The WOW for MMM

I was checking in to a Northwest flight to Detroit via Tokyo almost two weeks ago when one of the folks at the airport spotted my t-shirt and immediately inquired whether this was the week we were supposed to wear our Mariana Trench Marine Historic Monument orange garb. I was wearing my bright colored t-shirt with Mariana Trench Monument emblazoned on the front, and an image of deep gully underneath. The same image is at the back with the line: the deepest darkest place on earth.

The sense of awesome yet foreboding mystery might be an expected response to the intriguing phrase. Among friends and associates, on and off island, I just refer to the place as Mariana Marine Monument (MMM) and focus on its ecological character. Wear Orange Week (WOW) comes as a nice touch, especially since there has been many claims that “locals” are opposed to the monument.

This was not my experience. A Chamorro colleague who I worked with on issues confronting the special abilities community took one look at my orange attire, and pointedly asked: Are you for that? Wary that I might alienate my dear friend, I immediately thought the question required an answer of integrity, so I boldly said: YES!

“So am I,” he beamed. So did two local ladies who checked me in at the airport terminal. They were so proud to say that they will be wearing their shirts during Wear Orange Week.

At the terminal waiting lounge, a fellow passenger, a former Navy officer, also noticed the t-shirt and immediately engaged me in conversation. Used to nuclear-powered carriers, he wondered out loud if we could use the deep trench to store and bury nuclear waste. Before I could protest, he immediately followed his query with: Nah! We decided that shooting the waste out to outer space is probably safer for the environment.

The thumps-up I got from many passengers aboard the plane on both the Tokyo and Detroit legs were heartening. I did not realize how well-known the project is. When I alighted in Detroit and had cleared immigration and about to get out of customs, the last officer looked at me and said: “You are from Saipan. I know about the Marine Monument, and I hope, it gets declared.” This was a Scandinavian-looking man who one would least expect to be up to date with international news.

I’ve been washing my shirt every night ever since and proudly wearing it in Dallas. The number of students at my alma mater, Southern Methodist University, who recognized the monument was astounding. And I thought SMU was simply a jock and sorority fun campus!

I write this from the DFW lounge on my way back to Saipan. I am landing with an orange attire. I hope to see a few observing WOW, as well.