When I started driving back in ‘93 I recall paying about a buck nineteen for a gallon of gas. A few bucks could take me a long way and I never really worried about having enough money to fill my tank. Living on a small island, two to three dollars of fuel could actually last me a couple of days depending on my driving habits and I never concerned myself with speed, tire pressure, or distances. All that has changed over the past year.

Earlier this evening I was reading the local newspaper online and noticed that the price at the pump rose another $0.12. We are now paying $4.31 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel and about $4.44 for premium. Even with this rise in cost, it amazes me when I see people driving V8 vehicles and speeding in excess of sixty miles an hour. I guess some folks are still in denial and don’t realize that we are already in a recession.

The price of gas is just the beginning of our problems. The costs of food and imports on island have gone up exponentially over the past few months and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit. Guam being a small island in the Pacific depends almost solely on imports to support its population. Without these imports, I don’t know how many people will make it here.

There have been many other indirect effects because of the rise in fuel cost as well. The most prominent so far is the rise in crime, poverty, and unemployment. I’ve always thought Guam would be exempt from all the troubles the world was facing because of how isolated we are from everyone else. I guess it was ignorance. Actually, I’m sure it was ignorance. I am ignorant no longer. The effects of this war has traveled the globe even to my tiny home called Guam. Its time to wake up and face reality. It hurts doesn’t it?

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