina town (read my blog here). Most of the landmarks I recall are now gone.
We were discussing this tragic occurrence with our grandsons. What caused it? Could it have been prevented? How has climate change impacted our world, and how can we prevent another Lahaina fire, not just here in Hawai`i, but in other parts of the world? I recall visiting Maui a few months ago and seeing so much land that is now vacant once the sugar and pineapple companies left the island. What other ways can we use that agricultural land? We are the most isolated land mass on Earth, and we need to learn from this tragedy as Lahaina is rebuilt.
I recall the students at our school making a difference for others - 3rd graders doing chores around their home and collecting funds for the Red Cross after Hurricane Sandy; 3rd and 5th graders collecting items for homeless shelters; 1st graders spearheading a school-wide school supplies drive for students at a school in Houston after Hurricanes Harvey. These are just a few of the projects our students were involved in to show empathy for others who had or were experiencing major challenges in their life.
That’s what school could be. Let’s work together to make school relevant in this changing world.