Author Archives: journeysofabentmind

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About journeysofabentmind

Gordon is a Nisei, a second generation American of Japanese descent born in 1938 whose family owned a farm outside of Atwater, California in the San Joaquin Valley. His world was abruptly changed when on December 7, 1941 Japan’s Imperial Navy launched an early morning attack on Pearl Harbor. Thus began a chain of events that resulted in his family’s forced evacuation and internment in a “relocation center” in Colorado during the war. After the war Gordon spent his teenage years in school and working on the family farm. He attended U.C. Berkeley and graduated in 1960 and went on to the Graduate School of Social Welfare at Berkeley earning a Masters in Social Welfare in 1963. He worked in a number of social service settings and last worked as a case manager for developmentally challenged clients in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin Counties until he retired in 2000. When his wife Barbara retired in 2007 they moved to Eugene, Oregon following their children and grandchildren. Gordon lives with his wife of 55 years and close to the four grandchildren and life is just good.

To Do With What You Have

Posted on December 18, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

Jack Riemer, Houston Chronicle: February 10, 2001~ On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been to a … Continue reading →

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Arctic Dreams: Barry Lopez

Posted on November 22, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

I am 84 years young and over the years I’ve had things that I considered the best, the premiere and most important of things. The night I proposed to Barbara is at the top of that list. There are many … Continue reading →

Posted in Intro to My Writings | 2 Comments

“Hey, you look like that guy…”

Posted on October 26, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

Racism is a funny thing sometimes. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean funny “ha-ha!” or to diminish the evil it represents, but funny on occasion as in peculiar and unintentional. Maybe that’s still too cavalier and I should … Continue reading →

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What You Don’t Know About Your Child’s Teachers

Posted on October 7, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

 Teachers can claim deduction of up to $250 in personal expenses for school materials. For perspective, millionaires can write off the operation of their private jets. 2.  Teachers spend personal funds for school supplies for student’s whose families can’t provide … Continue reading →

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To Do With What You Have

Posted on September 30, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

Jack Riemer, Houston Chronicle: February 10, 2001~ On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been to a … Continue reading →

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GREAT TRUTHS

Posted on September 15, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED: 1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.2) When your Mum is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They … Continue reading →

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The World’s 101 Worst Puns ~ Vol. III: Introduction

Posted on September 10, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

No one knows with any certainty how language started in the dawn of human life. Primitive humans probably grunted a lot and gesticulated to convey what was on their minds. Before the evolution of elaborate throat muscles and vocal chords … Continue reading →

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Two Faces: From Real Life: Part III

Posted on August 31, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

There were two episodes after we were married where race played a noticeable role. The first was soon after our marriage when we were looking for an apartment in Berkeley. I had gone out in response to an ad in … Continue reading →

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Two Faces: From Real Life: Part II

Posted on August 14, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

Wesley Foundation was a major part of my life in college starting in 1957. I met Barbara, my future wife there, though it would be several years before that ever developed. Barbara and I were on the leadership council at … Continue reading →

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Two Faces: From Real Life: Part I

Posted on August 11, 2022 by journeysofabentmind

Overall, my life has been mostly free of racial assaults and attacks, thankfully nothing physical. Of those that did happen, only a few were direct confrontations. Most of them were sideswipes. There was nothing of any kind when we first … Continue reading →

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