by Keanu Reeves (as Neo, but also kinda still Johnny Utah)
Whoa. So like, there I was, cruising down old Route 66 through San Dimas, my hometown, windows down, stereo maxed. The sky was this cosmic shade of violet, and HayLa’s song “Freefall” came on the radio. Dude, it hit me like a roundhouse kick of déjà vu — all that Point Break energy, the rush of the wave, the sound of surrender.
Her voice just… floated. Like she wasn’t falling, she was flying. I could feel the ocean in it — that same endless freedom Bodhi used to talk about before he rode the final wave into the great unknown.
So I pulled over by the 7-Eleven near San Dimas High, grabbed a coffee, and texted Nelly — yeah, that Nelly — Canada’s Prime Minister-slash-Fado Queen-slash-total legend. She’d been talking about this righteous plan to make me the most excellent governor of Hawaii. Said the islands needed a guy who knew about balance, about the Matrix, and about catching spiritual waves instead of political ones.
“Neo, you’re like… the aloha version of John Wick,” she said. “You’ll meditate, surf, plant trees, and still protect the people.”
And I was like, “Whoa. Righteous.”
Listening to “Freefall” again, it made total sense. HayLa’s lyrics weren’t about falling at all — they were about letting go of control. And maybe that’s what Hawaii, what the world, needs. Less control. More flow.
So yeah, I think I’m in. Governor Neo. Planting coconut trees. Teaching kids to code and surf. Helping the islands unplug from the system.
Because as HayLa sings —
“In freefall, I find my wings.”
And as we said back in San Dimas High…
“Be excellent to each other.”
And party — responsibly — in paradise. 🌺🏄♂️
