Betwixt & Between

The world as we know it seems to be in a meltdown, financially.
But here on Culebra, beside the fact that there are few tourists around and those that are here seem to be buying less and less, I continue to hear from locals over and over again how fortunate we are to live in a place where people, in a generalized sort of way, already know how to do with less, much less. We live in a place where often, you can't 'get it now' and sometimes you can't get it ever, whatever that it is. Immediate gratification is not a concept on Culebra, and when it actually happens, it's a joyous shock to the system.

A friend said this morning "We've been living in a depression ever since we got here." Except oh what a good depression to be in. Some like it this way, others could never live in a place, and wonder how we do, where getting cauliflower or a week old copy of the NYT's could be a cause for celebration. Where if the utilities stay on during severe weather, we cross our fingers, wondering how we'll end up paying for that bit of good luck. Where we really ARE all in it together, because there isn't much that can happen to anyone that stays secret for long.
There is a lot of tolerance on Culebra. Sometimes that's good and sometimes not so good, but I'd not have it any other way. In the meantime, I know no one will be hungry here, no one without a place to sleep. There will still be laughter, and there will still be fish in the sea and chickens on the street. How bad can iguana taste, anyway?