Maila Gibson

What's Up

I'm earning major Hawaiian Miles this month...love it!! I'm on Kauai right now. This is my 4th time here this month and I still have 2 more trips to go. Beginning in June, Ben and I will be performing here every week. I'm so blessed to be able to come here. It's such a special place. My mom lives here as well as some of my extended family. It's great to come here and spend some quality time with them. Not to mention, I sleep so well here! The only thing is, sometimes that's all I want to do.

Aside from our normal Sheraton Poipu gig throughout the week, I came home for Mother's Day and I'm here again because I did a DARE appearance yesterday. I love singing for kids. I was honored to be among Darrel Labrado, Jake Shimabukuro, Miss Hawaii 2002 (Kehaulani Christian), my sister (Kanoe), Sean Withy-Allen and Gary (don't know his last name, but he's a DB for UH), Greg Gabaylo (the world's greatest juggler), Jordan Segundo, and Kaitlin (the amazing 12 year old Hawaii girl from Star Search). Jake was such an inspiration to me. I really got to see why he's so successful. It's obvious that he's so over himself. What I mean is, he knows it aint about him. I watched him like a hawk and tried to soak up some of his gifting and I'm not talking about his ukulele playing. He had every fifth grader in the audience in the palm of his hand. You could hear a pin drop when he spoke. He was so sincere, completely down to earth and didn't do what most performers do-make the kids scream and yell to the point where they don't even know what they're yelling for. He spoke from his heart about music, about his life, and best of all, the reasons to stay off drugs. His performance was awesome. It amazes me what he's able to do with the ukulele, but I was even more impressed with the way all of those kids hung on every word he said. I guarantee some of those kids walked away certain that they would never do drugs.

That's the kind of entertainer I long to be. Sure, I want to be a great singer and improve my craft everyday. But it's even more rewarding to be able to change lives for the better...make people more. That kind of goes along with the theme of my CD: More. Even in my prayer time, I constantly ask that God make me more instead of giving me more. In my relationships, I wish to make other people more. Pastor Wayne says it best, "It's not about finding the right person, but being the right person." The person you're with should make you more and vice versa.

Getting back to my travels on Kauai, I'm here throughout the week at the Sheraton Poipu with Ben Vegas. One of my Kauai friends is renewing her wedding vows on Saturday so we're entertaining for that. Next week, one of my childhood friends from Missouri is coming to Kauai, so I'll be back to spend some time with her. I've been friends with her since we were 5. I'm so blessed to be able to say that. It reminds me of the movie "Beaches." Not many people are fortunate enough to have good friends for that long. God has blessed me with so many wonderful people.

I'm also trying desperately to stay on my diet. I'm on a very rigid eating and workout plan. I'm not psycho or anything about losing weight. I'm just challenging myself to be in the best shape of my life. I'm trying very hard to be the best I can be in every area, especially before my CD comes out.