Grab Those Slippahs….Happy National Flip Flop Day!
By Mirah W. (mwelday)
Oh, flip flop. Looking back, I didn’t embrace you as early as I should have. The truth is I had a ‘thing’ about showing my toes. I’m weird; I don’t really have another justification. But all that changed when I lived in the Land of Aloha. In Hawaii you just have to wear flip flops, or ‘slippahs’ as the locals call them. Flip flops should be the state shoe of Hawaii, if there is such a thing as a state shoe. Everyone wears them and I grew to love them. Now I have an aversion to wearing ‘real shoes’. I’d much rather be sportin’ some flops. In fact, I’ve lost count at how many pairs now occupy my closet. This is one of the rare times when I disagree with Stacy from the show ‘What Not to Wear’. I saw an episode where she said flip flops weren’t appropriate for every day. Obviously, she’s never lived in Hawaii.
So, all this love for the flip flop got me thinking. For National Flip Flop Day, I’m going to take a brief look at books about the land that inspired me to embrace my beloved non-shoe.
One of my favorite Hawaiian authors is Kiana Davenport. Her book House of Many Gods is incredible. Her descriptions of Hawaii make the islands another character in the book, as real and vibrant as a person. Davenport’s Shark Dialogues follows Pono and the lives of her granddaughters. So many things about this novel are authentic…the way the characters speak, the family dynamics, the history of Hawaii. Reading this book is a trek through time of the place I now refer to as The Home of my Heart.
Alan Brennert’s Moloka’i is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read about Hawaii. I picked the book because my husband and I had just moved to Honolulu
and I wanted to learn about the history of Hawaii. I suggested it to my book club and it turned out to be one of the few books every member of our group enjoyed. The novel follows the life of Rachel and the turbulent period during Hawaii’s history when they sent all afflicted with leprosy to the island of Moloka’i. It was a touching and spiritual read for me. I think Brennert captured the enduring spirit of Hawaiians in his book.
When I think of Hawaii, I think of pineapples, haupia pudding, reading at the beach early in the morning, myna birds, palm trees, rainbows and, of course, slippahs. I remember sitting at the North Shore and watching the surfers master massive waves. I remember the excitement of seeing my first double rainbow vibrant over Ford Island. I remember driving past the USS Arizona Memorial and thinking how surreal it felt to live in a place with such history. I remember the feeling of freedom and light-heartedness that came with embracing the Aloha spirit. I remember wearing flip flops on a warm summer (or winter) day and feeling the trade winds blow.
So on National Flip Flop Day I will wear my slippahs and do my best to share the Aloha spirit with everyone I meet. I hope you’ll put on your flip flops and join me!
As soon as spring hits, I pull out my flip flops. And then I wear them until my toes are about to freeze off in late fall. I hate when I have to put real shoes back on. Yay for flip flops!!
Missy,
When we left Hawaii we moved to northern Japan…in January! I refused to put on real shoes until we landed in Misawa….I thought it best not to try walking through 4 ft of snow in my flip flops! lol
Indeed, Yay for flip flops!
-Mirah
Ugh, I hate having things between my toes so I don’t wear flip flops. So I’m going to cheat with sandals. : )
Mahalo nui loa!!! Well written sistah!!!!
Issa,
I accept sandals as a part of the flip flop family! 🙂
Micki,
Aloha! Mahalo for the compliment!