Oahu, Hawaii

One of my favorite and equally disappointing episodic shows is LOST. The creepy unfolding of mystery, time and space had me hooked…. Until it seemingly lost it’s way and imploded under the weight of it’s own structure. Besides the wild ride, it offered the often referenced scene of Jack pleading with Kate that they have to go back to the island. (I’m not even going to try to explain it.) 

As I write this in Sioux Falls, SD on a -10 degree, snow blanketed morning I realized Jack’s plea wasn’t just for dramatic effect but something more earnest. Having visited Oahu right after Christmas I now also understand that I too have to go back. 

When I was a kid, Magnum P.I. Was on the television… a lot.

Growing up in Michigan I always found it fascinating that this character, solving crimes in Hawaii was also a Detroit Tigers fan. (His fandom, denoted by his ball cap.) I often wear a Tigers hat which begs the question from people I meet, “you’re a Tigers fan?”  I am, but for a while I’d answer the question with, “Nah…I’m just a huge Magnum P.I. Fan.” This response was, and still often is, met with blank stares.

Regardless, when visiting Oahu, I wanted to find the house they used in the show for Magnum’s residence. I learned that after some legal battles over who actually owned the house it was bulldozed and no longer exists. 

Magnum makes a collect call… to your mom.

When I express that I think I could live in a place like Hawaii, the response is typically, “wouldn’t you miss the seasons?” No. No I wouldn’t. That question does hint at something more interesting though. Who am I if I’m not in the environment that has shaped who I am and how I see the world? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to find out.  

All photographs captured with LeicaM240