Aloha on a busy
street corner

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Traffic was backed up as usual along Punchbowl yesterday, as I made my way to the newsroom at Restaurant Row. Stopping for a red light at the corner of Punchbowl and King Streets, I glanced around at the all the people driving and walking in that busy area, faces tight with thoughts of a Monday morning as they strode purposefully toward their offices. My gaze wandered, then came to the orange-red "stop" hand on the nearby walk signal.

A flash of yellow caught my eye. Someone had stuck a hibiscus in the metal mesh cover of the signal, so it looked like the "don't walk" hand was holding the flower. It fluttered in the breeze, a brightly colored reminder of all Hawaii's gifts.

--Nancy Christenson McNamee

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