The turning point of my life is now! - A Fresh Start to a Life Full of Expectations!

I have mixed feelings because I recently learned that the number of readers of this column is increasing. I am happy, but on the other hand, I often feel embarrassed when I think back later because I write so many real thoughts from my sleep talking here.

I am writing this article in Hartford, Connecticut on the East Coast in the States. A year ago, the Japanese media was reporting that the States was terribly suffering from the COVID crisis, but as a result, most citizens have been infected and the society has gained herd immunity, allowing people to travel with no restrictions. Of course, we also hear the news that the number of COVID cases is increasing again, and a few senior citizens wear masks, but by all accounts, American society as a whole is back to normal. Realistically, it is only a matter of time before the number of uninfected people will decrease in Japan, so I hope that Japan will get back their freedom soon. Tokyo doesn’t seem to have this problem, but in some rural areas, there’s still the sense of social ostracism lingering over COVID.

I decided to write again, knowing that you will ask, “Are you old?” I feel like I’m only 45 years old + 20 years or 55 years old + 10 years! I have just passed the halfway point, and when I think that I’m running to reach the finish line, there’s still a long way to go. It all depends on how I look at it. At least in my mind, I feel I’m younger than my actual age, sometimes I even think I’m still in my 30’s because l have my bone density measured every year, and the test says I’m only 33 years old. This is why I have never broken a bone no matter how hard something has hit my body. I thought that the only thing I couldn’t fight against was my aging eyes, but recently something strange has been happening. What a surprise, I can easily read the newspaper again. That’s impossible! I’m so happy, but I feel as if my body is getting younger.

If this is the case, now is truly a turning point of my life. Recently, I finally got back my life as a completely single man after years of hard work. I can’t be any happier. I got married and had four children, but I got divorced and became the legal guardian of all my children. I was busy raising my children while running Sound House for many years, which was such a difficult thing to do. I had to drive them to and from school and cram school, prepare lunch boxes for them, and I took them to the hospital more than 100 times in total. The only reason I was still able to work while raising four kids was because the Sound House office at the time was located right next to the apartment where we had rooms for company housing. Raising four children while going back and forth during the day was physically and mentally exhausting. Finally, the youngest of my four children will graduate from college this June. Cheers! The time is coming when I will eventually be released from restrictions after so many years.

Thus far, I tried so hard to accomplish everything with responsibility based on what the society defined to be the right thing to do. I knew that I had to be responsible for raising children and I was also completely aware that I was also responsible for the lives of my employees. With 200 employees, there are roughly 500 family members and acquaintances who are dependent on the salaries of my employees. There could even be 1,000 people around them. Therefore, I am the one who is eternally responsible for the management of the company so I must be loyal to my job. I also am responsible for the tens of thousands of customers throughout the country who support our business. I have to live up to their expectations. This is why I can’t easily say, “Let me take some days off!” in my position. If you are hired, you can just say nothing and leave like the trend these days, but those who have to take responsibility like me just have to endure. This is another toughest thing for me.

Now that I’m reaching this turning point, my life is expected to change in the future and I must be able to see the goal at the end of the tunnel. Those who only say, “I finished half of my lifetime! I’m going to do my best for the other half!” but they don’t know what their goals are and their lives sound empty. I never want to be like that, but then again, how am I going to live the other half of my life? Hmm...

I can’t write my goal down so easily because it involves complicated thoughts. Nevertheless, the direction is definitely coming into view. What’s important is that I will continue to live each day of my life with no regrets. For me, that means running as fast as I can, like I have always done. Moreover, if I give my everything, not only for myself, but for others and for society, I will have no regrets. Someday when the time comes for me to leave this earth and go to heaven, I will take my last breath with gratitude. Everything I have striven for is all about that. In order for me to finish this life peacefully, I have begun to believe it is important to enjoy eating a meal with the people who we can share our hearts with and find a little joy in the difficult times in our daily lives. I’m a little past the halfway point and here is to the beginning of my epic life!