It Would Have Been Worthwhile

Yesterday evening was magical. That sometimes (often) happens on Little Beach here in Maui. But every time is special.

We arrived yesterday afternoon, an hour and a half late. That is the second time it has happened to us in as many trips. In each case, it was due to "aircraft maintenance" at the San Francisco airport. Apparently, they do checks on planes on Monday morning and - surprise - there are often issues, which cause delays. I really don't know anything about such things, but it does seem like a preventable situation, i.e., the delays caused by foreseeable problems. Next time, Alaskan Air will likely be in our future instead of United.

Once we got going, however, things were very pleasant. We were seated in the first row by the main cabin door, so there was lots of leg room. Plus we got to experience a side of flight attendants that most passengers don't have the opportunity to see due to the fact that their service station was right across the aisle. (I leaned over to Mark at one point and commented that we were seated in the servants' quarters of the first class cabin ahead of us.) They were in a happy mood, laughing, flirting. Result: a complimentary gin and tonic. (I wondered if they thought about the wisdom of that since we were seated in the exit row.)

Mark tore out some sort of ad that featured two peaches and some peach tree leaves, then used his watercolor pens to paint. (Finished project pictured below.) I read and wrote page after page in my journal, some of which will appear in future blog posts.

By the time we arrived, picked up our rental car, did our grocery shopping, drove to our condo, unloaded everything and drove to the beach, it was nearly 5:00. In fact, we climbed down to Little Beach at 5:00 exactly. Somehow, that seemed appropriate.

Some of our friends and acquaintances were there to greet us. Lawrence. Aloe. Patrick and Greg, whom we met three years ago and haven't seen since. It was good to be back and to be there with the man I love.

The light is always amazing on a clear evening as the sun approaches its setting. The water takes on a different color and appears much more vibrant, much more alive. One can almost see and feel the ocean breathing. That, along with the presence of one's beloved and friends, makes this time of the day magical.

Lawrence

About the time I took the above photograph was taken of Allen and Lawrence, I turned to Mark and said, "You know, if we had to turn around and go back tomorrow, the trip would have been worthwhile just to experience what we have this evening." One of the lessons that Maui has taught me over the past few years is to live in the moment. One cannot take sunsets for granted on Little Beach. The experience of each one is special and unique and cannot be compared to another. And that living in the moment is part of what makes Little Beach magical.