SarahJoy and Maria #12

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

ReGeneration

I am writing from one of my favorite places in Puerto Rico... the inside of a hammock. The sun is setting and soon we return to "vida sin luz." Finding our way using flashlights, listening to the now familiar sound of generators humming, and eating dinner by candlelight.

It gets dark early here. it's 6:23 on Wednesday, and when I go inside to do something I'd forgot, the flashlight was handy. We are very lucky. Yuri's next door neighbor runs a generator at night and generously extends a cord over for our use.

Despite the war against tiny terrorists (mosquitos), the battle to save our produce from the jaws of a rat-sized mouse, and our longing for the sound of music... I feel better today than I have in quite a while. I spoke with Bryan on the phone this afternoon and he said "You sound more you." I feel more me.

Maybe one upside to not having music to listen to is that I can't stop singing or thinking about these songs I've started to write. Even though I'm not intentionally writing pieces about the hurricane experience yet, subconsciously some of my lyrics are reflecting on it.

I am very slowly getting back into contact with everyone. I want to say thank you again for the offers of assistance, and as I continue to connect, I will share about the relief efforts where I’m becoming involved.

Speaking of those efforts--Yuri and I spent part of the evening discussing ways the Island could best be helped. The food, the water, the clothes... it's all there and it’s helpful, but what about the lack of communication, electricity, infrastructure?

He mentioned the necessity of refrigeration. Solar powered refrigerators for people out in the country. It is expensive to run generators to keep things cool. The lines for gas in the hardest hit areas are hours long. I tell him I happen to be a part of a group working on this very idea. (More to come about that and how you can help soon!)

We need more people thinking and taking action like John Leguizamo. Providing solar lights through his crowd campaign here: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/team/hurricane-harvey-relief11/lizhamburg

Then, as usual, Yuri talks about the bigger picture. We need revolutionary, outside-of-the-box-minded companies like Tesla, Amazon, and Apple to get involved. What great publicity to be the company that helped the island by providing solar energy on a large scale, or iPads with solar chargers for every student, or creating jobs by opening factories and headquarters here.

I thought about a smaller company learned about recently, Biolite. Maybe we can start there; maybe they will be one of the first champions for change. https://www.bioliteenergy.com/

We could do something positively radical here.

Amidst all this, I continue my personal mission to revolutionize and promote food growing on the island. After Yuri agreed to take care of some plant babies while I return to the mainland for the holidays, we decided our first plantings will be the crops that grow the fastest. Our "fast food" revolution has begun.

I ended the night on a highly positive note. After a series of emails and phone calls, I laid in bed and saw so clearly how the flow of the universe has brought me exactly where I need to be. Now if only the universe would bring me a nice cold kombucha!

Much love and light to you.

Sincerely,

SarahJoy

P.S. Someone please drink a cold kombucha for me ;)

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