Trim the Fat

Spending time living in a tiny, flat coral atoll on the other side of the world has really given me a new perspective and eliminated old assumptions I used to hold about humanity.  It has allowed both Janae and I to take an outsiders glimpse at a unique culture and gain a new paradigm on the lives we lived back in America.  We have come to the realization that whenever we do return to America we need to “trim the fat” on our lives a bit.  It is refreshing to live in a culture where little or no stress exists.  That is not to say life is easy here in the Marshalls, quite the contrary for many of the Marshallese people, but the outward ease at which daily life is led is so refreshing.  We also continually witness a value on being outdoors and enjoying what nature has to offer, there is almost no time when you will not see Marshallese people enjoying the beautiful weather the Pacific has to offer.  And finally, we have come to fully see the distractions of life in America that even the keenest of American observers do not notice in the States. 

            For many Marshallese life is not "easy."  It is estimated that the unemployment rate is somewhere just north of 50% and the poverty rate is probably higher.  These are estimates since it is quite difficult to gain accurate statistics in such an isolated country and one with a dramatically different culture in which modern western economic statistics often do not apply.  The real tragedy is that of the positives that modern culture has brought to the Marshalls among them is not the eradication of a subsistence lifestyle.  Since the introduction of a cash economy many people, mostly of the lower ri-jerbal class, have been dislocated from society and in a poor country have sadly been left to languish and introduce new problems of suicide, alcoholism and domestic violence into this beautiful nation.  Despite these economic and social catastrophes that have occurred value for the small moments in life and the here and now has not been lost upon the Marshallese.  True, there are monumental problems facing a new generation of Marshallese, but solutions to the aforementioned issues in a "modernizing" Marshall Islands will need to be found amongst the people of the Marshall Islands and not from the outside agencies (IMF, Asian Development Band and the American government) who claim to have the economic solutions for this tiny country.  The true issue here is the disconnection of a people from their land and a new value upon the almighty dollar.  Although this new Marshallese society is based upon the dollar, people are so eager not to lose their Marshallese identity and zest for the little things in life. 

            This zest transforms well into the children of the Marshall Islands.  As I am writing this it is 7:00 am in the morning and there are children beginning to come out to the field and basketball court here at school and begin their task for the day, which is playing.  It is refreshing to see kids out playing so much here in the Marshalls.  I remember back in the States always seeing so many unused or underused playgrounds and fields having been exchanged for the comforts of modern society.  In either a heated or cooled indoor space kids would be utilizing facebook, video games or television, is where too many children of the modern world spend their days.  In the Marshalls older brothers and sisters are to look after the younger ones and all day long the kids PLAY!  While there is a noticeable lack of adult supervision at almost all times which does lead some kids down dangerous roads, the opposite of helicopter worry warts that are prevalent in modern America is also just as damaging.  Kids have to grow up all too early in the Marshalls, but it may beat the generation of Americans who were so sheltered and spoiled that they never grew up. 

            In America it is so easy to just get rid of something that is broken or to waste things.  Water is free and clean, goods are cheap and productive, but that is not the case here in Majuro.  I never really knew how wasteful I was until I came to a place that simply can't afford to waste.  First off, things are really expensive here, so you can't just "go buy a new one." (On average a box of Cherrios costs over $8.00.)  Secondly, there is one tiny garbage dump on an island of just over 3 square miles with more than 20,000 people.  The dump is continually overflowing into the ocean, but there's really no room or to build another one.  The influx of modern goods with all its cans and wrappers and plastics have really done in the beauty of this once pristine corner of the world.  Our two amazing "fix it" men at Coop School, Walton and Manuel, will fix anything.  When we first got here we had a badly broken futon in our apartment and were hoping they could help us dump it.  Instead, they fixed it.  Then it broke again this year and this time they made a major fix that now has it better than new. 

            A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to fly back to Chicago for my best friends wedding and despite the difficulties that jet lag posed flying both ways, it was a fantastic weekend to see so many friends, family and celebrate a magnificent event.  Living in the Marshall Islands and then taking a 3-day break in Chicago really helped me notice the stark contrast in life and culture here in the Marshalls and in modern America.    For the few days that I was home I felt bombarded by advertisements and businesses, two things I am relatively immune to in Majuro.  At home some company was always trying to convince me that I needed their stuff, and I never really noticed how prevalent it was until I was removed from that situation.  Just the way that news reports, sports highlights and mundane commercials were delivered irked me.  I hadn't been inundated with it lately that I was able to see it as an outsider for what it is, polished well-delivered drivel.  It didn't seem like anyone believed or bought what they were selling, but wanted to sell it for some unknown reason.  From the local news having two well made up minorities delivering "sad" news of murder on the south side that they clearly couldn't care less about to Al Michaels's promo for the "War of 1812" that was taking place between Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.  All the glitz and glamour surrounding everything seemed so meaningless and empty it would have been comical if it weren’t so sad. 

            I love the city of Chicago and I have many cherished friends and family there, but what I always notice when I am there is how busy everyone is.  It is difficult to find a simple hour to spend time with some of my closest friends.  That is never the case here in Majuro.  Everyday me and my closest friends make time to check in with each other and see how our days were.  We play basketball, go for runs, play cards, share a meal or a beer and truly spend quality time together in meaningful conversation.  Nothing is rushed and nobody ever says, "I don't have time."  There's always time, nobody is ever in a rush or late.  It is impossible to be late in Majuro.  As much as I am a person who is always on time, I appreciate the laid back and stress free atmosphere that I now live in.  It seems that all too often in modern America people just don't have time for anything... 

            I love the country of my birth and I love the country I currently reside in.  When we go back to America in the future we will take these lessons we have learned.  Living in a 400 sq ft. apartment with no TV and a lousy Internet connection has forced us to spend more time together, to read more book and to be better people.  When we return home we'll have to “trim the fat” of things that just get in the way in America.  The things we now live without aren't a struggle, but in turn make us lead more significant lives.  We know how to get on without cable TV, a car or clean water.  We appreciate more and more the beauty of the world around us and we will spend as much time as possible living in that nature and not in temperature controlled rooms.