Reflections of the Past Week

            The earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and the attack on 9/11 are several examples of catastrophic events that no one should go through. We ask ourselves “why?” Why did this happen? Why did their lives get destroyed? Why did those innocent people have to die? Why? And there is never an answer. Unfortunately it is part of life and we never understand what caused them to occur. We all must learn, sometimes the hard way, it is not only what happens to us, but also how we handle it after it has occurred. As Lena Horne said, “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”

            The Japanese are known for many things that separate them from every other culture on the planet: their enduring kindness, discipline to learn, and attention to minute details in every aspect of their lives are just a few. However, their ability to endure and persevere through any occurrence is uncontested and what most admire them for. While living in the remote countryside outside of Hiroshima, I witnessed many things that they endure, from the trivial to the crucial, rites of passage to the unexpected. One of the first lessons of endurance for children is conducted during the dead of winter when they are sent to school without a warm coat or long pants. Their uniform consists of a pair of short pants and a thin long sleeved shirt, which forces them to endure the cold and, at the same time, accept unpleasant circumstances with a will to persevere. They search within themselves to find the strength to continue and keep up with the others in their class.

            This first lesson reminds them of the importance of endurance and it continues to resonate as they grow up and enter adulthood. The Japanese handle all of life’s tragedies and inconveniences with stamina and only look towards the future. But in addition to enduring whatever comes, the Japanese have also learned the importance of being prepared. They can withstand certain inconveniences, and in order to do so no one there must neither be unprepared nor undermine the necessity to be prepared.  They are ready for any emergency, whether it is a headache, a bout with diarrhea, or a button that needs to be sewn on. Every household is equipped with tools to remedy any issue that comes its way. Organization and preparedness is another aspect each of them does not take lightly.

            Fortunately during my time in Japan, nothing as remotely devastating as the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami took place. In my village there were funerals, a poor harvest, and illnesses, which are bad enough.  But, no matter how small or big the tragedy is in their lives, they look at it in the same way: We must endure. Within a day of the tsumani which wrecked homes, destroyed towns, and removed loved ones from their families, the Japanese people took charge and made strides to fix the problem and bring help to their own countrymen in need. 50,000 of their own troops led the rescue efforts and others of their own heroes attacked the issue at the nuclear plant, without giving thought to their own personal safety. They assessed the problem, knew the solution and executed it appropriately. Organization and preparedness is key and allowed them to begin the search for those who went missing and to address the problems at the nuclear plants.  Those who have been displaced, know that they must endure the hardship and be forced to live with strangers in shelters. Even though they have lost family members, their homes and their livelihood, they continue to be respectful of others, work together to get through this and to persevere. There has been no rioting, violence, or unpleasantness which normally would happen and what we would expect. On CNN, George Takei explained the Japanese term “gaman.” “It means to endure with fortitude and dignity,” he said. And as the Japanese learned at an early age and continue to practice all their lives, tolerance, endurance, perseverance, organization, and preparedness are terms that must be a part of their vocabulary and must not be abandoned.

            The performing group, Up With People, which features a cast of young men and women from all over the world, has three male singers from Japan who are currently touring with the company. On the same day of the tsunami, they performed on stage, unfazed by what had happened and with the attitude that they must endure. After the performance they were discussing that they were not scared about what was happening to their families or friends and were extremely upbeat.

            During these grave days, my thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese for no one should ever go through such a catastrophe. But they will look to the future, rebuild their lives and pick up where they left off. That is how they have been taught to live and will continue to do so regardless of what chaos and strife is handed to them. 

The Marketing Journey Has Begun! March 7, 2011

I thought the hard part was actually writing the book. I never thought I would ever write a book, since I can't sit still enough to fill out a magazine subscription. But I felt compelled to write my book, Rising Sunsets, since I had the story inside of me for so long. So after a few years of writing, editing, searching for an agent or publisher, I finally decided to self publish. Now that my book is available, the marketing process has begun. And it has been very educational. Here are a couple of things that I have learned:
1) I have discovered the world of social media and social networking. Who knew Facebook and Twitter were so helpful in getting things publicized?
2) I am not afraid of cold calling and having someone hang up on me. Since the book deals with a young American who travels to Japan to teach English to school children, I have been contacting the Japanese American Societies around the US to help publicize it. And many of them have been extremely helpful and receptive to the idea.
So, here is the start of my journey and I will be providing updates, reflecting on the past, and anxiously awaiting what the future holds.
I hope you all enjoy it and will be inclined to share your thoughts and comments.
Until next week!