Chasing My American Dreams
This Friday, February 4, marks the 40th anniversary of my “coming to America.” For many years I didn’t even think about this day, but it feels rather significant for me now. For one, this means I’ve spent 2/3 of my life in the U.S., which I didn’t know when I left Japan 40 years ago. Perhaps the true statement is that I never had a long-term plan for my life back then or any other time in my life. I simply got to where I am today by following the bread crumbs all these years.
What I did have was a whole bunch of random “dreams.” The most important one was to learn English because I knew that was the first ticket to do anything in the world. While I was in schools in Japan, I was never an “excellent” student though I maintained decent grades. Even though my family was an intellectual bunch, they didn’t push me to pursue academic achievement and gave me the freedom to explore whatever piqued my interest. Even then the only subject I was consistently interested in was English. So when I arrived in California, I steadfastly pursued the way to become proficient in the language and to assimilate in the lifestyle this country presented.
Indeed, having learned English had provided me with so many opportunities for me to learn, to discover, to experience, to grow, and make some differences in the world. Many, many dreams came true, which led me to have more dreams. As I reflect on this milestone, I am profoundly grateful for so many people I met along the way who guided me, believed in me, supported me and cheered for me. I am grateful for the freedom I’ve had to explore this life that I don’t think I could have had I stayed in or returned to Japan. Despite all the problems we face socially, politically, environmentally and otherwise, this is the country that has given me the space to discover myself, stumble around, keep trying, and keep growing. It is indeed a privilege for me to live in this country as a first-generation immigrant and to be able to pursue my dreams of making this a better world.
Ah, besides, who would have thought I’d be practicing a Buddhist meditation and studying the Buddhist teachings in America with English speaking teachers? Yet it makes a perfect sense to me. All the elements were always there in my life. It’s just that after 40 years, my adventures are all coming together like an intricate tapestry that keeps growing.
#YouCanSitWithUs