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.

Journeys of a Bent Mind

Posted on September 23, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

I was told recently by someone that as an introvert I couldn’t speak to the experiences of an extrovert, that I don’t have the experience base from which to speak. Actually, I do. Here’s the thing about introverts and extroverts, … Continue reading →

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Post WWII America…

Posted on August 27, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

The history of Japanese on the West Coast following the war is replete with sad and horrific tales of prejudice, racism, and persecution. Many lived through hell from some who had been close neighbors before the war, but who turned … Continue reading →

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The West Wing Reprise

Posted on August 23, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

I recently re-watched The West Wing, again – We watched it during its original run on regular TV and loved it for its portrayal of life in and around the White House – We loved it for the people on … Continue reading →

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White Privilege

Posted on July 22, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

I’ve noticed something about those who are protesting the wearing of masks as a violation of their freedoms, and overreach by a dictatorial government – They’re all white. There, I did say it, they’re all white. I don’t know if … Continue reading →

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Awakenings

Posted on July 11, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

I was born of immigrants parents in a small farming community in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The year was 1938, and my sister was six years old when I arrived. I had two other sisters before me, but … Continue reading →

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Wearing a Mask Isn’t Oppression, It’s the Mature and Healthy Thing To Do

Posted on June 24, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

Recent weeks have seen a burgeoning spike in Coronavirus infections and deaths in the United States. This in part is due to a number of states reopening activities and businesses before it was safe to do so, but also due … Continue reading →

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Remembering Dad: Part III

Posted on June 21, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

In 1963 I earned my Masters in Social Welfare degree from the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of California in Berkeley. Mom and Dad came up for the ceremonies held in the U.C. football stadium on the … Continue reading →

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Remembering Dad: Part II

Posted on June 21, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

Dad was an artist of sorts, with an appreciation for the aesthetic – not that he would have been able to verbalize this. Here’s my take on Dad being an artist: while most farmers in post WWII central California maintained … Continue reading →

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Remembering Dad: Part I

Posted on June 20, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

What follows is a journey through the golden meadows of my memory – a look at              my Dad in tales and anecdotes and memory traces, in no specific order – word        … Continue reading →

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HAIL FIRST RESPONDERS…

Posted on June 3, 2020 by journeysofabentmind

I have to hand it to all our First Responders who daily are putting their lives on the line for all of us – And they do it in spite of the actions of those ignorant/selfish “freedom fighters” taking to … Continue reading →

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