It’s all of them, all the characters, not just one, that resonate. Each one of them has some aspect or characteristic that makes me nod along, vibe to, or cringe, because I see them in myself. For example, Jim likes to laugh and joke around because he sees the ridiculousness life. He’s drifting along in the first few seasons, not really knowing what he’s doing there, almost like he’s waiting for life to happen, which is how I feel sometimes. Then there’s Michael, who desperately wants to be loved, but, damn, so cringe. He can be so self-unaware and can’t see himself at all—the opposite of Jim—and Michael doesn’t know just how goofy he is to everyone else until it comes out. He’s got no filter. Still, I think Michael is all of us, really, because everyone is weird in their own way, even when we try to hide it. And being exposed is so very terrifying. Michael’s kind of brave, really, because he puts himself out there. Speaking of hiding, there’s Oscar, who wants to run and hide from Michael. Oscar wants to be seen as smart, hard-working, responsible, etc… but Michael only sees one thing: Oscar’s sexual orientation. And it drives Oscar nuts to be reduced to one aspect of his identity, only because someone else can’t get past it. I feel that way about being mixed race in a small Indiana town. We’re the only family like ours in the county, and there’s no hiding being Asian when it’s literally on my face. Teachers bring it up, sometimes awkwardly, or, worse, they try to pretend they don’t notice. I know they want to be “sensitive” to me being different, but it’s really just one thing—ok, a really big thing, since my mom is an immigrant and I grew up bilingual while going to Japanese School every Saturday for 11 years. Still, can’t I sit and learn about history or government or whatever, then go to soccer or track after school, then hang out with my friends for even one day without someone bringing up I’m Asian? I mean, I know, okay, you don’t need to tell me! So, yes, Oscar, I totally get how you feel when your teachers (Michael), or a co-worker (other student) or some store clerk acts surprised to see your face and gets all awkward about it. And then there’s Dwight, and I think you know where I’m going here. Dwight is bizarre, yes, and a lot of it not in a good way. He can be devious and mean, true. But I think it’s wrong to paint him like the bad guy, like the early seasons do. Dwight was raised in very unusual circumstances compared to most people (!), and he learned different lessons and a different way of thinking (!). He wants the same thing as everyone else, to be himself while also being part of something bigger than himself, having friends and being accepted—when he’s not trying to pretend he’s in charge. It’s a really great ending, btw, the way Dwight, Jim, Pam, Michael Scott, Oscar, and everyone else finds their way to overlooking each other their flaws, forgiving each other for being stupid or a jerk, and just letting themselves be friends in spite of it all. It was the perfect life lesson, ironically pointed out by self-centered Andy, at the end, “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you left them.”

"This is just a journey, drop your worries, You're gonna turn out fine."-- Andy Grammer "Keep your head up" hits on so many stressors for my generation: debt, low income, being surrounded by negativity and cynicism.. all the things that make us wonder "What is my purpose?" and "Is it all worth it?" as he sings. This song reads my mind, basically, and says everything out loud. It's hard to talk about these things with teachers and parents. They usually deny these problems are real, which is like saying my personal perspective isn't valid, or that these questions aren't worth discussing. How could that be the case? Doesn't everyone feel this way, at least a little, when they're young, or ask themselves these same questions. We're just trying to find our way in a world that seems filled with unsolvable problems, like Climate Change, poverty, inequality, and bigotry of all kinds. We didn't cause any of this, but it's being handed to us by older generations. I mean, sure, we have a responsibility as adults to take action ourselves, but shouldn't you all at least get something going? You're the ones with the money and the power, not us. We're all trying to deal with the problems of teenagers-- in some cases, problems you didn't have, like HUGE college costs and a future climate that might bring down civilization! Get with it! This song also reminds me of what my dad always tells me, 'The world and its problems were here long before you, and will be here afterwards. You can't solve them all by yourself. Do what you can to take care of your little corner of the place, be the best person you can be, and live your life. That's all any of us can do.'

That I did my best. That I helped others, acted with integrity, pursued my dreams, contributed what I could, and left the world a better place than I found it. Hesitation. Worry. Fear. Anxiety. Too many reasons and excuses for not trying means too many people not living their best life, and a world not benefiting from everyone’s talents and abilities. It stops us from loving life, loving each other, and loving ourselves. We regret, doubt, and mistrust ourselves and those around us. We live in fear of mistakes and each other. That’s no way to live. It isn’t even living in the proper sense, no, it’s humanity “hanging on a cross of iron” (Eisenhower). Worse of all, when we live that way, we pressure others to feel the same, to live the same, as we do. Good and bad are both contagious. Right and wrong are both contagious. Like a disease, negativity spreads and infects us all. I don’t want to be sick. I want to live, and help others do the same. I’m no superhero, because no one is. We can only explore our outer and inner worlds and push boundaries, until we reach a place where pushing doesn’t work, and then we know we’ve done our best. That’s all any of us can do.

I'm Kane, and I'm a sprinter: 100, 200, 400, and 4x400. Running is freeing. Running is basic to being human. I've been zip-lining, in Kentucky, and it was thrilling, but it still can't compare to leaning into the finish and edging out the guy next to you. Unfortunately, in my biggest 100m race, my block flew out (they didn't allow holders) and I finished 3rd. Our team still won, so we celebrated, and I forgot all about my own misfortune. My running career ended, but now I study Exercise Science, so I can help other athletes stay at peak.

All government employees' kids must attend public schools in their own district, from the Presidents and Senators all the way down to mayor and city council, and everyone in between. If their own kids went to the same schools as regular people, people in government would care more. They'd make sure the schools had the money they need to hire the best teachers and provide the decent facilities—and better food! It's not a perfect solution, I know, because some public schools would still be rich and some not so rich because funding comes from property taxes. That's a problem, and maybe equalizing school funding, like in Japan, seems like a better idea, but I don't think so. Even if you equalize funding, it could still mean low funding-- just for everybody. Meanwhile, Senators' kids go to private school, and still they don't care. Or, maybe forcing their kids into public schools would force politicians to change school funding to something more fair. Overall, schools would improve, and funding would rise, because we're talking about ALL government officials. In small towns like mine, politicians are usually local business leaders, so they can afford to send their kids to the local private school, then, to them, the public school becomes a ‘drain’ on public money. They starve out the school until both arts and vocational training get cut and the best teachers leave. They especially don’t care about non-college track programs. We’re always told how important it is to go to college, and I agree, but it’s not for everyone. We need everyone’s skills for society to function. Some of my friends parents are engineers and accountants, but others fix furnaces, or pour concrete. They don’t have college degrees, but they contribute a to society. We shouldn’t look down on people who don’t go to college, and schools shouldn’t be telling everyone they have to go. Non-college programs need funding too. Our school’s vocational kids, for example, don’t have facilities in our own building, or even our own county. They ride a bus 45 minutes each way—that’s 90 minutes of a school day—to get to their hands-on classes. We need plumbers, electricians, and nurses just as much as we need white collar workers, maybe more. To me, Walmart managers are less important than plumbers and auto mechanics. We can do without cheap junk, but not without clean water and working lights. Walmart itself would not close down if the manager quit, but an burst pipe would shut it down pretty quickly. This is a result of not caring about the schools, its students, or teachers. And when the school struggles, they cut funding even more, which forces the school to beg for money through fundraisers and crap like that, sending the students out to knock on doors and sell overpriced junk. If politician’s kids had to go to public schools, you can bet they would get the funding they need. At least then maybe the pizza wouldn’t suck.

My generation gives me hope. Despite all the criticism and sneering about ‘wokeness’ and how lazy older people think we are, they’re wrong. You all say those things because you know you screwed up the world. Climate change, pollution, racism, sexism, oceans dying, plastic everywhere—even in the air… the air! Look at what you’ve done. You’ve created a terrible system, a terrible way of treating each other and the planet. Why? So you could get rich, that’s why. And that’s what really upsets you all. We don’t share your values. We don’t want to just get rich. We want a better world, for everyone. We don’t care if it means not having a career, or a big house with a Tesla in the driveway. We want climate change to stop, racism and sexism to stop, and all the corruption and wars to stop. And that’s why you hate on us. You know we’re right, and you’re wrong, but you don’t want to admit it. Because then you’d have to admit your lives are built on those things, all those terrible things, and you can’t stand to give them up. Because materialism. We’re not like you. We want enough for everyone. We want food, water, and shelter for everyone. We want an education, healthcare, and rights for everyone. And that’s what bothers you, because your whole world is built on inequality and exploitation. You know it’s wrong, but you can’t help yourselves. It’s the way you were raised. That’s not much of an excuse though, because you can easily see it’s all wrong, can’t you? You KNOW it’s wrong. You know. The problem is you’re too weak to do anything about it. But we’re not. And about the wokeness some people keep complaining about. If you look, you’ll see most of the ridiculous instances of hyper-wokeness aren’t coming from us, no, they’re coming from politicians or corporations trying to be pretend allies. Corporations just want to sell more crap, and politicians just want to pose for the camera and get votes. How can you tell? Because no matter what they say, their behavior doesn’t change. It’s all talk. People of my generation are hardly involved in all that—unless they’re looking for quick fame, a spot on the news, or something. How does that old song go? “It’s what you do, not what you say. If you’re not part of the future, then get out of the way.” We’re coming for you, and we’re going to rock your world.

‘That which I have is that which I need.’ It’s impossible to tell you who gave this wisdom to the world because it comes from a carving on a water basin in a Buddhist temple in Japan. I saw it there in one of my annual trips (I am half-Japanese and visit my grandparents there every summer). The ‘sentence,’ written with just five characters arranged around the basin, expresses the basic Buddhist ideal of ‘not wanting,’ which teaches us to live simply and without desire, because desire is the cause of all suffering. This one, short sentence reminds us to develop a sense of gratitude for all that we have, no matter how little, to purge envy and jealousy from our hearts, and to appreciate the good in the people around us. It’s a soothing thought, to me, because too many people suffering from desire, mostly for material wealth. Americans, I think, especially can never be satisfied, and, therefore, can never be content. For them, happiness is always one more purchase away, one more tick upward in their bank account, or somewhere else, and with some other person. I feel sorry for them. I’m not perfect--not at all!--but I can see a path forward, a path to a life of less suffering. And I’m not saying this one sentence teaches us all we need to know, or all the wisdom of the world. It doesn’t. However, from the time I first saw it, around 12 or 13 years old, I instantly knew I had read something, learned something, deeply true. And in that little moment, I felt something change inside me, like a small breeze flowing in from a newly opened door in my mind. I grew up a little, I felt. And isn’t that what gaining wisdom is about—maturity?

First, put down the phone. Close the screen. Look up, sit up, and don’t interrupt. Engage. Good listening is about respect and empathy. When I listen to others, I give them space to express, to think aloud, and to breathe. They know I am listening and focused on them. When I listen, then I will also be listened to. We develop mutual respect and understanding. In respecting others we also come to be comfortable within ourselves, which helps others respect us. It’s a virtuous circle. Listening with empathy is something I learned from Japanese relatives. Empathy plays a much bigger role in interactions in Japan, and this makes Japanese people great listeners. They nod along, for example, not because they agree, but to show they see your point of view. Japanese people provide feedback in the form of small responses. Most importantly, they ask questions, not to challenge what you are saying, rather, to gather more information. The speaker feels heard and understood, whether they get what they want or not. In fact, Japanese people can even ‘listen’ with their eyes. For example, I was cleaning up something once, and, without asking her, my Japanese cousin brought me the trashcan. She anticipated my needs because she saw the world from my point of view. I think empathy helps resolve conflict more peacefully, or avoid it. Since most Japanese pay more attention to others’ feelings and point of view, and very few Japanese look to compete with each other in conversation. Of course, like the U.S., older Japanese are much more empathetic than younger people, but I don’t know if that’s just an age thing or a real generational difference. However, I do know that if everyone were like my Japanese grandparents, the world would be a much better place.

An education is expensive, but not having one is even more expensive. We’re not talking about just money, rather, the full price of ignorance: not understanding the world around you, or the lessons of history-- how we came to this point, or where we might be headed. We’re talking about not knowing how the government works—or supposed to work—how the economy works (or doesn’t), and how everything could be better. Without an education, how can we make good decisions, avoid mistakes, prevent disaster, or make any progress? Hard work is good. We need all the hard work and hard working people we can get. But working harder doesn’t replace working smarter. (it’s the lesson of the mule character in “Animal Farm,” which we read…. in school!). So, if education is a basic need for both individuals and society, then why would we allow inequity? Why wouldn’t we maximize the benefit to everyone by investing (yes, “investing”, not “spending”) in everyone from an early age? We’d be (we are!) fools not to do so. Other wealthy nations recognize birth itself is like a lottery: pure luck of the draw. Why punish anyone for losing a lottery? Who knows how many brilliant minds go undeveloped and untapped because we’re too foolish to give everyone a opportunity to reach their full potential? My rights are your rights, and vice-versa. Deprive you, and it deprives me, and all who come after. Let’s stop depriving each other, and ourselves. A good education is for everyone.

“Food doesn’t come from the grocery store,” is what my dad always says. One of my youngest memories is feeling around dirt for potatoes, my dad standing over me holding a spading fork. “Separate any damaged ones. We’ll eat those first, “ he’d say. “And set the best ones in the other box (for the women’s shelter donation).” I learned gardening from my dad, who started our town’s community garden when I was about 5 years old. Since then, I have always volunteered there, so for 13 years. I love growing healthy food to share. Even in elementary school, I volunteered at our school garden, growing food for the cafeteria. Through gardening, we learn about nature, and can share this knowledge and experience with others. Of course, we also garden at home, and have about ten fruit trees, as well as several cane fruits, and bushes, and even a grapevine. We grow some regular stuff, like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, but also a lot of Japanese vegetables and greens, like daiko, renkon, kaware, and shizo (herb). I’m half-Japanese, through my mother. Rural Indiana is a tough place for finding Japanese foods, especially fresh greens, so we grow them ourselves. Some aren’t really accustomed to our northern Indiana climate or soils, so we’ve had to make adjustments. For example, daikon need deep, loose soil, like the volcanic soils in Japan. And some Japanese greens need more moisture—Japan is humid-- so in mid-summer we spray the leaves. We even grow four kinds of Japanese pears. The tree itself doesn’t need a lot of special treatment, but Japanese pears ripen on the tree, not off it, so you have to pick them at just the right time. And because they’re ripe, you can smell the whole tree from 30 feet away. It attracts raccoon and deer. We lost nearly all the fruit in a single night once. Now we spray repellent here and there every week during the August and September. I helped my dad build our raised beds when I was 5yrs old—we have very heavy clay soil. I still remember holding the posts and using the bubble level while he poured and packed the concrete. I couldn’t work the stapler, so I just held the fence. Most of the trees, too, I helped plant, like the apple, peach, and plum. We spent 2 or three years saving the peach tree from leaf curl, picking off damaged leaves almost every day, fertilizing, and then spraying it in the fall. Years later, it still produces... Success! I wish everyone could experience saving a tree, or eating 50 cherry tomatoes straight off the vine, or apples right from the tree. When my brother and I play soccer, sometimes we’d stop to eat the blueberries or blackberries. My dad always thought it was the birds, so he’d get irritated and have to cover them… sorry dad! Without your health, you don’t have anything. It’s true. And gardening helps us get healthy and stay there. We get outside, move around, and get our hands dirty. Gardening reminds us of our connection to the Earth, which connects all of us together. Gardening is good health-- body, mind, and spirit. Once we’re healthy, we can pursue other goals, personal and professional. We’re much more free to live our best life. Our home garden keeps our family healthy, but the community garden is where we can help others get healthy. And by helping others achieve health, I help them free themselves to get the most out of life. It’s hard to imagine I would ever stop gardening.

Other people and the world itself are the meaning of life. Living only for yourself is an empty, boring life, in my opinion. What mark have you left? What kind of legacy? What was even the point of a life lived only for itself? You’ve wasted the greatest gift of all, you idiot! By “idiot” I don’t mean stupid. It roughly translates from Greek as ‘self-centered’ or ‘self-absorbed.’ In other words, an idiot is a person who cares only about themselves, i.e., takes no interest in the world. The Greeks were criticizing the person who saw no value in others, showed no gratitude towards anyone or anything, and saw themselves as special (in a bad way) or above everyone else. “The Idiot” is arrogant, narcissistic, and oblivious. They care nothing about the sufferings or achievements, of others, and seek only their own wealth, power, and glory. “The Idiot” wants what they want, and doesn’t care what it takes to get it, or who gets hurt in the process. “The Idiot” is ignorant, reckless, and abusive—a bully. Everyone else is an object or an objective. The Idiot friend is a user, there when they want something, but never there when needed. For the Idiot boss, employees are cogs in the machine. Read great people from history, like Ghandi or MLK. They all give credit to other people—as they should! This is part of what makes them great. But you don’t have to win freedom for a entire people to be great. You can be great by being grateful. Just think about everyone who helped you, and all the others people who don’t have that kind of help, and maybe need it. Then think about what you can do to make a difference. Make yourself useful. Don’t be an Idiot!

We can be grateful by realizing we are all born in debt. We are indebted to our parents, first of all. Gradually, we become indebted to society, the one that raises us, protects us, provides for our education and other needs. Of course, some lives are harder than others. But the previous generations who built the roads, electric grid, water systems, bridges, schools, hospitals, etc. all left behind more than they used, and it's what they left behind that benefits the rest of us. The least we can do is feel grateful. We can do that by working hard to fulfill our potential, whether that's as a scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, artist, carpenter, mechanic, or civil rights activist, we owe it to the people of the past to carry forward as best we can. Secondly, we owe it to each other. None of us chooses the circumstances of our birth, and some are far luckier than others. Some are lucky in money, others in intellectual abilities, physical talents, while some people have an aptitude for helping other people work through a personal trauma. I'm not especially religious, however, 'There but for the grace of God go I' isn't such a bad sentiment. We owe it to future generations too. When we borrow something, we're supposed to return it in at least the same condition as we received it, if not better. The same is true of the world. Most people know the saying, "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. " We can show our gratitude by making the world better for people who come after us. They, like us, do not choose the circumstances of their births. The least we can do is give them the same opportunities we had.

My career goals changed, just last month. Two months ago I would have said I want to manage money for Japanese athletes in the U.S., but experiencing business classes in college changed my mind. It wasn't the material so much as the people. Most finance majors are, well, not very nice people, and seem to care only about money. They all seem so fake to me, and as if they are always looking for a way to one-up each other. They don't even seem to take an interest in the world, except for money. That's not me. In any case, I still want to work athletes. So, I recently changed majors to Exercise Science, with the goal of becoming a physical therapist (possibly a trainer) for a college or professional team-- my own university, Indiana University at Bloomington, btw, would be incredible! (just in case anyone from IU is reading :-). Anyway, Exercise Science may sound like an odd switch, but it's not. If you look, you'll see the common threads: helping people and working with athletes. As a soccer player and sprinter (track), I dedicated a lot of time to learning about nutrition, exercise, and the human body in general-- to the point that my friends and teammates often come to me for advice. And many of them say the same thing, "You should do this for a living." Already at college, I've already developed a reputation as someone who can help others workout more effectively (and safer), and help them improve their nutrition and other habits.

Miyazaki Shun, otherwise known as Hayao Miyazaki, is my favorite artist. He creates beautiful and moving anime, such as "Tani no Naosa" (Naoshika of the Valley) and "Tonari no Tottoro" (My Neighbor Tottoro). "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," especially inspires me to keep trying no matter the odds, and even when it seems you stand alone. The main character, Nausicaa, not only has to stand up to an invader, but the prejudices of her own people, in trying to protect a forest filled with what everyone believes are evil giant insect creatures. It seems strange and wrong to everyone else that she should stand up for the creatures. After all, just look at them! Something so ugly and scary MUST be evil, right? How can we possibly find a way to co-exist with something we don't like, much less cooperate in any way? But Nausicaa doesn't see evil as something inborn, rather, something we choose to do. And we can always choose differently. Every one of Miyazaki's movies has become an instant classic, and he has inspired people all over the world to be open to new experiences, be kind to others, and to stand up for what's right. If you consider these themes carefully, you will see that they add up to loving one another. BTW, it's much better in the original Japanese. Growing up bi-lingual definitely has its advantages!

Helping other people live their best life is one of my passions. I went into college as a finance major. I intended to learn how to help other people manage their money better, or do it for them, so they could live a better life. Within a few months it was obvious to me that I didn't want to push money around all day-- just little numbers on a screen. Also, it seemed like all the other finance majors were, well, jerks. No way did I want to spend my life working with people like that! I talked to my friends and family about it, and it became clear I needed to change majors, and most people told me the same thing about myself: that I enjoy helping other people, and I enjoy focusing on health and nutrition. For instance, friends and family often ask me about how to work out better, eat better, or treat an injury. Because of that, I switched to Kinesiology/Exercise Science. I'm not sure yet whether I'll go into Sports Medicine, or maybe physical therapy. Either way, my passion will also be my career, and I'll still be helping people. Not chasing money.

Be like most people, but don't. Like most people, I recycle, carpool, and use LED lighting. Sure. Like some people, I walk instead of drive (no car at college), buy used when I can, do dishes and laundry in cold water only, and garden in summers. There you go, Carbon Dioxide emissions reduced. Is that it? Nope. No one talks about it, or even thinks about it, but when it comes to household emissions, methane is where you can make a real difference. You see, methane has 100x the short-term impact of CO2 when it comes to trapping heat, and 23x the effect over the longer-term. The problem is, most people don't even realize they're emitting methane every day. When you throw food in the trash, whether at home or away, that's methane. Because that food goes to a landfill, where it decays without oxygen and creates methane. It may only be a little bit, but that 100x impact catches up with you pretty quickly. Putting food down the sink is even worse, with or without a garbage disposal. That food you carelessly put into the water now has to be cleaned back out again, which requires energy, effort, and cost. It's worse than that, really, because that same food could go into a compost bin-- or even a worm bin-- and make more soil. You just wasted some waste. Trash may be tough to deal with at home, but food scraps are easy to put back into use. Even if you don't have a garden, the compost can go into your yard, or a flower bed, or the landscaping, or even a flower pot in your house. It's easy. Nature does all the work. Stop wasting waste, and stop making methane. Compost!

Don't chase money. This includes several ideas. First, surround yourself with good people. Second, something you love. Third, live below your means, with hobbies that require little money but lots of time with friends and family. And fourth, spend your money on assets instead of liabilities. Over time, you'll build your little "house of bricks," as the story goes. Chasing money, by contrast, becomes an obsession with most people. They spend their whole lives measuring their own self-worth, and the worth of others, by their bank account. They judge everyone around them, worry about the things they don't have, and basically live a life of stress and anxiety instead of living their best life. I went into college as a finance major. I intended to learn how to help other people manage their money better, or do it for them, so they could live a better life. Within a few months it was obvious to me that I didn't want to push money around all day-- just little numbers on a screen. Also, it seemed like all the other finance majors were jerks. No way did I want to spend my life working with people like that! I talked to my friends and family about it, and it became clear I needed to change majors, and most people told me the same thing about myself: that I enjoy helping other people, and I enjoy focusing on health and nutrition. For instance, friends and family often ask me about how to work out better, eat better, or treat an injury. Because of that, I switched to Kinesiology/Exercise Science. I'm not sure yet whether I'll go into Sports Medicine, or maybe physical therapy. Either way, my passion will also be my career, and I'll still be helping people. Not chasing money.

Hard to pick the a favorite, so I'll pick one I like and explain why: "The Catcher in the Rye." We read it in high school and it had an effect on me. The main character, Holden Caulfield reminds me of so many people I know in that he spends so much time avoiding himself that he fails to grow up. He can only relate to a younger child, his sister, and can't manage to grow up and move on with his life. Instead, he focuses on appearances and doing all the 'cool' things he can think of. From the outside, he believes this makes him authentic, while other people are all so "phony." But he's the phony. Sure, on the one hand, he feels alienated by a society he knows doesn't really care about him. Like most of us, he can't really explain why he knows this, but he can feel it. He's not wrong. Modern society really doesn't seem to care, and it seems like everyone is in competition to be famous and rich, while also being miserable at the same time. We are all Holden Caulfield, in that respect. There's a way out though. We can develop our internal self, build character, skills, develop proper values, and surround ourselves with good people. These are like real armor, not the fake armor Caulfield uses, which amounts to arrogance and sneering at everyone for being a "phony." By becoming a fully developed person, we're no longer phony ourselves, and so we don't need to look down on other people or worry about appearances so much. We don't need to chase money or fame. We can just be ourselves.

Kinesiology and Exercise Science depend upon developments in medical technology to enhance our own knowledge and skills. We need to understand the human body, how it works, how it heals, and how it can be encouraged to work better and heal faster. Technology can help us do that. We need technology, for example, to gather information, especially internally. Most of the external damage or problems we can see, but internal is quite different. The right technology can not only give us better information, but help avoid unnecessary surgeries, which shortens and improves recovery times, as well as avoiding the risks of even the most routine operations. It's sort of how technology helps archaeologists avoid digging, because digging is destruction. I watched a documentary on Stonehenge last month, and they used a special kind of radar to see under the ground, like an X-ray sees into the human body. This helped them not only map the area, but even see what artifacts were there and what they were. In some cases, they avoided digging, saving time and money, and were also able to understand the story of Stonehenge without destroying the same story. I' half Japanese, and fluent in the language. I want to use my skills to help Japanese athletes in America. I've been to Japan every year since birth, and I have a sense of what it's like to live there, even though, like I said, I do understand the language. My father, too, lived in Japan as an American, and has told me lots of stories about what it's like to live in a culture and with a language so different than your own. Being an 'outsider', or, at least, seen as an outsider, makes it hard to ask for help. And it's not just a language barrier. Japanese people, especially, find it hard to ask for help, because it's just not something you do, especially a male. It's a cultural issue. You don't complain, or tell people your problems. I want to use my language ability to work with Japanese athletes. With my dual background, they would have more natural rapport with me, and I could better gather the information I would need to help them. They would also be more accepting of tests and procedures I might recommend, applying technology to their needs. It may seem like small niche, however, Japanese athletes have increased quite a bit in numbers, as well as popularity, and I think many more will come. Two of my own sports, baseball and soccer, have been most common so far, but volleyball and basketball are both growing sports in Japan, so they might not be too far behind. Secondly, as niche as my interest is, I doubt I'll have much competition for it, especially in this part of the country.

Loving another person means their needs ahead of my own. It means anticipating what those needs will be, and how can meet them, maybe even before the need becomes obvious. This doesn't mean ignoring my own needs, or causing myself harm. That's not healthy. Also, since real love is mutual, the person I love is also looking out for my needs, and wouldn't allow me to come to harm either, not if they can prevent it. Love might mean, however, doing something you don't like, something inconvenient, maybe boring or difficult, or even something unpleasant, if it seems necessary to fulfill the other person. Day to day, I can be respectful, kind, and generous. These are small things-- and all free-- yet they help the other person feel better. And when we feel better, we aren't just happier, we're also healthier, in both body and mind. Unloved people are often physically sick as well, the same as those people who don't know how to love. I do believe we are all born knowing how to love, but some people have it pressed out of them by the way they are treated, either on purpose or by circumstances. It's a terrible thing, not knowing how to love. In not knowing, we find it difficult to receive love too, because real love is mutual. One-sided love is painful, even tragic. Ask any teenager! One-sided love deprives us of being made whole, of belonging to something bigger than ourselves, which is what we really want-- need! By loving my family and friends, I help them, and by accepting my love they help me. We move forward together.

Hard to pick the most inspiring, so I'll pick one I like and explain why: "The Catcher in the Rye." We read it in high school and it had an effect on me. The main character, Holden Caulfield reminds me of so many people I know in that he spends so much time avoiding himself that he fails to grow up. He can only relate to a younger child, his sister, and can't manage to grow up and move on with his life. Instead, he focuses on appearances and doing all the 'cool' things he can think of. From the outside, he believes this makes him authentic, while other people are all so "phony." But he's the phony. Sure, on the one hand, he feels alienated by a society he knows doesn't really care about him. Like most of us, he can't really explain why he knows this, but he can feel it. He's not wrong. Modern society really doesn't seem to care, and it seems like everyone is in competition to be famous and rich, while also being miserable at the same time. We are all Holden Caulfield, in that respect. There's a way out though. We can develop our internal self, build character, skills, develop proper values, and surround ourselves with good people. These are like real armor, not the fake armor Caulfield uses, which amounts to arrogance and sneering at everyone for being a "phony." By becoming a fully developed person, we're no longer phony ourselves, and so we don't need to look down on other people or worry about appearances so much. We don't need to chase money or fame. We can just be ourselves.

Hayao Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" inspires me to keep trying no matter the odds, and even when it seems you stand alone. The main character, Nausicaa, not only has to stand up to an invader, but the prejudices of her own people, in trying to protect a forest filled with what everyone believes are evil giant insect creatures. It seems strange and wrong to everyone else that she should stand up for the creatures. After all, just look at them! Something so ugly and scary MUST be evil, right? How can we possibly find a way to co-exist with something we don't like, much less cooperate in any way? But Nausicaa doesn't see evil as something inborn, rather, something we choose to do. And we can always choose differently. BTW, it's much better in the original Japanese. Growing up bi-lingual definitely has its advantages!

Friendship is stepping outside yourself, getting out of the bubble most of us live in most of the time, and partnering with someone else to make both your lives better. It's selflessness, sharing, caring, bonding, belonging, listening, helping, caring and empathizing. It's dedication, loyalty, honesty, realization, and mutual reliance. Friendship is embracing the other, the outsider, the not-me, and turning the "us and them" into "we." It's late night texts you answer, time you don't have but freely give anyway, inconveniences you shoulder without complaint or expectation of payment or reward. it's sacrificing without thinking of it as sacrificing. It's two hearts beating together, two minds in coordination and cooperation, until there aren't two but one. Friendship is love.

We live in a world of desires. That's our problem. Our natural tendency to desire belonging and status has been twisted, perverted, and turned against us by advertisers, companies, politicians, social media platforms, and anyone looking to get ahead, make a buck, or gain power. Every ad tells us the same thing, "You're not good enough! Your car isn't cool enough, your house big enough; your hair isn't shiny enough or your armpits fresh enough..." and it's driving us into a mental health crisis-- not to mention being isolated and hating each other. You see, we want to belong, to fit in. We want to know who we are, where we came from, and where we're going. In the past, that was always easy. You're born into a community of people, including a relatively large (extended) family, where your group membership and status were known from birth, and you were socialized by family, friends, and neighbors and the larger community. It wasn't paradise or utopia-- there's no such thing. Tight-knit communities can also be judgemental, conformist, and difficult to leave. For instance, Your occupation was sometimes pre-determined, or even your life partner, or, if not pre-determined, at least limited to the opportunities in your immediate surroundings. It's comfortable for most, but constricting for some. This went on for millenia, building software in our brains that worked with the hardware around us. And, now, it's totally different. Industrial, urban, mobile, individualistic societies mean no automatic belonging or status, no natural 'tribe.' So how do we find our place, our tribe? We have to make it. We find our way, through friendships, workplaces, social media, and, most importantly, through the things we own. It's these material goods that help tell everyone around us who we are-- or, at least, who we think we are or want to be seen as. No one really knows us, so we have to make ourselves known. This isn't easy. We've got mental software unsuited for the purpose of living in a modern (hardware) world. We try to communicate as best we can, to be understood, but we can't communicate with millions of people on a personal level. Instead, we show off our ownership of Brand X or Object Y. Through ownership, we exhibit tribal membership. Even our sports teams are just an effort to belong to a tribe. I mean, seriously, what makes a difference if the Yankees win or lose? What does that make you happy or sad? And what does cheering do other than to make us feel like part of something larger than ourselves? Does yelling at the screen change the outcome? Does wearing Lebron's shirt do anything except drain your wallet and lengthen your working life? Why are you paying someone else money for the privilege of advertising their brand, team, or tourist destination? And why do you care if I know where you went on vacation last summer? Because we want to be understood. We NEED to be understood. It makes us feel like we belong, like we know where we fit in. Modern society doesn't provide for that, so we buy things instead. We post on social media what we ate last night, or a pic of our new hairdo, or a random comment about a movie, as if any of it really matters. But here's the problem: those things aren't really belonging in any real sense. That's why they don't work. And when they don't work, we self-medicate, with drugs, alcohol, shopping, food, pornography, etc... Our mental health crisis, in other words, isn't a personal problem; it's a societal problem-- at this point, a global problem. Being all interconnected may sound good, but we can't handle it. We're not wired to handle it. We're ancient brains in a modern world. And the modern world is killing us.

I garden, and always have. My dad started the community garden in our town when I was about four years old, and I always tagged along to help plant, water, weed, and pick, or whatever was needed. I have great memories of digging around in the dirt with my hands looking for potatoes, most of which we'd donate to the women's shelter across from the park (where the garden was). We garden at home too. I still remember having my own little corner to plant whatever I wanted-- Japanese greens for my mom, btw. It's more than just having healthy food, it's getting outside, getting dirty, working with my hands, etc.. Most importantly, it's remembering where my food comes from. We used to give tours of the community garden to schoolkids and very few of them can identify even a tomato plant. Even most of the teachers can't identify anything past a few basic ones. It's terrible. By contrast, at our house, any meals we'd take a moment to note just how much had come from our own garden: greens, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, daikon (a Japanese veggie), and even the fruits: blueberries, strawberries, peaches, pears, apples, blackberries, etc.. We grow about 30-40 kinds of food most years. Growing up that way, along with sports, got me outside and kept me there. Today, my part-time job is landscaping and outdoor lawncare because I find I can't help but want to be outside. Besides, is there anything more fun than squashing a hornworm and watching the green goo squirt out? No way! We live within the natural world, not the other way around. When my teachers have talked about nature as if its some outside force, something separate from people, I cringe. Economics in high school and business classes at college have been worst, because they always have a topic like "The economy and nature" and talk about "the cost-benefit analysis of environmental protection." Professors are supposed to be highly education, but they talk like clean water and clean air are optional, or even luxuries. What world do they live in, I wonder? Food is the same way. It's always something like, "Well, sure, our food has pesticides and other deadly chemicals, but those take decades to hurt you." One time, when a student asked about not using them, a teacher said, "But then all the food wouldn't look good, and you'd have spots on it." Ummm, so what? I grew up picking worms out of my broccoli or digging bugs out of my apples. It doesn't hurt you; just cut off the damaged portion and eat the rest. Even if you eat a bug by accident, that won't hurt you either. I play video games too, like everyone else, but I don't sit there all day. Today, for instance, I helped my dad paint some new fence posts. It was 25 degrees outside, and when i told my friends they thought it was weird. Not at all. It needed to be done. In fact, once I finish this essay, and the snow stops, we're going to pound those posts into the ground. Nutrition means good soil, and good soil means a well-kept garden, and a well-kept garden needs a fence. Good food helps us twice: Once in the exercise and pleasure of growing it, and second in the eating. Can't wait till Spring.

Do I lead? Well, at my high school I won the a senior leadership award we call "Angola Pride," given only to the 5% of seniors who showed leadership. These were not only the best students academically, or in sports, but an overall award based on behavior over the course of four years. Even teachers from our freshmen year voted, favoring students who showed consistent leadership throughout high school. I partly won for serving as a senior mentor to freshmen, as well as volunteering in fundraisers, such as for a classmate who needed cancer treatments. In my community, I have volunteered at community gardens since first grade, so for 11 years. Further, as part of our local Japan-America Society, my family helped establish a Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival in Ft. Wayne, at which we have volunteered every year since its founding 10+ years ago. Personally, I help teach younger kids the art of origami and how to enjoy Japanese manga and anime. On my soccer team, my teammates chose me as a co-captain, on a team that went on to set a school record for wins. The next spring, in track, I won Academic All-State. In history class, we read Henry David Thoreau, who says that leadership means 'acting in accordance with principle.' I agree! People you want to lead can see how you behave, and if you say one thing and do another, then who will follow you? I have tried to lead in the ways I have admired in others: by example. My favorite teachers, as well as the people I admire, weren't the people who ordered others around-- even if those leaders were correct in their orders. No. Just telling other people what to do, even if it is right, isn't enough. You need to show them. You need to live it yourself. Good teachers share their passion for their subjects, they show the way, just as good citizens get involved. But you don't have to be up front to lead. A student can lead by participation in class, by being respectful, by helping others when they need it, by being encouraging. Everyone has something to offer, some aspect of life in which they can show the way. It could be algebra, or physics, or auto repair, or parenting. All in all, in my view, good leadership is a matter of principle, rules to live by. Which brings up an important question for me: If we do not live in accordance with our principles, then do we really have them? Leadership is an obligation we owe each other.

Kaizen. That's how. I'm half Japanese, and live in a multicultural household, which means I learned both American and Japanese philosophies about life . Kaizen is a Japanese concept that loosely translates as 'incremental improvement.' The flip side of this term is the Japanese idiom 'There's no such thing as perfect.' This may sound harsh, but the idea isn't to be dissatisfied with life, or yourself. Quite the opposite. The idea is to realize no one (and nothing) is ever going to be perfect, however, you should never stop trying to improve. I suppose Americans like to say, 'It's not the destination, it's the journey,' which is related, but not the same, because it's much more passive. Kaizen demands we take charge of our own development, such as our own education, our own skills, our own lives-- everything, as much as we can. Kaizen demands action. I realize this may also sound American, but not quite. In my experience, Americans tend to act for action's sake, often without thinking, without a plan. Kaizen requires us to act with purpose, and, if we do not have purpose, or a clear objective, then we should not act. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing at all, in other words. At other times, 'action,' means giving other people space to act, or to let nature take its course, but be ready to step in if necessary. This is a kind of growth too, what we call maturity. You see it in Japanese parenting. In Japan, if a child, even a toddler, stumbles on the sidewalk, parents might keep walking. The child, you see, needs to understand: 'I can get up on my own, and so I should.' In not acting, not helping, the parent forces the child try first, to grow.

Being of combination of Japanese descent and having a father whose family typically lives in their 90s, or even 100+, I expect to live a long life. Still, I don’t take my genes for granted. As an exercise science/sports medicine major, I’m into keeping healthy, and I know lifestyle affects not only overall health, but also longevity. That’s why I do something for both body and mind every day. For instance, after working my mind in morning classes, I hit the gym to burn off the tension, then settle into an evening of studying. My night usually ends hanging out with my roommate and friends, then a good night’s sleep. In between, I eat plenty of protein to help my body recover from lifting, with vegetables and fruit for vitamins and fiber, and, twice a day, some rice for good digestion. Meals offer time to socialize and move, too, when my roommate and I make the 20-minute walk to the better (and cheaper!) cafeteria. Besides exercise, the walk means sunshine (Vitamin D!) and gives us time talk, laugh, and to catch up on each others day. Walking home gets the digestion going and helps clear our minds before studying. For mental-emotional health, my parents have always been loving and supportive. When my first semi-serious relationship ended, it was my dad who listened and helped me through. Then there’s my large friend group, which includes twenty guys and almost as many girls. We’ve grown up together, many of us knowing each other since kindergarten, or even before. We’re tight. I do have stress, like everyone else. But my lifestyle, my parents, and great friends keep me steady, and vice-versa, I hope. Lifestyle and relationships are key to health and longevity.

Every day I do something for both body and mind. For instance, you’ll find me attending classes in the morning, working out afterwards to burn off the tension, and then settling into an evening of studying, which ends with hanging out with my roommate and friends. In between, I eat plenty of protein to help my body recover from lifting, with vegetables and fruit for vitamins and fiber, and, twice a day, some rice for good digestion—I’m Japanese-American, so it’s rice for me. Even meals offer time to socialize and move, too, when my roommate and I make the 20-minute walk to the better (and cheaper!) cafeteria. The walk gets us some sunshine-- and our vitamin D-- gives us some time talk, laugh, and to catch up on each others day, and, of course, gets us moving. The walk home gets the digestion going and helps clear our minds before studying. I had a similar routine back home, playing both fall and spring varsity sports, weightlifting, and eating great food—thanks to my Japanese mother’s cooking! Since I work in landscaping and lawncare, I get plenty of outdoor activity in the offseason. Not leaving out emotional health, my parents have always been loving and supportive. When my first semi-serious relationship ended, it was my dad who listened and helped me through. Then there’s my large friend group, which includes twenty guys and almost as many girls. Nearly all of us grew up together, with many of us knowing each other since kindergarten, or even before. We’re tight. Being a first-year college student, I do have stress. Just this past week, I switched to a very different major. However, there again, my dad was there to listen and help. My parents and friends keep me steady, and vice-versa, I hope.

I love being Japanese-American. Sixteen annual trips to Japan, starting in infancy and running into high school—in total, a year of my life has been in Japan. At times, that meant giving up baseball or soccer, not to mention birthday parties not attended, and a lot of other, typical childhood memories of Summer. But that’s fine. For me, I was not just learning about my Japanese heritage, but also coming to understand the world from a very different point of view than most Americans, especially in rural Indiana. As far as I know, we're the only family like ours in the whole county, which can make a kid self-conscious. However, our family belongs to a cross-cultural society in Ft. Wayne. We attend gatherings, host events for both ourselves and the larger Ft. Wayne community, and the parents even started a Japanese school, which I attended for every Saturday for 11 years. We also host the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Ft. Wayne library, where my mother and I volunteer. I help local kids learn origami, or make bookmarks with their names on them in Japanese. There’s an anime-manga room, where I help kids read manga in Japanese, or just answer questions about Japanese culture. I’ve taken friends with us too. They’ve always loved it, and the experience always made us better friends, as they came to understand my situation a bit better, and sharing my heritage helped me see how great it is to grow up in a multi-cultural household. I live deeply embracing my Japanese heritage, and I love it.

Patience is about respect, both towards other people and myself. When I am patient with others, I give them space to think, to talk, and to breathe. They know I am listening and focused on them. When I am patient with myself, I show myself I am worthy of self-respect. And in respecting ourselves, we also come to be comfortable within ourselves, which helps us respect others as well. My mother is a non-native speaker of English, from Japan. She sometimes struggles to find the right word, or she mispronounces a word so badly other people cannot understand, or her grammar comes out jumbled to the point it changes the meaning of the sentence. When I was younger, I felt embarrassed by this. After several trips to Japan, and in trying to use the Japanese I had learned from mother and in Japanese Saturday School, I found it hard to make myself understood. I felt ashamed of myself. But Japanese people always treated me so well. In fact, they usually complimented me on my 'very good' Japanese, even when it wasn't very good at all. And although I knew my Japanese needed a lot of improving, their patience with me gave me confidence to keep speaking. And the more I spoke, the better my Japanese became. I gained confidence and self-respect because other people treated me well, and I felt more comfortable with myself walking around Japan. This experience taught me to be more patient with other people, such as immigrants, but, more importantly, with my mother. Our relationship improved quite a lot after that, and we even do things together sometimes, just the two of us. That was not the case before. And it started with me learning patience.

Miyazaki Shun, otherwise known as Hayao Miyazaki, is my favorite artist. He creates beautiful and moving anime, such as "Tani no Naoshika" (Naoshika of the Valley) and "Tonari no Tottoro" (My Neighbor Tottoro). Every one of his movies has become an instant classic, and he has inspired people all over the world to be open to new experiences, be kind to others, and to stand up for what's right. These are the themes of his movies, and if you consider them carefully, you will see that they add up to loving one another.