Japan

After waiting several days for the initial shock and grief to wear away enough for rational thought to prevail, I am still not certain that is the case, I now put "pen to paper," so to speak. It has been about thirty years since the last time I was in touch with any of the few people from Japan I have been acquainted with in the past; thirty years since their names and faces have crossed my mind at all. In the past several days, since the reports of the earthquake and tsunami, however, their faces are what come most immediately to my mind as I hope that they are all, somehow, OK following this terrible disaster in their native land. A short-term friend, two professors, a study partner, and a childhood Brownie Girl Scout companion; all Japanese or of Japanese descent with only one of them likely still here in the United States.

My "short-term friend" is named Kenji. He was here for a short while attending a class at one of our universities before returning to Japan and his employment as an executive in Japan's steel industry. He wrecked his knee playing soccer while he was here and that gave us the opportunity to get to know one another somewhat, otherwise he would have been off playing all sorts of sports and too busy to bother taking time to speak to an overly shy American like me - at the time. Upon his returning to Japan I presented him with a Gummy Rat for his nephews. I hope all of them are now safe and well. I hope none of his family have been lost to this horrible occurrence and that they will be able to overcome this time and thrive once more.

To my former language professors and my former study partner, I wish the same things. I know my professors were not impressed with my efforts or skills, but I know my study partner and I parted as friends. I hope she and her family are safe following all of the upheavals of the past several days. I wish I could send her that hug we both felt like giving one another but didn't because it would not have been "the thing to do" in the middle of the UNH campus at the time.

The rest of my response to what is happening is still in the "Dear God!" range, so I will continue to wait; wait for some form of coherant thought, for some sort of peace, for a calming of my heart, but that will likely never occur or at least not for a very long time. My thoughts and prayers are with Japan right now and my hopes are for a speedy recovery and many wonderful rescues and reunions despite all of the losses and horrors still being discovered.

Izzlebug