As the Island Turns
I thought the title "As the Island Turns" would be appropriate for my blog, being that there is hardly a need for television drama shows when it's all happening right here on Kauai. Our little floating mental hospital. It's about the stuff you rarely see or know about when vacationing here.
Welcome to my world!
**grin**
A quick background.
The #1 question visitors always ask residents (well, us haoles anyway) is: "What brought you here?"
I say; "It was an airplane..."
The truth is: I came here on vacation, like most others, ...I loved it ...I knew immediately that this was home ...thus; I flew back to Connecticut, quit my jobs, sold my car, packed a foot-locker, and hopped back on the plane. That was in 1986. 20 years ago.
Nope... I didn't have any plan of action. I was young! I was only 19 at the time and I was immortal - as all teenagers are.
Upon arrival, the hard reality struck: WHERE AM I GOING TO STAY? HOW AM I GOING TO MAKE A LIVING? WHY WONT ANYONE BE MY FRIEND?
I bought a car and lived in that for a period of about 2 months.
It was a miserable 2 months...
Nobody would hire me, and I couldn't find a place to rent until I had a job. Being that Kauai is such a transient place, employers are very reluctant to hire "newbies" to the island. It is too costly to train an employee only to see them run away with their tails between their legs within a couple months. And they sure do... they run, and I got a good taste of why. Because life is NOT easy out here - particularly when one is a "newbie".
The saying is that Kauai will take you in or spit you out. You have to live here quite a long time to see how very true that statement is.
Kauai did not spit me out. It tested me, and it continues to test me. That is what living on Kauai is all about. Passing tests. One after another, and watching your fellow Kauaians being tested.
Ever seen the movie "The Breakfast Club"? That movie summarizes life on Kauai quite well. We are a large variety of people from many different backgrounds, trying to co-exist on a small island.
This is the place where there are no divisions between the rich or the poor, old or young, criminal or angel, the incompetent and the competent. We all must learn how to coexist, or all hell breaks loose.
And sometimes it does.
Welcome to my world!**grin**
A quick background.
The #1 question visitors always ask residents (well, us haoles anyway) is: "What brought you here?"
I say; "It was an airplane..."
The truth is: I came here on vacation, like most others, ...I loved it ...I knew immediately that this was home ...thus; I flew back to Connecticut, quit my jobs, sold my car, packed a foot-locker, and hopped back on the plane. That was in 1986. 20 years ago.
Nope... I didn't have any plan of action. I was young! I was only 19 at the time and I was immortal - as all teenagers are.
Upon arrival, the hard reality struck: WHERE AM I GOING TO STAY? HOW AM I GOING TO MAKE A LIVING? WHY WONT ANYONE BE MY FRIEND?
I bought a car and lived in that for a period of about 2 months.
It was a miserable 2 months...
Nobody would hire me, and I couldn't find a place to rent until I had a job. Being that Kauai is such a transient place, employers are very reluctant to hire "newbies" to the island. It is too costly to train an employee only to see them run away with their tails between their legs within a couple months. And they sure do... they run, and I got a good taste of why. Because life is NOT easy out here - particularly when one is a "newbie".
The saying is that Kauai will take you in or spit you out. You have to live here quite a long time to see how very true that statement is.
Kauai did not spit me out. It tested me, and it continues to test me. That is what living on Kauai is all about. Passing tests. One after another, and watching your fellow Kauaians being tested.
Ever seen the movie "The Breakfast Club"? That movie summarizes life on Kauai quite well. We are a large variety of people from many different backgrounds, trying to co-exist on a small island.
This is the place where there are no divisions between the rich or the poor, old or young, criminal or angel, the incompetent and the competent. We all must learn how to coexist, or all hell breaks loose.
And sometimes it does.
posted by KauaiFinn at 6:20 PM
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