Day 2, Pride of America: August 14, 2011 – Kahului, Maui

The ship docked in Kahului, Maui. Once we are in port and the gangway has been secured, we are free to leave the board on Deck 3, Midship. Please carry a valid photo ID and your guest key card when going ashore.

All passengers are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security and safety awareness when departing the vessel. So, the security level is high and we appreciate it. By the way, talking about people who have been serving us by amount of 900 for us, more than 2000, it is fair to mention that their job was excellent, starting with the captain’s crew, hotel, food department, entertainment team and finishing with the security one. Every one and each person working on board, carries the pride of America, exactly as the vessel is called, the only ship is sailing to Hawaii under the American flag. See the photo of mine and the vessel above.

The working people perform with dignity, following the spirit of camaraderie in a good sense, with smile and good attitude to the guests. Salyut to the Pride of America! Hold up!

We left our sincere feedbacks about it to the “Dear John” box, our Hotel Director’s.

Compared to the Jade’s crew, this one is more open, makes us at ease, friendly and smart talking, joking around: one completely forgets about every day troubles when they were around us.

However, back in my mind stayed one life story which troubled me…

Day 2. PACIFIC SERENETY: Peace of Mind is that Mental Condition in Which You Have Accepted the Worst. (About Cruise Journey Around the Hawaiian Islands)

Once I was told a sad story about one of my friends back in Russia, Galina Pikalova, who had a mild stage of Alzheimer disease, that she disappeared from her home and nobody could find her for almost three years.

She was 60. Just after the celebration of her Birthday she visited the doctor’s office having been  accompanied by her husband. He left her alone for a second for getting the prescription at the secretary’s, which he forgot to pick up when the couple was together. He returned on the street, Galina was not there. He thought that she could be at home by herself. He rushed home, she was not there, either. He started worrying where she might be. Children joined upset Dad. There were organized police searches and voluntary people’s detachment to look for a missing person. Announcements by radio and local television were made, on each visible bus stop post there were put notes about missing lady Galina Pikalova with the description of her appearance and how she was dressed. Poor little thing, my friend, she was clad in summer clothes, sandals on her bare feet!  The last time she was seen somewhere near the city forest. And that’s it. No traces of Galina were anywhere left. She disappeared from the surface of the earth as though she never existed in this world. Scary! What a disaster for the family and friends.

She was a wonderful person, always ready to come to help other people, always thinking about other people’s needs, putting away her own necessities. “People’s” person, in such words one can characterize her personality. Now she is missing, what a pity. I could not sleep the whole night after digesting that nasty news. My mind began working with a great force. As far as I recollected her she always was dreaming to build up her own family, to have a husband and children, live a happy family life. At that time her parents died, and her married sister lived separately from her and did not visit her very often. She felt abandoned and desperately wanted to have her own family. So it happened that she got married in her late years and could succeed in profession as a French-German teacher, and start a new family. For some while I lost a track of her destiny. And now, all of a sudden, that good person disappeared. My mind did not desire to obey to accept the worst about her: she is dead. I called to my friends inquiring about her. Nobody knew anything. Silence! Silence!

Pacific serenity was working its way. When the mind is peaceful, inner energies wake up and work miracles for us-without any conscious effort on our part.

Listen and watch video: Michail Shifutinsky, When the Soul Hurts

Immediately I understood that Galina, a loveable woman, was deprived of love. Because the use of love is to heal. When it flows without effort from the depth of the self, love creates health. Healthy people live neither in the past, nor in the future. They live in the present, in the now, which gives the now a flash of eternity because no shadows fall across it.

“Galina disappeared by her own will”, struck to my mind. “She was disappointed in love, happiness, children: husband drunk as a skunk, adult children were rude and inattentive to her.

When life is full, it is only love, and our awareness is full, it brings only love. Every impulse of intelligence in our awareness starts its journey from the source of life as love. Your mind gives you control, the ability to have any reaction you want.

“Where are you, Galina? Respond!” This is a rhyme for you:

“May to-day there be peace within you, Galina,

May you trust that you are exactly where

You are meant to be, Galina,

I believe that friends are purest angels,

Who lift us to our feet when  our wings,

Have trouble remembering how to fly.”

Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but piece amid the storm.

Galina, my friend, you’ve joined us in Pacific Serenity, have you? Let’s enjoy cruising together as it was in our old days.

Watch our photo expose :”Kahului, Maui, 2011″

Listen to the Hawaiian song: “Aloha Oe”