John's Next Step

I use the term “you’re invited” frequently. It might need to be explained in this season, and well, just generally explained. Sharing pito with a friend I picked the phrase up during my service in Ghana, West Africa. Wonderful people and culture. My part of Ghana, the upper west portion of the Upper West was a savanna region with one short rainy season. Generally speaking people live happy lives in a marginal region for subsistence farming – hand cultivation and all. The already capricious rainfall is changing with the climate and making life even more uncertain. Obviously, not their fault and they wouldn’t complain about it anyway - “We are managing” is another common saying. Harvesting yams and other food in the dry season. Every little bit helps.  Food will run low before the rains come again. Preparing corn for storage So these people are literally, in the true sense of the word, living on the edge. They have limited resources and any small ...

I strongly believe in the mission, the importance, the value - of the Peace Corps: To promote world peace and friendship. I have and will continue to devote years of my life to support it in a small way – although the pain and separation from family and friends in the states is not such as small thing. People of different cultures are deep down the same, but on the surface there are wonderful differences that can be embraced, enjoyed, and perhaps blended to create a better world for everyone. That is the mission and that is accomplished by integrating into the community. People who know Myers-Briggs personality types can spot me as an INTJ. The I stands for introvert. For me that means that I recharge my batteries by being alone and it takes energy to go out to meet people, to be around a lot of people. I’m a pretty extreme introvert. In a large party I need to get away at times. And so the first couple of weeks at site is difficult for me as I push to meet and greet as...

Theresa in 1980 Volunteering is talked about as a good thing in America. There are different nuanced perspectives in different countries and cultures, even differences in multi-cultural America. Still, around the world volunteering – doing until others, is considered a virtue. A virtue many people don’t practice much. Some might casually help out now and then.  Many never look for the time. Others, in our upside down world, believe that volunteering is a waste of time – nothing personally gained and enabling lazy undeserving people or some other nonsense. I feel sorry for those people, not the lazy undeserving people. I’ve seen a few – but they are not always, not usually, poor. No, I feel sorry for the people who think volunteering is a waste of time, nothing personally gained. Those I’ve known don’t seem to be very happy. After years of volunteering I can assure you it is AMAZING for you as well as helpful to others and the planet. I’m happy doing it. I didn’...

I arrived in Grenada this week and went straight to my house – no homestay. As usual, Peace Corps has placed me about as far away from the beach as possible. I like the beach! I love rivers and waterfalls and understand that one is close, so I’ll try to find it this week. The community is friendly and small. I’ve got a bit of a walk to school so I can greet people along the way. My house My house with the Atlantic in the background I’m in a single family house. Very nice two bedrooms and one bath with a shower. I can get somewhat hot water – warm.  Most of the time, I'll just do the cold shower, the water is not that bad, Visitors, all invited, can turn the heater on... Living room Kitchen Bathroom Guest bedroom My bed, mosquito net on bed is now put up. I also have a washing machine – or what would pass for a washing machine in many Peace Corps sites. A plunger with holes cut in it and a real laundry sink. Basically you let the c...