By John A. Ananich II for Kandit News
Alright, folks, let’s take a stroll back to the days when growing up Gen X on Guam meant surviving on tough love, questionable safety practices, and pure, unfiltered ingenuity. If you were born between 1965 and 1980, congratulations—you survived a childhood that could probably be a Netflix series titled “We Didn’t Die, But We Should’ve.”
We were the generation that grew up barefoot, got yelled at by strangers, and learned life lessons the hard way. And guess what? It made us the strongest, funniest, and most resourceful people you’ll ever meet. But don’t just take my word for it—let me show you.
Before Google Maps, There Was the Mango Tree
You want directions? Let me take you back to when GPS meant “Guam People’s System.” Directions were something like, “Turn left at the mango tree, then right after the pothole that looks like Jesus.” The problem? Every damn mango tree looked the same, and that pothole had five cousins scattered around the island.
And village pride? Oh, that was a thing. If you were from Yigo, you didn’t just roll into Dededo thinking you could take over the basketball court. — I wish you would! That court was like sacred ground. You had to earn your spot—usually by playing your heart out or bribing someone with Spam kelaguin.
Even within villages, territorial disputes got heated. Who owned the coconut trees? Whose fishing spot was that? And if you were dumb enough to climb someone else’s tree, you better run faster than Nanå’s slipper, because once that zori flew, there was no escape. Their aim and accuracy was better than laser scope precision.
DIY Fun: The Original “Life Hack”
We didn’t have TikTok. We were TikTok before it existed. Fun was whatever we could make it. Trash bags? Those became sails during typhoons. Skateboards? We didn’t just ride them—we held onto the backs of cars or trolleys for speed boosts, which is probably why half of us have bad knees today.
Movie night? Oh, that was an adventure. First, you had to convince someone to give you gas money. Then, you smuggled in snacks like a pro because paying theater prices wasn’t an option. And if the power went out mid-movie, you didn’t throw a tantrum—you just sat there in the dark talking smack about who jinxed it. Or lit up a cigarette and waited. Yes smoking was allowed in theaters back then.
And Liberation Parades? Let me tell you, no amusement park in the world compares to the thrill of being 13 years old and running barefoot through the crowd with all the free Winston and Salem cigarette packs you caught from the Smokin’ Wheels float. If you didn’t lose a slipper or fight someone from another village, did you even go?
Built Tougher Than Typhoons
Let me say this loud and clear: Gen X kids didn’t get babied. If you fell, you got up. If you cried, someone would say, “Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.” And if you dared talk back? Oh, you were lucky if all you got was the look from Nanå and the quick slap from uncle Joe.
Typhoons were a regular part of life. No generators, no fancy storm-proof windows. We had duct tape, plywood, and faith. After the storm, we didn’t wait for help. We grabbed machetes, cleared roads, and patched roofs with whatever we could find. And when the power stayed out for weeks? We lit candles, played cards, and somehow turned every night into story time—mostly ghost stories that made it impossible to sleep.
Chores were a rite of passage. Whether it was sweeping the yard with a coconut broom, feeding the pigs, or scrubbing laundry by hand, there was no negotiating your way out of it. And if you tried, you got “the talk.” You know the one: “When I was your age, I walked 10 miles, back and forth – up hill- both ways, to get to school, and always in the rain…”.
Modernization: The Comedy of Change
When Guam started to modernize, we had questions. Microwaves? Half the family thought they’d explode. And the other half still thinks it causes cancer. Internet? That dial-up sound was more reliable than your cousin’s stories. And while we were downloading 1 song on the internet, for 3 hours, if someone picked up the phone line— it was war! Our cars? Most of them needed push-starts, and every ride felt like a gamble—will we make it, or will we break down?
Cable TV? Life-changing. Wrestling on Saturdays, MTV, and reruns of shows you didn’t understand but laughed at anyway. TV remote controls, yeah! That was our younger cousins. Our TVs had huge knobs let alone remote controls. What the hell was that!?!
Even fashion got weird. Suddenly, ripped jeans were cool— but not because we thought it was. MTV told us it was. Hair became sculptures of revelation. And the higher you could tease it the better. Eyeliner was no longer used by only females. Nope!
We Learned to Survive and Thrive
We didn’t grow up with much, but we made it work. Money was tight, so soda bottles turned into spare cash, leftover fiesta food fed the whole neighborhood, and broken toys became new inventions. We stretched every resource and made every dollar count.
And that mindset is still with us. While others wait for solutions, Gen Xers are out here asking:
• Why import produce when we can grow it?
• Why is Guam spending so much when we have untapped local resources?
• And seriously, why are the traffic lights still this bad?
We’re not just asking questions; we’re finding solutions—because that’s what we do.
Family Was, Is, and Always Will Be Everything
Back then, family meant something. Dinner wasn’t eaten in front of a screen. It was shared at a table where everyone talked, argued, and laughed together. Every family had its characters:
• The uncle who swore he could fix anything but always made it worse. The same uncle that single handedly fought off the Japanese— when he was only 8 years old— but doesn’t know that your math-ing is better than his stories.
• The auntie who turned every small argument into a life lesson. While smoking an entire cigarette without it ever leaving her lips.
• And Nanå, who ran the show like a boss while scolding you for not peeling the banana leaves or grating the coconut fast enough.
Family wasn’t perfect, but it was unshakable. And today, when the world and our community feels disconnected, that’s exactly the value we need to bring back.
Here’s the Bottom Line
Gen Xers didn’t just grow up tough—we grew up smart. We survived typhoons, blackouts, and everything in between, and we still believe in the power of family, community, and good old-fashioned hard work.
But here’s the thing: it’s time we start sharing what we know. Gen Xers, we need to educate our communities. And to the younger generation: next time you see one of us, take the time to ask us a question. Then shut the hell up and listen—because the answer might just be the solution you’re looking for.
So here’s to us—the barefoot warriors, the resourceful problem-solvers, and the storytellers of a generation that didn’t just survive but thrived. We are the ones that never saw participation trophies, feel good coaching or face the wall time outs. We had it rough, but we thrived and survived. Got questions? We’ve got answers. You just need to ask.
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John A. Ananich II is a local small businessman and resident of Dededo
John A. Ananich II is a local small businessman and resident of Dededo
