I Left a Piece of My Heart in Japan

I have written this blog many times in my head but I have not had the resolve to put it in writing until just recently. On 11 March 2011, Japan experienced their most catastrophic earthquake measuring 9.3 magnitude and experienced a resulting tsunami, which affected many parts of northeastern Japan. Left in the tsunami’s wake was a devastated landscape of splintered homes, decomposing bodies, twisted vehicles and a damaged nuclear power plant. Immediately following the large quake were several strong aftershocks. Everywhere buildings shook violently and everyone was on edge throughout the night and for many weeks to come.

For me, that day started out like any other ordinary Friday at work, but it quickly metamorphosed into an unforgettable day of tragedy and horror. The quake struck at approximately 2:45 pm at Camp Zama. Many of us were in our offices conducting business as usual when the walls started to shake. The walls were vibrating, the building was making sounds, and some of the employees were running out of the building screaming. Needless to say, I followed. I had never been through an earthquake so I really did not know what was happening at first but if the locals were concerned, I was going to do whatever they did. The earth kept moving for at least 3-5 minutes and we kept getting aftershocks in the 6-7 magnitude throughout the evening.

In the ensuing hours, many of you watched in horror the devastation as the story unfolded on all the news channels. To be honest, Camp Zama was insulated from any real damage but the reverberations of the aftermath caused many issues to arise. Immediately our management team and staff kicked into emergency mode to ensure 100% employee and family accountability across the country of Japan. This was initially difficult because all communication lines were down except for an occasional cell phone in which people communicated via Facebook or Twitter. I immediately called my husband to let him know I was well and that the images he was watching on TV were not what I was experiencing on Camp Zama.

The days that followed seemed to bleed into another and it all seemed like a bad dream as reports of the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant began to unfold. The dream seemed never ending because we were experiencing aftershocks daily and I even had to take Dramamine because I was experiencing motion sickness. I never turned the TV off and packed my suitcases in case I was required to evacuate at a moments notice. There was a growing concern from some that the Japanese government was not telling the truth about just how bad the damage was. To further complicate matters, the US government began “voluntary departure” orders for specialized groups of people and it caused some panic and hysteria for those that did not immediately qualify under those orders. Many things quickly ramped up that were “Neo” like and some US citizens were evacuated off the island. The rest of us left behind continued to focus on our mission and tried to conduct business as usual but this again was further complicated by conflicting reports of radiation contamination in the air, food, and water supply. My personal lowest point was on a morning that I learned the base well water supply had detected contamination and we were advised to only drink bottled water…I had just brushed my teeth! That same week all US citizens were issued potassium iodide (KI) pills. KI pills were intended to be a “just in case” measure and were issued to prevent the thyroid from absorbing radiation in the event our radiation exposure levels spiked. I had to report to the gym on base, hear a safety briefing from the medical command, sign for the 7-day supply and return to work. Thank goodness, we actually never had to ingest the KI pills but having them in my possession caused some distress if I thought about it too much. I personally performed better when I kept my mind and thoughts focused on the mission rather than the possible catastrophic events that could occur. Everyone reacts to situations differently and I discovered that I was a stronger person than I thought I was and I found that I could keep my cool in an emergency.

Here we are almost a year later and I still think about the unbelievable amount of concern, love and support shown from a network of friends, co-workers and family that kept in touch with me daily bolstering my morale during my stay in Japan. I bonded with many of my immediate co-workers on a level that I feel I will never experience again. My supervisory chain showed incredible leadership and calm during the crisis and their concern for our employees impressed me. Although news of Japan's tsunami and earthquake has faded on the news channels, my heart and fondness for the Japanese people is forever etched in my memory…it is a memory filled with love and compassion not just devastation.

It's Been A Long Time

Hello to all my fellow bloggers, Facebook friends and family!  I am sorry for not updating my blog in such a long time.  I suppose you could say I am at a crossroads of sorts as to whether to continue with my blog.  Since I came back from Japan in June, I felt I had a lot to share but I did not know where to start.  Visiting Japan was one of the best things that I have done and I have no regrets.  I am still trying to sort out my feelings regarding the 9.3 earthquake, living on Camp Zama and the many friendships that I made along the way.  I left a piece of my heart in Japan and I will always cherish the memories of my visit.  I am sure as time passes, I will be able to write about my experiences but for now, I am still holding those memories close. 

In the beginning, I started writing this blog as a form of release to help me articulate many thoughts that I have swimming around in my head.  Some of these thoughts have been bottled up for a long time and just like pouring wine from a bottle; they do not come out all at once. I know that sometimes my postings may seem disjointed and random but they are the outpourings of my mind and they are connected to me and what I am feeling, seeing, or doing at any given time.  Several people have stopped by to read my blog and even some people have commented on my posts. I sincerely thank all of you for taking the time to read my thoughts and thank you for expressing words of kindness and showing some understanding.  I often am asked why I write and my only answer is that it is my life, this is my story, and it is my choice to write about it because it brings me a sense of calm. I am learning to live, speak and write about my life in a positive way and hope that it will inspire others to do the same. 

Role Models, Mentors and Friends

Every time that I start to feel sorry for myself, I think of all the stuff I have been through, put up with, survived, sacrificed, and accomplished. Whether I like it or not, the choices I have made or stumbled upon have made me who I am today. However, I have had a few good mentors, role models, and friends help guide me through this journey we call “life”!

I must admit that sometimes we do not recognize our true role models, mentors or friends until years later when we have noticed our own personal growth and progress. During my lifetime, I have had numerous role models and mentors. Some have reminded me what was really important in life, some have encouraged me to think and use the power of my voice, and some have dared me to make a difference. Each mentor and role model has taught me more about myself even when I did not want to listen. A role model to me is someone who not only treats me as an equal but also is honest, trusting, and most of all open-minded.

I believe the best roles models and mentors make us see the possibilities within ourselves. In the late 1980s, I had a supervisor, Commander Greg Lotz (USN-Ret.), who inspired me to try to live up to my potential. What he did was pull me aside one day and pointed out to me that I was “way smarter than my current job as a secretary” and that I needed to go to college in order to reach the potential that he thought I was capable of. I did not take his advice right then, but it gave me quite a boost and started me thinking and paying more attention to my career and goals in life. In the 1990s, I had another supervisor, Commander Greg Abbott (USN-Ret.), who also pointed out to me that I was hiding behind mediocre jobs instead of doing what I really wanted in life--helping others. He made me realize that I needed to be an advocate for myself and that I needed to take leadership on the issues that I believed in.

Lately, I have been privileged to have two very valuable role models and mentors named Colonel Tom Magness and Colonel Jeff Ryscavage. Their counsel and friendship have proven valuable to me and I have been influenced by the vitality and passion that they have in their lives and in the lives of others that they have touched. Their valuable insight, compassion, tenacity and humor often convinced me that the light at the end of the tunnel was not a speeding train! When I asked for advice, they always seemed to have time to listen, offered advice, challenged my perspective, and sometimes even redirected my efforts.

I am at that “40-something ponder my life stage” and I have come to the realization that I do not have traditional cookie cutter mentoring relationships. I like to call the above relationships episodes of spontaneous mentoring and role modeling. They have occurred because someone opened a discussion about how I was doing, asked me about my projects, suggested possibilities for handing career issues, and so on. If they had not asked me why I was not in college, told me that I was being mediocre, or not taken interest in my daily life, I do not think I would be as successful as I am today. Their input has had profound positive effects on me and my career and will for many years to come.

I truly believe that in order for a mentoring relationship to move beyond thriving to blooming, that there must be an equal flow of admiration and respect. I have been very fortunate to have had several mentors, role models, and friends that have taken an interest in my success. While the above list is not fully inclusive of all of them, their support and guidance continue to this day. I am eternally grateful to all for sharing their lives and I credit this dramatic turn around in my life to the time and effort of these individuals who mercifully helped me when I needed it. As the old saying goes, ‘when the student is ready, the teacher appears’. They all have appeared the moment I was ready to receive their wisdom.

True Friends

I enjoy the blessing of email and social networking sites such as Facebook because I am finding it easier to maintain and renew many of my friendships by a virtual means. I am a military brat and I have traveled most of my life moving every few years. Because of this, I have friends in many locations around the globe. I am not sure how true friendships emerge but I do believe that they are a gift from God. Having a true friend requires a certain oneness of mind, purpose, and a nobility of character. Real friendships require both friends to understand the “heart and soul” of the other, and to celebrate what they see, not because they are blinded to each other’s imperfections, but because they see all things through the eyes of friendship and love.

I truly believe that people are in our lives “for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”. Lifetime friendships are the strongest ones and often occur because of shared experiences born out of real opportunities, adventures, and challenges. Often when I look back on a solid friendship, there is a beautiful mystery attached to the origins of it. These friendships were not forced or fabricated, but my life was always the better for them. As we age, our lives undergo many changes and not all of our friendships survive. I have found it normal for a few friendships to fall by the wayside for no obvious reason. Sometimes our priorities shift or we simply grow apart. Friends that are in your life for a “reason or a season” are not any less significant because they are often just as intense and meaningful but only for a shorter time. Like any marriage, relationship, or career, they too require work, thought, and realistic expectations in order to maintain them during periods of ebb and flow.

True friendships leave footprints everywhere in your life, like mud tracked in on a light colored carpet. Nurture your friendships through shared intimacy and reciprocity knowing that they can be rich, life affirming, joyful but also complicated at times. True friends are a unique treasure that wealth cannot buy and power cannot hold. Their transformative power is essential because life is better together – with real friends.

Safe Travels My Friend

The speed at which news travels these days never ceases to amaze me. As soon as I logged on to my computer this morning and read the daily news happening around the world, I found myself unable to breathe as I read about the plane crash that happened in India. You see, I knew of a friend who was flying into Dubai and my first concern was of their safety. In that brief moment, the potential loss of their friendship caused me to crumble in a way I have never experienced before. I wanted one more day, one more phone call, and one more email from my friend. I searched the internet frantically for news of the survivors and a list of those that were on the plane. It was two more hours before I learned of those that had perished and those that had survived. It felt like the longest two hours of my life. Even now as I write this blog through tears, the possibility of loosing a friend so suddenly made me realize that life is truly unpredictable and too short. Thankfully, my friend was not on the plane that crashed but countless others lost a loved one today and I feel their pain and suffering.

Planting Seeds of Friendship

It has been a long winter, but finally we are getting glimpses of warmer days and sunny skies. As we put away our sweaters and we bring out our sandals, it is a great time to take few moments to tell those around you how much you appreciate them in your life. Friends make a profound and positive impact on us, our families, our communities, our workplace and in the world. We need each other in our lives in order to grow and learn about ourselves. Surrounding myself with individuals who take the time to give me the guidance and support I need not only encourages me to strive to do better, but it gives me the confidence to succeed in life. Be intentional about where you plant your seeds of friendship. Thoughtful gardening today can blossom into fruitful blessings for many years to come!