My New Willys - 1954

4 years......fast.....

Well, today is my four year anniversary on St. John. I don't even know how i feel about that. I graduated college, said thanks to dad for four years of out of state tuition, drove across the country with Tom, and hopped on a plane with a one way ticket, no job, and no where to live. Its not as dramatic as it sounds, i had visited here before and had just enough knowledge to convince people i knew what i was doing and enough faith to know i was heading where i was supposed to. I'm not even sure how i got to where i am. Thats not true, i do know, but it had nothing to do with me.

People constantly ask what it is like here......the honest answer is, its weird. I'm serious, this place is just weird. The island, Maho where i work and live, its all just weird. Can i describe that? No, I cannot.

I've taught school, crewed a boat, and I manage a hotel. I've said goodbye to lots of best friends. That sounds sad, and it is. But....every time you lose one, you have to find a new one, and that works out i guess. It's different every time, but its good. Do we keep in touch? Nope. Is it good to talk to them on those rare occasions? Yes.

People say they would give up anything to live here. If you do live here, you'll give up more than you think. You hand someone a whole bunch of normal when you arrive, and they give you back a pile of weird.

I do love this place, and i hope that it loves me. I just can't believe i've been here for 4 years.

An incomplete list of those i have met because of my life here: tim L, matt, josh, mary laurel, tyler, megan, jamie v, jamie z, scoot, steph, ad, cici, kels, lucy, pastor, ardath, allison L, adam, amy, chutney, doug, john ryan, bearded matt, matt ice, kyric, liz, greg, mariel, ginger, dan, capt larry, tim, scott, sheree, logan, kent, robin, maggie, carson, sam, kerrin, frank, jeanie, luke, weston, grace, nikki, shaiman, isaac, tristan, tiareh, coulter, rachel, joie, nicole, ruth, jordan, jennifer, sara, noah, jonah, bryan, katie, asher, gabe, liam, marty, stephan, chris, trevor, kendall, oli, zach, princess, joey, regina, leif, paul, cyrille, parrish, ted, slade, alan, tina, nicholas, ronnie, glen, don, seth, melissa, alley, sarah, tyler, rachel, brew, tim, sylvie, herman, .....................

run

In Forrest Gump, he (Forrest, Forrest Gump) is running. After he runs for a few years, this guy starts running beside him and telling him how he knows that Forrest has it all figured out and how it has opened his eyes. Next thing you know everyone is following him.....their all being enlightened by this guy who hasn't even said a word, he's just running. The only thing he really says is "it happens" and "have a nice day" and some guys make money off of bumper stickers and a t-shirt. Man, people follow some dumb stuff.

Justice served, but not on a fancy platter of good defence.

Well, few things learned about court in the VI.
1. must wear closed toed shoes. Cannot wear flipflops and they will no accept "but we in de islands mon" as an appropriate argument to do so. Luckily for me, Ronnie's Pizza below the court room had a pair i could borrow.
2. Wear a jacket. Judges wear the black robe because its freezing, not because it is slimming.
3. (this is where we get into my ticket) If you have been wrongly accused of a parking violation (I say wrongly because if you are guilty, pay the ticket....i spend too much time driving around cruz bay looking for spots while you left your car in the 30 minute parking for 5 hours) then the best thing to do is to show up. I showed up. The parking ticket lady did not. She was probably just running late since it is abundantly clear that her watch does not work (thats why i got a ticket i didn't deserve). I sent an email exactly 20 minutes before the time that the ticket says i arrived in the parking spot. If you know where Maho is in relation to Cruz Bay, you know that is quite a feat. I brought that email with me as evidence for my complete innocence in the matter. Not only did she not show up, she did not turn in the ticket. They had no record of it existing. They asked for my copy, which i provided, then said "dismissed". They then looked at me awkwardly because i had not left the podium. I wasn't ready to leave. This was my day off of work, I was wrongly accused, i wanted my moment of justice. Instead, it got dismissed on ineptitude. I find it ironic because ineptitude is what put me there in the first place. Its a good thing this place has beaches.

Injustice

I am not much into public outcry over the workings of government, whether it be local or federal. Sure i have opinions and occasionally let them be known, but very rarely am I passionate about it. For me, where i am, there are more important things to study and meditate on than partisan politics and the workings of local governments. While i know that politics are important and will greatly effect my life regardless of how much effort i put into knowing the issues, i know that most everything is too complex to figure out without putting many hours into studying and loud people like Hannity and Bill Maher only skim the surface.

I generally shrug things off like an unfair government endorsed fuel surcharge for the ferries (even though fuel is now at its lowest point in a very long time and has been for months). Yes, it is now unecessary and should cease, but i'm not getting upset about it. Municipal services are a joke here, but that is just part of it and i can take it with a grain of salt. Sure the local police were given $100,000 to fight drinking and driving, but do not have a breathalizer and think that the legal limit is, "You know, i'm not to sure....but i think its around .5 or so." Its more of a funny story than something to get upset about.

But today i came face to face with injustice, and i cannot and will not remain silent. I don't confront strangers. I really only argue with friends and most of that is just to rile them up over something that i really don't care about. Today i was victimized by an agent of the government, and i feel that the system here has allowed it. I confronted my accuser but to no avail. "See you in court" i said. I try and make it a point to never react since it usually never involves thought of any kind, just a reflex of self. Because of this i generally let things go. But today the situation was very clear. I was right, I had done no wrong. I made sure that I was being a good citizen, yet I became a victim. I will go to court and fight this since it is my right as a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the US Virgin Islands. I anticipate one of two outcomes.

The first is that I will be forced to prove my innocence, which will be hard. I have no real alibi other than those i passed in the street who know me. I have a record for where i was after 10:35am, but between 9:43am and then, i have nothing but my word and a hitchhiker who didn't seem like the fight the establishment kinda guy, or the kinda guy to wear a watch. Sure i waved to a few people, but will that be enough to convince the court? I hope that the courts will see my side and trust my honesty. That they will see the small amount of evidence i can present and rule in my favor.

The second possible outcome is that the whole thing is dismissed without much of a fight. If so, error is admitted, but probably because they know it is an issue, that I am not the first and will not be the last person so heinously accused of wrongdoing by this government official. If an issue is known about but not addressed, then in world we live in it is tolerated which is accepted which is condoned. I fear that this outcome will greatly upset me and should offend any other residents of St. John. This outcome could be bad for my health. I have never had high blood pressure, but I want Ripley's there just in case.

I will present my case here, on this blog first to let the good people everywhere know that i am innocent, that my good name will be cleared. I have until March 6th at 9:30am to compile the evidence, rehearse my opening statement, and then at that time in the confines of the justice system I will confront my accuser for a second time and expose the utter failings of the system.

Today I parked in a 30 minute parking spot at 10:32am. I arrived back at 10:54am to find a parking ticket. The ticket says I parked at 10:05am and it was written at 10:53am. This agression will not stand.

jet crash

A statement of the husband/father of the family killed when the fighter jet crashed into a neighborhood in California.

"I believe my wife and two babies and mother-in-law are in heaven with God," Yoon said at a news conference afterward. "Nobody expected such a horrible thing to happen, especially right here, our house."

Yoon said he bore no ill will toward the Marine Corps pilot who ejected safely before the jet plunged into the neighborhood two miles west of the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. "I pray for him not to suffer for this action," Yoon said. "I know he's one of our treasures for our country."

Butterflies

There is a guy here this week i recognize from last year around this time. He is a really nice guy to talk to, but he does seem kind of odd at first, bed head and all. He can be seen on boardwalks sitting there, waiting for something. He has a really nice camera which tells you this is something he really cares about and does often. Most people probably walk by him and think its kind of odd but go about their day just like i did the first few times.

I remember the first time i stopped to ask what he was taking pictures of and how it was going. He opened right up about the butterflies. He had been sitting there for quite some time and I asked if he had taken any good photos, but he replied "Not really". He said it can take a really long time, but that when he gets a good one its so worth it. From where we are standing, behind him is Whistling Key with the turquoise waters surrounding it. Most are in awe of that view, and fill their cameras with dozens of the same photo. Not him, he's got his back to it. Something tells me he may not have even been to the water yet. He loves the butterflies, and that is why he is here.

We are intended to take care of this world. God created this guy to love and watch over his butterflies. Others were created to take care of sea turtles or horses or dogs and cats. Some will care for plants. We were each created to care and look over something. If we all did our part in caring for creation and each other the way we were intended to, seems we wouldn't have the problems we have. Starvation? Pollution? War?

Sometimes its easy to look at something, like a butterfly, and admire its beauty for only a fleeting moment. What would be the point of creating something that most would pay little attention to? But that's what makes this world so amazing, that nothing was made plain. Everything is intricate and beautiful in its own way, and there is always someone there to appreciate it.

This guy is lucky. He may seem odd to most, but he has something to be passionate about and many would struggle to name their passion as fast as he could, i know i can't.