García, Héctor, and Francesc Miralles. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. New York: Penguin, 2016. Hard Cover. 198 pages. $27.50. This is a book about an aspect of Japanese culture written by non-Japanese authors. Although one of them (García) does hold Japanese citizenship, this book is an interesting description of Japan … Continue reading García and Miralles, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life (2016)
My Chiropractor Dr. M
I have been seeing my chiropractor Dr. M since February 2021. It has already been a one and a half years as of today (July 2022). He is of Italian descent but was born and raised in Canada. Dr. M is an able and successful chiropractor, a family man, and a devout Roman Catholic. The … Continue reading My Chiropractor Dr. M
Shinzo Abe’s Death
Yesterday was a sad day. The sixty-seven-year-old former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faced a cruelly sudden death at the prime of his life; he was assassinated during his campaign speech yesterday (July 8, 2022). No one in the world but the forty-one-year-old assassin knew that such a violent death would soon consume one of … Continue reading Shinzo Abe’s Death
Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie (1997)
In this bestselling 1997 memoir, the author Mitch Albom records his fourteen consecutive visits made to his former Brandeis professor Morris “Morrie” S. Schwartz (1916-95) who was dying of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, アミトロ). The fourteen topics include the world, feeling sorry for yourself, regrets, death, family, emotions, the fear of aging, money, how love … Continue reading Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie (1997)
Reflecting on Death
Our neighbor has a dog. Her name is N—I will only use the initial for privacy—and she is a beautiful golden retriever. Yet she’s so old that her death is imminent. As her time rapidly draws near, I see our neighbor’s hearts sink. They are doing everything that they can do to extend N’s stay … Continue reading Reflecting on Death