Three people walk into a bar . . .
They hadn’t
seen each other in over 25 years. These
three people once all lived together on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.
During their years on the atoll, they became very close as island residents
tend to do. Really, they became
family. These friends all left at
different times and for various reasons, but they stayed in touch through Facebook,
e-mail, and the occasional phone call, although they had had little opportunity
or means to visit in person, so this bar meeting was something they were all
looking forward to very much.
One thing
they had all learned over those 25 years apart is that only other Kwaj folk can
relate to life there, and ALL former Kwajalein residents have a special bond,
set of inside jokes, and immediate list of conversation topics that ONLY those
who have been there for some period of time truly understand. It’s quite fascinating, and I didn’t believe it
myself entirely until moving back to the states.
The other
thing these three people realized after moving back to “the real world” is that
Islanders are the most generous, caring, and laid back people you’ll ever meet,
and it’s extremely hard to adjust to jobs and life in the U.S. after getting
used to the “island way” and style of life.
That said,
our three friends from the atoll closed down the bar with their laughter, old
Kwaj stories, and catching up on their lives now. From one former islander to another, remember
that Kwaj relationships are ones to be treasured forever and living on an
island changes all our lives for the better.
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