More from: "My Time in Service:"
Respect. Give it. Get it. All it takes is being willing to understand that the other guy might have different beliefs. And because of this one incident at a Healing "Heiau" (Pronounced "Hey...Oww") my family was invited to go to dinner with a Local Kahuna. A privilege granted by Hawaiians to special friends.

So we were hiking in Aiea on O'ahu. And we came across the ruins of an Ancient Hawaiian Heiau. They had them for War. For Peace. For Healing. For Refuge. Each was purposely built for a specific God, or situation This one, it turns out, was for Healing.
The Hawaiians believed that these structures focused the "Mana" from their Gods: granting powers and strength to the people.

My kids were only four and five at the time. And they wanted to know if we could go inside, as none of us were tall enough to look over the walls.
I did not know there was a Kahuna (Local Priest) meditating on the other side of the wall. But he overheard what I said to my kids.
"No, I think it is better that we stay outside. For Hawaiians, as far as I know, these things were Churches. Holy places. So let's respect that. Maybe we can find a Hawaiian to tell us what this one was for."
My youngest said:
"Can we take one of the small rocks?"
I laughed. And said:
"No honey. They have a God named Pele, and she made all the rocks in Hawaii. and they don't like it if you take them home."
"Oh, but it is just a rock."
I smiled.
"Not to them, Honey. This is a church. And those are holy stones. What if Hawaiians came to the Mainland and went in a church and thought:
"Oh, that's a nice cross, statue, figurine, or hey, a book...let's take that home as a souvenir. "
My kids laughed.
"Well, that wouldn't be nice."
And then a deep voice came from the other side of the wall;
"No. It would not. And you, children have a very wise Father."
He stood up, well over six feet tall, and more than 300 pounds. But very gentle.
So he took my kids by the hand and walked them through the ruins, as this turned out to be one of those healing Heiaus.
He explained their medicines (which I forget now, but I think it was called Lomi-Lomi- which is also a type of food too.) And how the Hula was used as a medicinal dance too.
We spent a lovely hour with that man. The kids just adored him. He was the biggest man they ever met. Later he would invite us to dinner. And this was at a time when the Locals and us Ha'oles well, relationships were tense. So he had to put up with some pushback from bringing us to his home.
Years later and I would become a bit of a Local Star at the Comedy Clubs- Hawaiian TV -and a regular on the Perry and Price Radio Show. And who showed up my first Night at the Honolulu Comedy Club?
"Yep. That Kahuna, and he filled almost the whole room with his friends.
Respect. It goes a long way. Ma'halo.