The Legend of Sirena of my beloved island of Guam:

     Many years ago there lived a family near the Minando River in Agana.  Sirena was the youngest in the family.  She loved to swim, especcially in the river near her house and would swim at any chance on her way to do errands on her way home.  One day her mother sent her off for some coconut shells to be used as charcoal for the iron.  On her way home, she stopped by the river to swim and stayed there so long that her mother began to call impatiently, but Sirena was having such a good time and would only answer "Coming Mother!" as she swam off.  Sirena's mother grew angry and incensed.  Just then Sirena's godmother came by and heard her cussing "Oh that Sirena will turn into a fish!" Quickly the Godmother called out "leave the part of her that belongs to me!"

     As Sirena was swimming totally unaware of the fate about to befall her, she began to feel a strange sensation on the lower part of her body. When she stopped to look at her body she saw to her horror that from the waist down she had become part fish!  Terrified, she tried to get out of the water but couldn't.  Her mother seeing the transformeation tried to retract the curse she had uttered in anger just moments before, but it was too late and Sirena swam off and disappeared among the waves.

     As she swam out the channel she bid her mother farewell "Mother I am happy in the water for I am Queen of the seas!  If I could change things, I would rather be punished in some other way, but the power of a mother's curse is enduring and all my tears are in vain!  I love you mother, now I must go!  Remember me for this will be the last time we shall ever see each other!"

     With those parting words Sirena disappeared and was never seen again near Guam.  People claim to have seen her swimming amongst the fish of the deep ocean and passangers in passing ships still hear her sing.  It is said that never will she be caught but with a net made of human hair.

     I absolutely loved Guam, it was exactly the thing I needed to heal and deal with my intense hatred for humanity.  I got a chance to reacquaint myself with Mother Nature and the glory of God that created her!  I miss the thousand shades of blue from the beautiful majestic Ocean contrasting the puffy white clouds to the awe inspiring green forest that captures her beauty!  The amazing thing about the incredible beauty of the world is that this beauty was created just for you to enjoy, because you're just as beautiful in God's eyes as well!  I learned that lesson on the special day of October 13, 1982 as the Holy Spirit Of God came to me as I was peering out to the distant side of the Pacific Ocean!  I was in perfect Awe from all the beauty of the World and Nature that God created just for me to enjoy!  I was a Sacred Creature in God's eye's and all the beauty of the outside world reflected on the inner beauty of what I can become!

     The amazing part about this whole experience is that I am not alone in this world for you are just as beautiful as the world that is around you as well!  Just look at each sunrise, the Master's canvas of art from the Sky Above as the Master paints His beautiful portrait in just for you to see and enjoy, The life force that is around you and within you that gives your purpose and reason for being here.  That is what I saw on that faithful Wednesday of 1982!  It brought me to my knees with such joy and happiness that I didn't have to be angry, just thankful for being part of Earth and Nature through God's blessing was all I needed to continue on with my life with the hope that this beauty can inspire you to continue on with your life as well through God's blessing of you!  The Holy Spirit of God came to me on that day and it changed me forever inside of the joy it is to know God as a loving Father!

     I was very blessed during my 1 year stay on Guam, I wasn't exploited, I saw the best in humanity from the local people to the tourists that flooded the island every weekend it was an experience I needed to move on with my life!  Like Sirena from my story I started with, I could imagine how worried my mother was with me, but I never ran from the boogey man, He ran away from me was the only comfort I could give her.  Like the prodigal son in the bible, I struggled in Guam as well, from unexpected storms, to hunger, and being swept away in the ocean in my inflatable boat, to nearly falling off Two Lovers leap that is located in Tumon village bay area of Guam.  Just like the legend I started out with in my story, I became just like Sirena, because every day I was swimming in the Ocean like her and met so many people along the beach as I scoured for food.  What can I say?  I'm not a weak person and not afraid of anyone!  I can take care of mysefl and one day there was a funny story of an authority figure of a man that was ordering me to come to him while I was swimming in the deep ocean and I just smiled and swam away, daring him to come to me and drown if he wanted to talk to me so bad but he didn't.  That was my life in Guam and the saying is true:  Once you go there that island paradise will be your second home as well!

     Before I leave this story and tell you about my return to the United States in my next installment, I feel the need to explain some things about myself.  People thought I had a death wish, and I don't think that was true.  If I really wanted to die I could have easily jumped off that 384 foot cliff from two lovers leap and end it all quickly in the Tumon Village of Guam.  That is why the Guamanian Tourist Bureau renamed "Two Lovers Leap" to "Two Lovers Point".  because several people committed suicide there over the years that was possibly inspired by the legend of a Romeo and Juliet type story that took place many years ago over 2 opposing tribes in the area where the lovers jumped from the cliff to their death so they could be together despite the animosity their families had with one another.  I really shouldn't be alive today, but by the grace of God I am and as long as I'm here I promise to inspire you to live your life to the fullest, help the ones in your life and come home to God whenver you are ready.  Until then just know that you are part of my family regardless of where you are at in your life and that I will be here for you if needed.  Like the legend of Sirena, if you hear a lovely voice in the water singing to you, it might just be me, reminding you how special you are in God's eyes!  Love ya dearly and can't wait to see you soon!