• ‘Not even once’ • 2 different beliefs • Thank you for Being There ‘Not even once’ Last night some light was shed on a dark subject — crystal meth addiction on Kaua‘i. My 13-year-old and I went to see
• ‘Not even once’ • 2 different beliefs • Thank you for Being There
‘Not even once’
Last night some light was shed on a dark subject — crystal meth addiction on Kaua‘i.
My 13-year-old and I went to see a free play presented in Puhi at a small warehouse called KAPA Theatre. The audience was full and maybe a bit uneasy when eight young people from high schools around the island, who call themselves “Pono Players,” bounced onto the stage with energy, decked out in T-shirts, black jeans and Converse shoes.
For the next 30 minutes or so my son and I were thrown into a life of a teen football star, parties, school, dating and his growing meth addition. But it wasn’t just about him. The play called “Ripples” was written and performed by these teens in conjunction with Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre, Hawai‘i Meth Project and other organizations.
“Ripples” is about the effects of meth (ice) on not just the addict, but the family and friends around them. It could be anyone’s story. In fact, the story is based on actual meth addiction stories. It was both poignant and entertaining.
After the 30 minutes were up, these young people opened the floor to questions. And after a short nervous silence, the questions started to flow. How many people are addicted? Can you recover? Where can you get help? What does it look like? How much of it is in our schools? How much does it cost? How can you recognize an addict? Where can addicts get help?
These were just some of the many questions that followed the show. The teen actors, who studied and were educated on the subject by experts in the field, answered each question openly and honestly. We learned Hawai‘i ranks fifth in the nation in meth addiction — far from an honor.
We also learned that so far three schools on the island have presented this show to their students — Kapa‘a High School, Waimea High School and Island School. After the show was over, my son and I had an open discussion on this drug. It’s not the first time we have talked about it and it won’t be the last.
If you have not seen this show, it is being presented one last time this school year on Monday, May 24, at 7 p.m. in Puhi. I urge all parents and caregivers of teens or pre-teens to go see this show, talk to their kids, and then write to their school’s principals and get this teen troupe to come out and perform.
In my opinion, not just high school, but middle school students need to see this play in the entire state. If you want a seat at the next Monday’s free show call 651-3509 and visit www.hawaiichildrenstheatre.com for more information. We walked out with a free DVD and other information on the subject along with a wristband saying “NOT EVEN ONCE” and my son agreed.
This troupe is truly a light on a dark subject. They will need the community’s support to keep getting this important message out and let’s hope they are able to add other key issues in the future.
Lisa Pollak, Wailua
2 different beliefs
In response to Eduardo Valenciana’s “One god” letter of May 17:
Unfortunately, Mr. Valenciana, you are truly mistaken. The God of the Christian faith is not the God of Islamic faith and thus the reason it was not mentioned and not a “fact.”
They are indeed two different Gods with two very different messages and not the same deity as you suggested. It is also a mistake to separate the Triune God of Christianity and say that “God the Father” is apart from or different from God the Son, Jesus, or different from God the Holy Spirit.
To followers of Islam, Jesus is simply a noteworthy prophet of God. To Christians, Jesus Christ is God, both our Lord and Savior. This is the foundation and central part of the Christian faith.
The message of the cross and the teachings of Jesus are quite different than the revelations Mohammed received and the teachings of the Koran, which are at the center of the Islamic faith.
To take the position you took, and to speak as a Christian, you would have to equate Jesus as the same as Allah, and I don’t think Muslims would agree with you. Or if you spoke as a Muslim, you would have to equate Allah with Jesus and I don’t think the Christians would agree with you. Simply put, two different Gods, two very different beliefs.
Pastor Tom Iannucci, ‘Ele‘ele
Thank you for Being There
I would like to thank Pam Woolway for her blazingly honest column “Being There.”
I have totally enjoyed reading about her adventures and mis-adventures with friends, family, and life.
I don’t know her personally, but I can relate to many of the stories of dysfunction, stress, sorrow and also about the amazing joy of life.
Thank you, Pam, for Being There and for sharing your life with us.
Denice Sheffer, Kalaheo
