Some Random Thoughts on a Rainy Wednesday

Alignment. Authenticity. Transparency. Vitality. Today these qualities seek their full expression through me. May I find the way.

I desire to live a well-lived life in which my thoughts, words, and actions are all in accord, and in line with my highest personal values and my true, ever-wise, "best self."

I endeavor to live a life of profound integrity — a life that is free of any pretense or artifice, in which there is no need to hide or shelter or differentiate my "private self" from my "public self." What I appear to be, I am. And if I cannot be totally "ego-free," then let me strive to at least become less "ego-centric."

Above all, I seek a certain something. A vibrancy. An "aliveness" to help me to learn, to love, to grow, to share — always.

I want to live and savor my life to the fullest, and to continually express myself vigorously, creatively, and passionately — with grace, dignity, and perhaps a bit of style.

I know for sure that I have all the tools that I need for this journey. I need only to apply them.

Still a Beginner: Thougths on "Shu-Ha-Ri" and needing a Guru

I wrote an earlier, draft version of this post as a response to Grace Gravelle's insightful blog entry, "One Guru." Grace is a talented instructor, and she currently leads yoga classes at my dojo on Tuesday and Sunday evenings. You can check out lots of her writing on her website, Front Porch Yoga.

Many martial artists dedicate themselves to one teacher, or sensei. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. In my case, there are many fine instructors out there whom I would call "sensei" out of respect for their knowledge and expertise, but there are only two people, Sensei Dennis Mann and Sensei Brian Ricci whom I would call "my Sensei."

Sensei Mann and Sensei Ricci are great martial artists. I've spent DECADES learning from each of them. The style of karate that I've learned from them has a particular name, a specific lineage. That's important to me, and I do my best to "keep the faith" when I teach. I feel a strong sense of responsibility to pass on the art just as it was given to me. But there's a big martial arts world out there, full of many, many things that I do not know. There's so much I'd still like to learn. I am, to be sure, a beginner — a mere babe in the woods.

And for me, no post on the subject of the people whom I consider to be my teachers, sensei, or gurus would be complete without mentioning Coach Tom Callos, creator of the Ultimate Black Belt Test. Now I've known Coach Tom for years now. He's part guru, part life coach, and a very dedicated martial artist of no small skill or reputation. Tom is my teacher, "my other sensei," but he's never corrected my posture, taught me a kata, or told me to blade my foot more when I throw my side kick. In the interest of full disclosure I must state here that I've never even met him in person. But we have a vibrant virtual relationship through phone calls, emails, Skype conversations, and blog posts. He's helped me bring meaning and clarity to how I practice and teach the martial arts in ways that no one else has.

I know that cannot learn "everything" (related to the martial arts and otherwise) from either of my sensei. Or my "other" sensei. They are great role models in a number of ways, father figures even. But they're not enlightened spiritual beings. (At least I don't think they are.) They are people. With flaws, just like me.

So in a way, I guess I consider everyone to be my teacher. Everyone has something to teach me. Especially those folks outside of the world of the martial arts who we might call our "Living Heroes". In the martial arts and out, I am an Artist of Life.

In the martial arts, I believe that a student should follow a teacher only as long as it serves that person's growth and development. I try to be a good sensei and role model for all of my students, but it's not my place to guide and advise them in the non-martial areas of their lives. Inside the dojo, in the world of blocks and kicks and punches, in the world of conflict, tactics and strategy — well, I tend to know a whole lot more than my students do. That's to be expected — after all, I've been at this game a long time. And I expect my students to do their utmost to absorb and precisely replicate the things that I have to teach them on the mat.

But spiritually and morally? Well, I've got room for improvement, too. The best I can do is try to lead by example; my students can/will choose to follow the path that I walk only if they find value there. And if they don't? Well, that's okay, too. I don't want to change anyone. I simply want to help people become a more genuine, authentic, present, confident version of themselves. And hey, I stumble a lot on my path. Aren't we all walking in the dark?

In the Japanese martial traditions, there's a concept called shu-ha-ri that tries to explain the phases of learning: First, the student tries to copy and emulate exactly what they're being taught. Then they try to master it, to make the teachings theirs. And finally, they must transcend the teaching and forge their own path. They must actively create, but this cannot happen without a solid foundation somewhere. So while I still call Sensei Mann and Sensei Ricci "my Sensei," there's not too much more at this point that I'm actually going to learn from them other than external forms... Have I learned my lessons well? Perhaps. There's still a lot that they've taught me that I've yet to master. And by now, they don't really need to correct me anymore. (Honestly, they're probably tired of repeating themselves when I continue to make mistakes.)

I know exactly what I need to work on to improve and grow. From here on out, I'm more or less on my own. (But I'm not "alone." My Sensei are still my wise councilors and advisors.) The work ahead is mine to do. Part of that journey, I suppose, will be to find another sensei (or two, or three) — people who can guide me along the trails I've yet to walk on. But I must also turn within, and find more lessons there:

More and more these days, I surprise myself on the mat while I'm teaching. I find "cool stuff" in what I already know that I never knew was there, stuff that no sensei has shown me, but has always been there, awaiting discovery. There are variations, subtleties, and small shifts that produce different (and sometimes surprising) results. My "fighting" is becoming creative play. (It must drive my students crazy when I digress...)

But I'm still a beginner, to be sure.

The World Needs More Warriors

I wrote this essay today as a submission for "This I Believe."

Humankind's history is replete with warfare and violence not because (as some would say) engaging in warfare is part of our genetic hard wiring, but because going to war is easier than maintaining or creating peace. Hitting, hurting, raping, and killing is far easier, I believe, than developing compassionate understanding and true self-knowledge.

Our education systems have failed us in that they have taught us to value peace, but they have not really taught us how to be peaceful. Peace is hard work! Therefore, we need to study nonviolent communication and anger management. We need to develop our capacity for empathy and our ability — and our willingness! — to resolve conflicts through respectful dialogue and intelligent negotiation.

We are as much a part of nature as the trees, the sky, and the ocean. We are one with the unfathomable and miraculous matrix of life. We should consciously reconnect ourselves to sunrises and sunsets, to the stars in the sky, to the animals in our oceans and forests, and to the plants that spring from the soil.

As Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "we are not organisms in an environment; we are 'environorganisms.'" It is imperative that we become active stewards of the environment who are cognizant of how our actions affect the whole. For if we do not take care of Mother Nature, she will surely "take care" of us.

So long as I'm alive, I'll have to do my living in the body I was born with. So, if I'm going to enjoy the ride we call LIFE, it's my duty to take care of the vehicle. That means a healthy diet, plenty of physical exercise, daily meditation and contemplation, continuous learning, and constant cultivation of positive relationships and attitudes.

We are here to maximize our potential, and as our potential grows, we must put our talents to use to benefit others through community service and acts of kindness. We belong to one another. I envision the day when everyone looks beyond their own family, ethnicity, neighborhood, and nationality to see that we are all fundamentally and inseparably connected.

We do not need more warfare, but we do need more warriors. Cultures around the world and throughout history hold warriors — those who will stand up and fight for what's right, precious, and worthwhile — in the highest esteem. Warriors are responsible leaders who embody compassion, integrity, discipline, courage, and honor. Warriors are predisposed to take difficult action, to sacrifice, to serve.

But there really are no enemies "out there." This means we can all benefit from cultivating and living a warrior's life beyond all fighting, beyond all warfare. Confidence, character, and a passionate devotion to others are the best and highest forms of "self-defense."

My path to self-mastery involves engaging in peace education, environmentalism, healthy living, and community activism. I'm pursuing the most worthy and authentic kind of "warriorship" I know so that my life may someday become an inspiration for others to go beyond all self-perceived and externally imposed limitations.


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This blog is part of the Ultimate Black Belt Test Program, which is an undertaking of The 100., and a part of Emerald Necklace Martial Arts in Boston, MA.

Self-Defense Lessons at the Intersection of Mindfulness and Salad

A brief word of warning: The content of this blog entry represents a special kind of realization for me. For just the other night, the actual culmination of my decades of martial arts training came down to a few simple moments in the kitchen with my daughter — when a number of "radical" approaches to "self-defense" suddenly united in harmony.

You see, for a few years now, I've been writing about how self-defense is more than physical — more than blocking and punching and repeating forms on the training deck. Now, all of that is important, of course. I still do a lot of punching and kicking every week. But I've said a number of times and in a thousand different ways now, that the aspects of meaningful self defense also necessarily include the quality of our diet and our relationships, our level of mindfulness, and our ability to create spontaneously and joyfully in response to our environment.

So what happened in the kitchen? Well, the other night, my warrior's response to the age old question "What's for dinner?" Came down to this: Make salad. Consciously. With whatever materials are at hand. Do it with maximum creativity and fun, and use it as an opportunity to TEACH.

So with no real plans for what I would be making for a meal, I rummaged through the fridge and pulled out everything I could find that was edible, live, and colorful. I spread the materials (a yellow pepper, blueberries, strawberries, an apple, grapes, and salad greens) — along with some almonds and some cold leftover rotisserie chicken — out on the counter, and I asked my daughter Ava to help me prepare a meal. Not really knowing what to expect or what exactly was about to happen, I grabbed my camera:



In about ten wonderful minutes, I taught my daughter a quick lesson on healthy eating. I also taught her — she's not quite five years old, mind you — how to safely handle a 10-inch kitchen knife. (This, required a lot of patience, and a great deal of trust!)

We playfully chatted about the different colors and textures and origins of all the foods on the counter, sampling and savoring each individual ingredient before tastefully arranging it on the plate. In the end, we ate good, healthy food. We spent quality time together, working as a team. We both learned a few things. We had fun. We created ART.

Which one of us was the student that night? Who was the teacher? Somehow our usual roles got reversed. My opportunity to teach turned out to be an opportunity to LEARN. In the end, I think I learned more in 10 minutes about life, love, and being in the moment than I have in a long, long time. And now, I'm looking forward to my next lesson. And the one after that. (And the one after that...)

And someday, maybe I'll teach Ava how to punch and kick!

Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
http://www.karateinboston.com/

Everything Counts!

"How you do anything is how you'll do everything." I heard or read this phrase in the last 24 hours or so, and it has really stuck with me. (Perhaps all the reading on mindfulness is sinking in!) I wish I could remember the source of this quote, so I could give proper credit and attribution where it's due. Ah, well. My sincere apologies to the originator, whoever and wherever you are.

This phrase teaches me an important lesson: that whatever level of attention, energy, presence, and mindfulness I bring to one activity will tend to be reflected in the other aspects of my life. Watch how I brush my teeth, tie my shoes, or perform a kata, and you're likely to see similarities in how I sign my name on a check, drive my car, or talk with and listen to my wife and kids.

Everything counts. If my life is my dojo, then I'm always in training. Therefore, virtually everything I do is practice. All I need to do is add awareness. So instead of driving my car mindlessly during my commute, perhaps I should attempt to practice driving. Instead of shaving as part of my morning routine, perhaps I could practice shaving as an extension of my life's ART.

The path toward mastery and greater awareness is always right now, and right here, beneath our feet.

Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
http://www.karateinboston.com/

Attrition, Retention, and All the While, the World Goes Round and Round

The above photo was taken at my dojo about two years ago, following a special "all-ranks" workout. Not all dojo members were present for the event, of course, but those who were there represented a pretty good cross-section of our diverse dojo's adult membership: men, women, younger, older, black, white, and everywhere in between. I'm lucky and proud to have such a wonderful rainbow of people on the dojo floor.

Twenty-four people were present for training that day, including me. Nearly two years later, only eleven of those pictured are still actively training and fully participating dojo members. Many who were not pictured above were dojo members back when the photo was taken, and they are still training at the dojo today. Others are training today who were not members of the dojo back when the the photo was taken. And still there is another set of people: those who joined the dojo and stopped their training in the two years between when the photo was taken and today.

People start training in the martial arts for a thousand different reasons. Folks enter a dojo because they want confidence, increased fitness, self-defense skills, a sense of community, something new and fun and interesting to do — the list goes on and on. Many people stop training, I suppose, for just as many reasons: they get bored, they change or lose a job, they fall in love, they move, they get pregnant, priorities and interests change.

The bottom line is that at a dojo, people (many, many, many people, in fact) will come and go. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn and to accept, as I hope (sometimes I expect) that anyone who joins the dojo will be here for the long haul. It's an unrealistic, expectation, I know.

I look out across the dojo floor on any given training night, and I know that the chances are that some of the people there that night will, for one reason or another, eventually go their own way. I feel like a parent who dreads the looming day when their beloved child will move out and move on.

This is the way of our people.

I look back through photos like these from time to time, and there are many names that I'll never forget. Sadly, there are also names that I'll never remember. But every time a new student walks in the door and steps onto the floor for his or her first class — looking awkward in their bright and shiny gi fresh from the package — the cycle starts anew, and I am renewed and refreshed and blessed by the opportunity to do what I love to do.

An Update on Japan from My Man on the Ground (With Info on How YOU Can Help)

Hello Friends. My good friend and karate student, Greg Mudarri, is currently living, working, and training in Japan. This entry is a repost of Greg's latest email update, from Tokyo, in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. Lots of great information here — and local perspective, too...

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Dearest friends, family, and others who I have come to know (but may not have met directly);

Greg Mudarri in Japan here (yes, still in Japan-- patience: we'll get to that).
Most of you probably already knew I was in Japan, and amongst those people a good number of you may have been concerned about me after the recent massive earthquake here. Others perhaps not, and in that case I commend you. You shouldn't be concerned about me. Not in the slightest. You should be concerned about the people who were involved directly in the disaster who are missing homes, loved ones, or are still missing themselves.

Sorry for the mass e-mail, but it's absolutely necessary at this point so I don't have repeat myself countless times. This e-mail will serve as an update of sorts on the situation in Japan, but most of all I hope it is something you will find informative. And that's really the purpose of this-- no need to reply at all!

I will try to break this down into a few sections: My Experience, My Decision not to flee, and My Hopes of how we can all help in this tragedy. (You may be selective about your reading if you're pressed for time or have limited interest)

My Experience
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If you haven't figured it out already I am safe. I am in the Tokyo area. Obviously this situation was a first for me coming from earthquake-less Boston, but as it turns out it was also a first for almost all people here in this country often stricken by quakes as well. I'm talking about the magnitude-- this was the largest earthquake in recorded Japanese history, and the 5th largest quake in recorded history in general. Yes, that is pretty serious. What are the chances I would be here when this happened?? Well, apparently they were pretty good because for the past few years I've heard just about all Japanese telling they were due for a massive one anytime now, as it seems to happen about every 100 years, and they were "overdue" for one as the last one had been more than 100 years ago. The Kobe quake of 1995 was also massive, but still doesn't compare to this one. And it seems they may not be over yet, because when a lot of people talk about "the big one" they actually mean for the Tokyo area. So you could argue that I knew what I was getting into coming at this time... but there are always risks no matter what you do. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to cross the street ever again. Japan is probably the safest country that exists in terms of people. There is virtually no crime here outside the Yakuza, and the only drugs that exist here are brought by the ugly foreign population (it's sad but true). But this massive disaster, the likes of which no one could have ever fully predicted or imagined, serves as a reminder to us all that no place is really safe, as we humans are small and fragile, and this earth can swallow us up whole like insignificant crumbs.

I was in my fourth floor office in Tokyo when the 9 magnitude earthquake struck. One of 5 people in the office, I actually left the room to go to the bathroom t the time. As I stood at the sink, I noticed the sliding door next me started shaking ever so gently... "Is someone there?" ... "Just a moment..." .... for a moment I thought perhaps someone was playing a joke on me or something. This very slight shaking continued for at least 30 seconds or so before all of the sudden things started shaking abruptly and violently-- I opened the door and crouched under its frame, holding on, wondering when what I now realized was the biggest earthquake I had ever felt would end-- it seemed to last for minutes... I could hear my other coworkers in the other room shouting as things started falling off shelves all around them. In the bathroom the soap fell into the sink and that was it, but when I went into the room after it had ended I saw a scene of utter disaster. But every structure of our new building was intact, and though faces were wide eyed, everyone was safe. Immediately they all remarked that it was the biggest earthquake they had have ever felt in their lives (and all of my coworkers are Japanese, by the way)... we decided to contact everyone ASAP-- we knew it would be huge news so I prematurely sent emails to my immediate family and an e-mail list my friends are on.

But we didn't realize the worst was yet to come-- the tsunami, which took most of the lives in this tragedy, over 9,000 confirmed at the time of this writing with about 13,000 still missing, and the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, which has us in Japan outside the disaster areas as well as the rest of world significantly worried. Before running away like most foreigners did, I have been keeping my eyes on that situation, which I will present below...

And of course there are the aftershocks. Somehow I've gotten quite used to them. There was just a 5.9 in Ibaraki as I was writing this. The severity of the other issues has continued to such a degree none of these large aftershocks-- hundreds-- have been had much attention paid to them. Here is a website showing all the earthquakes we've had in just the last week: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_local_index.html

Here is a more interesting perspective of that as well: a map showing all the quakes up until now since the big one and 3 leading up to it (683 at the time of this writing).
http://www.japanquakemap.com/

Notice when the big one hits at 14:46 on the 11th it's area covers the whole screen-- showing all who felt it. After that one hits you can just see the absolute barrage we've been getting-- it just doesn't let up. You can also speed up the timing on the right-- at the current speed it takes about 10 minutes to see all the earthquakes. Anyway, if the circle overlaps Tokyo, that means I probably felt that one.

The aftershocks have calmed down to an extent to being one or two noticeable ones a day rather than one or two noticeable ones an hour, as it had been the last week. Also food was pretty scarce for a while and cars are still lining up down the street for gas, not too mention the scheduled blackouts everyday for a few hours to save power. I'm not going to elaborate on these issues because they are just minor inconveniences knowing what people are going through up north. I'd willingly give up food and electricity for a week if would help those people in any way. Really not a big deal.


My Decision not to flee AKA the only radiation to worry about (outside Fukushima) is in the minds of the media
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If you haven't figured it out already I am not leaving Japan. Like I said lack of food and electricity here from time to time is a non-issue at a time like this. So the only real concern is radiation, but in Tokyo the difference in radiation levels is negligible. Before joining the exodus of foreigners, I decided to learn about radiation and how the situation at Fukushima could affect us here in greater Tokyo. I am pleased to offer you the news that even in the worst case scenario (meltdown, etc.) we would be virtually unaffected in regards to our health. So stop listening to the chaos your media sources prefer to focus on for ratings and rejoice: you can finally look at the bright side! Isn't that what we should be doing after this disaster? Is panicking daily and feeling sick our stomachs from sadness going to help us prevail, as we must ultimately do?

So without further ado I will present you with countless links and facts about the radiation in the Tokyo area, so you can stop worrying and let us get on with rebuilding this nation. If all the foreigners did a little research before running home to their mommies they might actually be able to help. My mommie wanted me to come too but it just seems like taking the easy way out (sorry Mom). Each plane ticket home costs about a grand-- now imagine the millions of dollars that was just spent on airfare going to help the crisis of northern Japan-- That's almost the saddest part of all this. Before I spend a single yen on a plane ticket to leave this slightly inconvenienced area, I would first contribute that same amount to aid for this disaster. The plane ride home will expose one to more radiation than staying in Tokyo would. Some people just need to get real. OK, sorry-- I don't mean to downplay this whole thing, it IS scary, but let's get the facts first.

Now I'm not scientist, but this guy is: http://ukinjapan.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=566914282
Summary: UK Chief Scientifc Advisor John Beddington speaks to the British Embassy in Tokyo, letting us all know that the radiation effects will not be harmful to Tokyo, even in the worst case scenario.

Still if you want hear more people smarter than you talk about the situation at Fukushima, you can listen to an hour plus conference and Q & A about it held at MIT involving some top nuclear researchers and professors here: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/nuclear-panel-japan-0136.html (scroll down to find the video)
They mostly address what exactly.supposedly happened at Fukushima and diagnose the situation and it's severity. Of course, it is on the scientific side. One contributor is a woman participating by way of phone who is a specialist on the health effects of radiation. About a little before half way through she mentions that though some levels of radiation have risen in Tokyo even, they are still not harmful by any means. She gives some statistic that even if the levels raise 40 times their regular state, one would have to be exposed to it for days on end to even equal a simple chest x-ray. So there is virtually no worry. Sorry, I don't know exactly when this sort of thing is mentioned, I just watched the whole thing, as it is quite interesting.

Or, you can read what these MIT smarties are writing about nearly daily here: http://mitnse.com/
For example, on March 20th you can read some updates on the situation at Fukushima, showing what are mostly positive signs for the resolution of this disaster. It will still take time but things are getting better, not worse.

It the radiation still worries you, the Metropolis (Japan's No1 English Magazine... yada yada) is providing daily levels in the Tokyo area:
http://metropolis.co.jp/quake/quake-2011-03/tokyo-atmospheric-radiation-levels/
(At the bottom it explains the units and what levels are deadly etc.)

You can see the fellow taking the readings and explaining how safe it is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rp2nqBt04A&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y9IYQzsyC4&feature=related

And finally for links to all sorts of English updates and information on the situation in Japan, go the Metropolis home page here: http://metropolis.co.jp/

Probably the best source for continuing coverage on this situation is Japan's news source, NHK, in English: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_02.html
Here they just tell it like it is-- none of the hype you're all getting fed over seas. Yes high levels of radiation have been found in the water at Fukushima. Yes it is 3 times the safety limit. Yes they found traces of radiation in milk and spinach there. No it is not necessarily harmful, but yes they recommend it not be consumed, especially for children. Yes the radiation could be harmful to anyone in the 30km radius, but no it is still not in Tokyo. Yes rain may have even put iodine in Tokyo water, but no, the levels are still not harmful. Like I said, they tell it like it is. Thanks NHK!

More research can be done here from more other smart people at UC Santa Barbara: http://online.itp.ucsb.edu/online/plecture/bmonreal11/
and more valuable and genuine updates are here: http://www.who.int/hac/crises/jpn/en/index.html (thanks to Daigo for these)

Again I'm not a scientist or nuclear specialist by any means, but after the research I have done I think I'm probably more qualified to deliver the news than the western media has been as of late. I actually heard that there were even some accounts of the Daibutsu (great Buddha statue) of Kamakura glowing from radiation. How preposterous!! Here is an article by a fellow in Japan after hearing about this fabrication, you might want to read here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-im-not-fleeing-japan/2011/03/16/ABQsdhk_story.html

Another foreigner in Japan is also writing about the scene in Tokyo daily here: http://www.gally.net/updates/index.html
(You can also click on the "Radiation" link on the left for more info on that stuff if you're not sick of the reassurance already)

OK, heard (read) enough? Good, because I'm pretty sick of typing. But the most important part is next-- how you can help!! So put your eyeballs back in your sockets for a few more moments.

My Hopes of how we can all help in this tragedy
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If you haven't figured it out already, we're talking donation here. What did you expect?? Now open your wallets! It's a lot easier than digging through mass amounts of debris and devastation.

People have been asking me for names of charities and such to donate to and I hate to say it, but this information seems to not have been the top priority as of late. But because it's SO important I looked into all my sources and I'm ready to throw more links at you. Let your heart do the rest.

The first obvious source is the Japanese Red Cross. Donation info: http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

After that, I'd like to mention some sources from my home of Boston.
The Japan Society of Boston provides a great list (not necessarily Boston exclusive) of how help here: http://www.japansocietyboston.org/donatejapan
It includes a few options to easily donate $10 via text message, so I encourage everyone to do this who is capable.

Another MIT source is here: http://phi-delts.mit.edu/japan-relief.html#Disaster
You can donate here by Paypal-- the funds raised also go to the Japanese Red Cross.

If you are actually in the Boston area, you can attend an event "One Heart" at Showa Boston on Sunday March 27, 2-4pm, which will be in 2 parts: Supporting the Victims (appropriate for all ages) and Remembering the Victims (more appropriate for adults). Here you can donate money in person to the Japan Disaster Relief fund. If you are in the Boston area and interested, please e-mail me directly and I can forward you the details.

Outside of Boston, the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Norther California has established and easy way to click and donate to the Japan Disaster Relief fund, which can be found on their website: http://www.jcccnc.org/

Now for more international charities: your donation is just a click away!

Relief International: https://www.ri.org/donate/donate.php (click the red "donate now" button)

Google's simple donation system: http://www.google.co.jp/intl/en/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html (choose the one you'd like to donate, enter an amount in yen and click the blue "Donate" button)

Unfortunately I am not familiar with all the charities listed, but you can research them here: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1221 (Charity Navigator - Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: How To Help)

So what exactly am I hoping? Well, as Japan changed my life and made me who I am, I am hoping to give back. I am hoping for my loved ones to help. I am hoping Japan will be rejuvenated in the coming spring. I am positively looking for Japan to rise up stronger out these ashes like a phoenix, or more eloquently put, perhaps, I am anxiously awaiting for the land of the rising sun to rise up higher and brighter along with its cherry blossoms are encouragingly blooming cherry blossoms. Let's all do our part to help this happen.

I guess that's it for me, for now. I hope whatever you chose to read was at least somewhat informative.

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone that would be interested or I should have sent this to but didn't. In that case I hope those individuals accept my heartfelt apologies.

Good night! Tomorrow is a new day!

With hands clasped and chin high,

Greg Mudarri
Saitama, Japan 2011.Mar.23

Older and Wiser

I take the Mass Turnpike to work almost every morning. Today, as I zipped along at about 70 mph in the 55 mph zone, another gentleman, in true "Masshole" fashion, decided to "urge" me to drive faster by pulling up close behind me and waving his arms excitedly. From my rearview, I could see the expression on his face (yeah, he was that close), so I could tell that he wasn't having a genuine emergency. He was angry, red in the face, and shouting some really obscene words. (No, I couldn't hear him, but I sure could read his lips!) I thought I was trucking along nicely, but hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion.

There was a bit of traffic, so it wasn't safe for me to immediately move over, but I knew that horn blowing and light flashing were only moments away. When the way was clear, I signalled and moved over to allow the other driver to pass. He pulled up alongside me and then slowed down long enough to drive his point home by screaming some more (I still couldn't hear him. I was listening to the radio). He finally punctuated his vitriol by flipping me the bird, and then he sped off.

My response? Well, I just smiled at him, waved hello, and sent him a silent blessing. Sir, I hope you get to wherever it is that you're going to safely. I surprised myself, actually, because I really meant it. I even felt a bit of compassion for him: Seriously. Who wants to get to work that badly?

I know that a mere decade ago, my response would have been radically different. (Ask me some time about the day that I intentionally rammed another car while going 75 mph on the very same road, fully prepared to die or kill in defense of being "right.") But today it seems that I've grown older and a little bit wiser. Those two kid's seats in the back — even empty ones — are a nice reminder to be civil and to focus on the important things in life.

Take it easy out there. Life moves fast enough.