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.

Growing up Japanese

Posted on June 6, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

I don’t have memories of Pearl Harbor, but then I was only three at the time. I have only a few memory traces from camp Amache, the American concentration camp my family was forced into for three years during WWII. … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XXI: May 24, 2021

Posted on May 24, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

We’ve been in our new apartment and home for some 8 weeks now, and things are pretty much settled. We have only a couple of boxes to empty, but they’re filled with books and we’re having space problems because I … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XX: May 15, 2021

Posted on May 15, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

Downsizing is a state of mind. It’s hard to believe but we’ve been in our apartment for 6 weeks – April 2nd was our move-in date, so 6 weeks is for real;. It doesn’t feel that long, sort of.

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Downsizing XIX: April 30, 2021

Posted on May 1, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

I lied, there is another downsizing chapter in me: It is at its heart about transitions. It’s a rite-of-passage from one state to another, from one mind-space to tomorrow. For us, the first stages were with passing on those things … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XVIII: April 23, 2021

Posted on April 24, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

Yesterday we passed a milestone in that we have been in our new apartment for three weeks. It doesn’t seem that long, but time passes when you’re having fun. The hectic part of downsizing is over, and we’ve survived. The … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XVII:

Posted on April 19, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

Yesterday I supervised the final task in our downsizing endeavors, the clearing out of all the trash and stuff and detritus from our garage – Things have a way of gathering in dark corners while you’re not watching, and the … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XVI: April 10, 2021

Posted on April 18, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

We’ve been in our new home now for a week and four days, and things are settling down to more or less normal, at least a new normal. I had a senior moment this morning when I took my Prius … Continue reading →

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Origins of Racism: It Comes Out of A Natural Survival Response

Posted on April 17, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

What if there was a theory of human behavior that explained how it is that humans develop a hatred for its own kind, that thing we call racism? What might it say about how we treat each other, and where … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XV

Posted on April 8, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

We’ve been in our new home coming on a week this Friday – The initial transition and moving went smoothly, and we enjoyed the banter and liveliness of the two men who pulled the actual move off – They were … Continue reading →

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Downsizing XIV-A

Posted on April 5, 2021 by journeysofabentmind

Downsizing XIV-A Moving Day Mishap: The moving day playout was great in terms of overall success on many fronts. It was also enjoyable as these kinds of things often aren’t, but in our case it was in large measure because … Continue reading →

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