Living here in Denver, and being from Guam, I sometimes wonder what I'm doing living so far away from the ocean. I also don't get a chance to see many other people from Guam either. I do have a couple of friends here, Joey and Susie, with Joey being from Guam. I only met them recently so it's been fun getting together with them and talking about "back home."
Several months ago I met John, another guy from Guam when I was driving down Evans Ave., here in Denver. I was driving to a small group session I was giving that night and saw the Guam stickers on his car, so I followed him for several miles trying to get his attention. He told me later he was wondering why I kept honking at him! LOL
I finally was able to get his attention when I was going to turn and he was still going straight down the road (probably trying to get away from me). I was wearing a t-shirt that said something about Guam on it, and so we talked for a minute and parted ways when the light turned. He was able to find me through my website, http://www.anthonyquinata.com., and called me.
Well, Friday he left me a message on my phone saying that there was a Guam Liberation party (celebrating Guam's liberation from the Japanese by America) today. I can't tell you how excited I was! I didn't know there was enough Guamanians here in Denver to even have one!
Anyway I went, met a lot of people; ate a lot of good food, and some new people I'm sure will become friends. Reconnecting with them helped me to reconnect with, and appreciate, not only my culture, but myself.
It also reminded me that my work is not about "dead people," but about reminding people to live their lives for today, and the next. I know that I needed that reminder myself.
By the way, in case you're wondering, yes, I'm still moving my things!
