You know that moment when someone moves to a beautiful island, lives there for fifteen years, and suddenly forgets they were once new too?
Yeah. That.
Some people look for opportunities, others just look for excuses.
And some—well, they think the island should be emptied… for them.
“Do you live on this island?”
“Yes, for about fifteen years now.”
“Don’t you miss your homeland?”
“Not at all! I had already lived in several countries before, for shorter or longer periods.”
“What an exciting life!”
“That’s what it means to be European. I go where I want, no one can restrict my freedom of movement.”
“Sounds great! May I ask what you do here?”
“Tourism. Like everyone else.”
“Is it worth it?”
“Ah, it’s a mess. Too much competition. You barely make a living.”
“But the island is still magical, isn’t it?”
“Don’t be fooled. Only the weather’s good. Everything else is unbearable.”
“Why do you say that? It seems wonderful to me.”
“That’s just the illusion. The problem is, there are too many of us now. It’s unlivable. And the best jobs go to the locals.”
“Well, that’s fair, isn’t it? They were born here. They deserve protection.”
“Oh, come on. They’re clueless. Don’t know a thing. It would be better if they just got out of the way.”
“But this is their island!”
“So what? I speak three languages. I’ll do their jobs. No one’s going to miss them.”
“Are you saying it would be fair to send someone who was born here away from the island so that, for example, you could have their job?”
“Absolutely. I put in the effort to learn three foreign languages. They didn’t. Let them go back to the mainland—no education needed there!”
“But that wouldn’t solve the overpopulation issue.”
“Of course not!”
“Do you have a solution for that too?”
“Sure I do. Immigration must be stopped. People moving around aimlessly should be limited.”
“But you just said that’s what you do.”
“That’s different. I work hard. These people now, they’re just adventurers. Well, I say enough! How much longer can people just walk in here like it’s nothing?”
“Funny you mention that. I know an excellent neurosurgeon. He’s planning to move here too.”
“Now that sounds promising. Finally someone who can actually contribute something to the island.”
“You think so?”
“Of course!”
“But you are right about one thing: there really are too many people living here now.”
“Then we should get rid of some freeloader.”
“I was actually thinking of you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, you work in tourism, like nearly everyone else here. If you leave, the world won’t collapse. You speak several languages, you can go wherever you want. He, on the other hand, is a neurosurgeon—hardly just anyone. You said it yourself: finally someone who can truly do something for the island.”