May 31Member-onlyObsessed with Family HistoryWhy are stories so important? — The first of my Japanese family on my fatherʻs side to come to Hawaii was in 1891. I am considered yonsei — the 4th generation away rom our ancestral homeland. They settled in Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii and became coffee farmers. Though many family members have moved away, many still live…Genealogy4 min readGenealogy4 min read
May 5Member-onlyUnencumbered Waiting — 3 Reasons to Get Off your PhoneThe norm these days when you are waiting for things — like for your plane to board — is to always have something to do. Most of the time, we are on our electronic devices. Once in a while, I will see people reading actual books or magazines. Very few…Mindfulness3 min readMindfulness3 min read
Apr 24Member-onlyDefining Courage: Hero Stories of the Japanese American soldiers in WWIIIf you ever have a chance to see this show — GO! This show is a blueprint for how to capture hearts and minds to engage in history. This event — Defining Courage — about the previously overlooked incredible feats of the Nisei (Japanese American) soldiers in WWII was first…Heroes4 min readHeroes4 min read
Apr 20Member-onlyThe Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen -Book Review — I had heard about this author, who won a Pulitzer for his first book, The Sympathizer (2015). I went to look for that book when I was in LA (The Last Bookstore), but it wasnʻt there. I bought his most current book, The Committed (2021), which I did not finish…Book Review2 min readBook Review2 min read
Jan 21Member-onlyHappiness New YearWhy the H word is not trite I always thought that life wasn’t about being happy. That’s a vague term, like love. What is it? What does it mean? I know what it is to be sad. I know what it is to be angry. I know what it is…Happiness3 min readHappiness3 min read
Dec 1, 2020Member-onlyDiscovering My Voice with PsilocybinReflection one year after a psychedelic women’s retreat — Many of you who know me might be shocked to know that the women’s retreat I went to last year was a psilocybin (aka “magic mushrooms”) retreat, so this is a “coming out” of sorts. I had been meaning to write about my experience at this Dia de Muertos (Day…Psychedelics13 min readPsychedelics13 min read
Nov 1, 2020Member-onlyI Don’t Know Why You Still Love HimA Protest Song for the 2020 Election — Story Behind the Song I have a friend who was writing lyrics to old songs as a way to vent her anxiety about our current political situation. She shared the lyrics on Facebook a while back — maybe 2 months ago. That inspired me to write this one. I had written this song in…Songwriting3 min readSongwriting3 min read
Oct 4, 2020Member-onlyThe A Word: It’s Not About Abortion, It’s About Abstinence (that is, sex)How can you be both against abortion AND birth control? — Do you wonder why Christians you think are reasonable can STILL support Trump, even if they know he’s immoral and incompetent? It’s because they think they’re saving babies. He doesn’t need to be eloquent or even have policy plans. All he has to do is say certain magic words, like…Abortion7 min readAbortion7 min read
Sep 19, 2020Member-onlyA Protest Song and the Story Behind ItWhy do you have to be that way? — Why do you have to be that way? The one who lies to self-protect To ones who are less fortunate You’ve got no heart no human respect Why do you have to be that way? So mean and proudly arrogant To those who see things a dif’frent way You…Protest5 min readProtest5 min read
Sep 1, 2020Member-onlyImmigrants SupportingWhite SupremacyWhat Guides Their Moral Compass? Today, I wanted to write about immigration, to tell my immigration story and make a case for those of us with immigration heritage to take a stand against Trump’s anti-immigration policies. But, as I write this, I have seared into my brain the image of the mother of the 17-year-old…Immigration13 min readImmigration13 min read
