journals from grenada « Letters from Grenada

journals from grenada

It occurred to me last week that instead of talking about writing a book about Grenada, I should do it already. (Duh.) It also occurred to me that if I gathered together everything I’ve written in the last five years, and then edited it ruthlessly, I’d find that I’d already written a first draft.

So I’ve started mining my journals from my time on the island. It’s an intense experience because although I’ve been treating blank pages like confessors since I was seven, this is the first time I’ve actually reread any of my scribblings. There are six notebooks. Here I’m describing the time I went to get my visitor’s visa renewed and instead of stamping my passport the immigration officer threatened to deport me. Bean was born less than two days later, mere hours after I got that situation resolved.

The phrase “angry waddle” is currently a bottomless fount of mirth for me. But that’s not the real reason I’m sharing this with you. I’m sharing this with you because I’ll be needing witnesses keep me honest. Witnesses to what? Witnesses to the commitment I’ve made to myself.

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