Rusty Saber: Maui offer pleasure, beauty for temporary residents

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.

After a month of reruns, this Rusty Saber is live assuming the ravages of jet-lag have moderated enough to keep me from falling asleep in mid-sentence. Yes, my annual month on Maui is over.

This is the only time I will write about Maui. I do so because so many readers ask why my wife and I go the same place every year, instead of visiting new places and seeing new things. We have done that; we have visited many places, and we prefer to return to Maui. Long ago we discovered a delightful place to stay where several friends, including some from Springfield, gather at the same time each year.

We have stopped thinking of ourselves as tourists; we are temporary residents. Tourists tour, residents reside. How to spot a tourist: A tourist will rent a fancy convertible costing more than twice the rental fee of the aging compact cars preferred by temporary residents.

Unlike temporary residents, tourists may buy gaudy aloha shirts and/or dresses they wouldn't think of wearing on the mainland. Tourists often refer to the mainland as the USA, seemingly forgetting that Hawaii is a state.

Some think that packing for a month is a real headache. Not so. My on-airplane wardrobe consists of a pair of blue jeans, a sweat shirt, light jacket and comfortable walking shoes.

In the event of a cool, rainy day on the island, the sweat shirt and jacket are useful; otherwise they hang in the closet. The shoes, along with a pair of clogs, meet my footwear needs. Since Hawaii considers a winter storm warning to be rain with daytime temperatures plunging into the low 70s, a few T-shirts and shorts fill the bill. My formal attire consists of a pair of long pants, the walking shoes and an aloha shirt, one I am happy to wear at home.

To better understand my attraction to Maui, it may help to know that I am extremely fascinated by attractive scenery.

Don't misunderstand me; I love the colorful landscape of the Ozarks except in the bleak and barren winter. Since I also have a low tolerance for snow and cold, I am more than pleased to be absent when the snow falls and the temperature flirts with zero. However, I wouldn't want to miss out on spring or autumn in these beautiful Ozarks.

Maui is saturated with elegant and sensational images.

There is, of course, the Pacific Ocean reflecting the atmosphere of the sky. Diverse shades of blues and greens are harbingers of a clear sky above. Likewise, the same ocean scene is painted in shades of gray as clouds hover overhead, bringing rain, which in turn creates magnificent rainbows.

The beauty isn't limited to the ocean. Floral radiance and breathtaking mountain sights are all around. The mountains are a glorious result of old giant volcanoes spewing lava up out of the ocean depths. Thousands of unforgettable sea floral and mountain vistas are on hand, guaranteed to leave even hardcore left-brainers in a state of awe.

I can think of no better way for my wife and I to spend a winter morning than sipping coffee on the lanai, watching a whale as big as a battleship leap out of the water and return with the agility of a ballet dancer. Or seeing a sea turtle the size of a Volkswagen swimming along the top of the water in search of breakfast.

A reward for the visitor is discovering the validity of Maui's claim to be one of the world's leading art centers. Among the endless souvenir shops are world-class works of art to be enjoyed and purchased if you like. It was an unexpected pleasure, indeed.

I look forward to returning to Maui next year. Meanwhile, I anxiously await the coming of the lush colors of spring and autumn in the Ozarks, sights to take my breath away.