The Power of Poi

I have always been interested in taro. Ever since reading and hearing ancient Hawaiian stories of the creation of man and his connection to the kalo it's really kind of fascinated me. I will not claim to know these stories fully or even understand them, but the huge amount of emphasis put on it alone raises taro up above the mere status of food. At the very least it makes me reevaluate what food actually is. I think the modern concept of food is rather simple - it is what we eat. Anything and everything is food, from organic vegetables to preserved mass-produced chemically infused TV dinners. Taro and the food that comes from it goes beyond all of that. From it comes strength, life, ability; without it, it can be argued, that the Hawaiian civilization would have existed entirely differently, and probably with less success. When considering this the importance of taro begins to make more sense (to some haole boy from Texas at least).

For all of these reasons I could not believe it when Daniel walked in and said he had the real kine, the illegal kine. Illegal and poi in the same sentence? What? This is Hawaii for god's sake; how could something so historically significant, so rooted in tradition be outlawed? I just didn't (and still don't) understand.

Still, this doesn't stop Daniel, and for that I respect him greatly. I feel like in life everyone has to find their own way, their own balance, their own focus. Without this passionate focus there is simply to much to handle; I can not fight every battle, but I can dedicate myself to one with so much commitment and passion that I am unstoppable. This is what Daniel has done with Poi. While this may not be my focus I admire that he has found, and committed himself to, his. This I feel is the greatest battle that one can fight, the battle for justice, ending oppression of that which you believe in. This may come at great cost to yourself and others, however what is more worth it than that which you stand behind.