Despite another gorgeous day, I skipped center stage for the shaded comfort of my spot on the path. Two days in a row in the sun was enough. On my way I stopped to chat with Meta, whom I haven\u2019t seen in weeks. She\u2019d been away, visiting her kids, of whom there are at least six. While we gloried in how beautiful a summer it\u2019s been so far, Meta confessed to exhaustion. \u201cTo be honest,\u201d she said, \u201cI wish it would rain already.\u201d<\/p>\n
A park worker was hooking up the sprinklers by my spot. Together, we adjusted the arc of water so I, or my dancers, wouldn\u2019t get wet. Unfortunately, the sprinkler ended up in a patch of myrtle on a hillside, and, with each sweep, inched downward, ever closer. I moved to the other side of the path and was able to play my complete set, dry as toast, before the water reached my feet.<\/p>\n
Two couples made their way past me toward the boathouse. \u201cHave you got time for a hula today?\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the women stopped while the others walked on. \u201cCan you play the Hukilau?\u201d she asked. Can I! \u201cLet\u2019s make it quick,\u201d she added. \u201cMy husband\u2019s in a hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a single verse, she handed back the lei and hurried toward her husband and friends. Hula walk-aways do have their uses, however, because a group of picnickers, seeing the dance, got the right idea. A young blond man in a yarmulke, came running, with 3 of his buddies behind. \u201cI love the ukulele,\u201d he said, reaching for a lei. Soon the four of them were dancing up a storm. \u201cBrilliant,\u201d they repeated to each other. \u201cBrilliant.\u201d When they thanked me and returned to their group, my case was still empty. It looked like another walkaway, but the young man soon returned with a fiver. He was with a Jewish youth group from London and had totally fallen in love with New York.<\/p>\n
A young woman walked by and dropped a dollar, followed by a little boy who dug into his pocket and pulled out 8 pennies. A little later, a Chinese woman pointed her camera at me for the length of \u201cI Saw Stars.\u201d At the end of the song I invited her to hula, but she couldn\u2019t, she told me, as this was a live broadcast to China. \u201cWould you like to say something to the Chinese people?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish you all health, happiness, and a lifetime of aloha. Now everyone get up and hula.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHula? What is hula?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe native dance of Hawaii.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd aloe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAloha, a word for hello, good-bye, and universal good-feeling among all people.\u201d The woman started to translate, then moved on, as if we\u2019d gone to commercial break.<\/p>\n
A little boy of 3 or 4 eagerly put on a lei. I launched into \u201cThe Hukilau Song,\u201d but he stood, feet planted on the ground, stiff and straight. Only his hands moved. This hula consisted of flapping wrists and nothing else. His parents were delighted and gave me $3.<\/p>\n
With the sprinkler almost on me, I closed up shop with $15.08 in my pocket. The last 3 days have been off the charts. To be honest, I wish it would never rain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"