Saipan, I love you

Dear Saipan: Please make it stop. On behalf of myself and my brothers and sisters who are out here in Hawaii and scattered throughout the world, we ask that you take it easy on us.

We only leave the island just so we can go and better ourselves to come back and better you. I know, I know it’s not your fault but I just cannot take this anymore. I am tired of fighting and hearing people complain and reading the newspaper! I read headlines that worry me that other people in most of my classes don’t really worry about normally. I come on Facebook and see people complaining about it. I call back home and hear people complain more. I know that this is such a bad time right now, which is why I’m taking my time to write this piece out, but we are all honestly am trying to bear with it.

If we were all back home right now, I’m sure we’d be able to do something, but we’re not. It makes us all feel helpless…. and I’m sorry. I have other appointments, classes, papers, work, and everything else to focus on. What am I to do? People are talking about speaking out but I am so tired of speaking out and not being heard. I just ask that you take it easy on me for three semesters because I just want to get through all this. I want to graduate and I want to get on with school.

Can you please just unburden all of us poor college students just this once? I don’t mean to sound like a spoiled brat and I don’t mean to sound unpatriotic but Saipan, please. Just think of us students out here who would give anything to go back home and swim out at Obyan or Wing Beach and sip on HI-C and eat all the red rice and barbecue… We want to go home. but no one is giving us the incentive to do it! Give us a reason to come back home (sigh).

I just want to be able to read something nice in the Saipan Tribune and Marianas Variety for a change. I want to be able to ease my mind and when I want to explain about how things work in Saipan to my friends (or class) here, I don’t want to be thinking “how do I go about this without mentioning politics?” I want to be able to think about the beaches, food, and family when I think about home not budget cuts and how our economy is dwindling.

It’s so sad and depressing. Anyway, just try to tone it down this time… Its midterms and I have to study. But I know one thing… I’ll never abandon the likes of you. Even when times get rough and people are being thrown in and out of office… I’ll always stand by you ’cause you are the only home I’ve ever known.  So with that, just give me some weeks to recover. I know it will seem like I’m not going to be here supporting my other brothers and sisters who are willing to speak out and stand up for what we believe in or like and comment everyone’s angry statuses but please be aware that I’m still with you in heart and mind. You will always be on my mind.

Oceana Pia Aldan
Honolulu, Hawaii