beyond the barracks

Hello Hello! It's me again, 6 months since my last entry. And no, I wasn't busy or anything, I was simply just living life without a single ounce of care or worry. I know it's unlike me, but I felt that since I was turning the big 3 0, I should live, love and laugh and really just do the things that I should have thought of doing when in my early 20's.

There is absolutely no reason for me writing this entry. It's a rainy Saturday afternoon and I'm in my room and just thinking about the most random things, one of which was a question that one of my neighbors asked me via Facebook Messenger this morning - literally 5 minutes after I woke up - and the question was,

"David, why don't you hang out with the people in the neighborhood?"

I am not going to lie, that question really caught me off guard, also, who asks serious questions like that at 7:15am on a beautiful Saturday morning? Right? So there I was, woken up in haste by some question that shouldn't have bothered me but did. I tried to gather my thoughts and make sure that my answer was short but meaningful, so I replied with 8 words, "Because there is also life beyond the barracks".

I wasn't too sure how my answer to the question was going to be received but that was my honest answer with a hint of 'the audacity of this person!' in it.

You see, what most of my new followers and readers don't know is that I am a born-and-raised Raiwaqa kid. The barracks and housing area in Raiwaqa - arguably the most densely populated neighborhood in the Suva area - has been my home since birth. My mum moved here with her family when she was a teenager and my brother, who is now in his early 40's, was born and raised here too. So perhaps my reply wasn't so 'snobbish' or 'va fancy-ish' if it was coming from a third generation Raiwaqa kid because my paranoia got me thinking!

But here is the thing. I have been around here for a very long time to know that a lot of people who live in the barracks usually feel too comfortable of being from the barracks that they see life differently and through a different set of eyes. And I don't blame them really. Growing up in places like Raiwaqa, or any housing area for that matter, is different. It's where I learnt how to speak fluent iTaukei, it's a place that's kept my feet on the ground even though my line of work is on the other end of the spectrum and it's allowed me to create a family with neighbors who I've known for the 30 years of my existence.

There is life beyond the barracks, there is no doubt about that. And when I say that, I mean that there are other places and people and activities that we can do beyond the zebra-crossing at the Hot Bread Kitchen and the zebra-crossing at Cheep Lee. But the questions really is, "what path am I taking?". To be limiting our vision within the two zebra-crossings isn't it. I believe that there is so much potential in places like R and I think that there is only one major issue within the barracks, and that is "opportunity". The opportunity to access decent paid jobs and the opportunity to education to even the opportunity to live beyond the zebra-crossings.

This is why I will forever be grateful for those who I've known and grew up with in the Raiwaqa area who are doing amazing things for themselves and our community and setting a great example to our fellow RRA kidos behind the scenes. These are people like Sharon Lui and Brandon Gibbons who were raised in the barracks, just like me, and now have their own business and still live in R. These are people like Jed Taylor, who is making waves in Fashion and the Arts and still live in R. These are hardworking mothers who hustle for the coin like Regina, my dear neighbor who just got married - congratulations!. These are activists in the forefront of gender equality like Miki Wali to those like the talented Seci Burese who was in Fashion and now in the private sector. These are young idols who, and they may not be told this, are setting an example for the future Raiwaqa generation who wish to live life beyond the barracks. I guess, if anything, my only takeaway from today's lesson would be to stay focused on your goals and know that wherever you are from, your goals are still achievable. With a lot of mentorship and support from my family and friends I've managed to somehow infuse life within the barracks with life beyond the barracks and I don't think nothing will ever change that for me. And I see the same with those amazing people who I've just mentioned earlier, they're here, chasing their dreams and still living their best R life!

Now that that's off my chest, I shall bid thee farewell as I go get ready for a birthday party that's in 2 hours. Do leave a comment if you feel like, I'd love to hear from you all. Have a safe and blessed weekend. xx

D