Making do on Maui
“You can’t always get what you want.” When the Rolling Stones released that song in 1969, folks on Maui could relate. From cabinet hinges to heart surgeons, the island’s small population had limited choices. Much of the state’s inventory was held on Oahu, meaning Maui residents often had to order the items they wanted. Many also had to fly to Honolulu or the Mainland for medical care.
We know someone who built one of the first homes in Maui Meadows in the early 1970s. Half-acre house lots could be purchased for around $16,000 in those days. Two memories stand out. One is driving the brand-new ribbons of asphalt that wound through actual meadows. Without homes and landscaping, the new neighborhood offered sweeping views of the ocean and mountain. The second is how much effort and waiting it took to get all the building materials for that modest home. The cabinet hardware took something like six months to reach the island.
That was life on Maui in those days. You made do with what was available or you did without. Patience was an art form. There was a lot of improvising and working together to get jobs done. Community has always been a great equalizer on this island.
As the decades passed, Maui saw its economy and population boom. Big box stores moved in and suddenly we were spoiled by choice. A push was made to expand health care options. Following a battle cry of, “people shouldn’t have to fly to Oahu to see their doctor or have surgery,” specialists were recruited to open practices here.
You can’t always get what you want? Why not? We were living the American Dream, the one that promises better opportunities for every succeeding generation. Study hard, work hard, save your pennies and you will go further than your parents.
The plantations faded away, but our main economic driver, tourism, is still pumping away on all cylinders. From what we hear, rooms, dinner reservations and activities are almost impossible to book this week.
And yet, we had to fly to Oahu for a doctor’s appointment this month. Looking to buy a washer, dryer or other major appliance at one of the big boxes? It will probably need to be ordered, with a wait time of up to two months. How about a home? You better have cash, and lots of it. Even workers are in short supply, perhaps because so many have moved away to escape Maui’s high cost of living.
By many basic societal metrics, this island has gone backwards. Did we peak? Is this the downward slide, or a supply chain hangover induced by the pandemic? Time will tell.
Old-time locals were good at making do. How will tourists and off-island real estate investors fare under similar circumstances? What if they suddenly can’t get what they want?