Grenada and Sudoku

Grenada



Peace Corps offered and I accepted a position on the island of Grenada.  Grenada is another great island in need of Peace Corps volunteers.  It is smaller, but more populated than Dominica.  I look forward to catching up with other volunteers and “getting back in the game".

Peace Corps found me another site away from the beach.  I tend to be a site rat and stay  – working and living in the community most of the time.  Not every Peace Corps volunteer follows that option, and I tend to be rather on the far end of the scale.  Because of this I can do better in remote sites than people who need to spend more time with other volunteers or away from site.  Everyone is different.  Still, on a small island nothing it really that remote although bus travel might require more planning and patience than those sites on more heavily traveled roads.

As I’ve said before all sites are difficult and although I actually would like a site near a nice beach if I had a choice.  I also want to go where I’m most needed.  This is a reason I think I got remote sites away from the beach in the Eastern Caribbean two times in a row.


Dominica and Climate Resiliency  


It is in my nature and upbringing to try to go and help where I’m most needed.  Dominica certainly needs a lot of help post-Maria.  I will soon have to put my heart into another community on another island.

I’ve been hearing a lot about the plan for Dominica to become climate resilient.  This is certainly something I am passionate about.  It is a critical task facing the planet.  I started pestering people about climate change since the late 70's.  “Hello, my name is John and I drive an old Prius, use recyclable bags, and prefer refillable water bottles.”  But kids also need to learn to read...

In order to distract myself from some of these thoughts in the short term I’ve started solving Sudoku puzzles again.  I like logic and the challenge of the harder puzzles although I’m not an expert.

I like Sudoku puzzles as a metaphor of life.  At the beginning of a situation there are many possibilities and openings.  As one put pieces into place the solution begins, sometimes slowly, to emerge.  When you make a mistake you have to go back and correct a previous decision.  At some point in the puzzle, even with a lot of blanks remaining, everything becomes clear and you can rapidly solve the problem.

Each new chapter in life is another puzzle.  One step at a time.


Love always,

John

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