It is the 9the anniversary of my father's death. The time has passed quickly.
My father used to be born at a pretty wealthy family. In sometime, however, he has lost his parents due to tuberculosis in a short interval. He has not had a chance to educate himself but was forced to be involved in the war soon. The age of war has compelled him to spend his precious young days in the army. He has experienced a hell in China. It was a background why he had had a firm belief in pacifism.
When coming back homeland, he was caught by Christianity. He joined the tuberculosis sanatorium managed by my aunt, where he has married with my mother. As the sanatorium was closed, he brought his young family to Tokyo, where he has had a job as a housekeeper at a hospital. Maybe, I am too lenient to him but could say he has worked very hard. He was very eager to give his children chances for education. He has not complained of me at all when I wanted to go to med school after finishing mechanical engineering at a college. It was surely an economical burden to him and my mother those days. My brother also had professional education as a psychiatrist while my sister became a nurse.
In his retirement, he has spent peaceful years here in this countryside with us. He has cared for our children so affectionately. Without him and my mother, I believe we could never have worked as doctors.
Describing his life in this way, I might mislead the readers that he could have been a man of character. It is not a reality. He has had many problems in his character and behaviour, I know. But I know he has struggled for life, truth and family as much as possible in his own way.
The epitaph says God is guarding us as a quotation from a Psalm in the Bible.
I still miss him.
Shin
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful tribute to your father and I believe it to be some of your best writing ever. This man is the reason that you are who you have become. I have sent you an email with my personal reaction.
Don
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDon,
DeleteThanks for the kind words for my post. I just wanted to write a few words to tell that I had gone to our family grave with my wife on the anniversary. But when starting it, I could not help writing a small bio of my father. It is how he looked like to me. The more I add my age, the more I feel I am becoming like my father expecially for shortcomings year by year. I should have done more for him as well.
Anyway, thanks for your kind comment. I was also touched reading your mail. It was appreciated as well.
Shin
Shin,
DeleteWhile I have been remiss regarding posting comments, I have kept up with your blog. I remain occupied with my work, as well as my family and other hobby of playing golf. Summertime free time is spent with either family or on the golf course! I am trying to regain my competitive golf form, which I had as a youth, but today am only average and non-competitive. Amateur radio remains a winter pastime. Several of your postings have prompted me to make comments, but I regret that I have not done so. Let me respond to a couple.
I very much enjoy your opinions on amateur radio operations today. As you know, I am also a CW aficionado and operate SSB only in contests and to speak with certain friends who do not operate CW. Very sadly, CW is rapidly becoming a lost art. What operation there is on the bands is mostly of the 599, 73 variety. That is why I seldom call DX stations anymore. I either work 40 or 80 domestic, where most of the time I can find a traditional CW QSO with accomplished operators. Almost all of those operators are 60+, which does not speak well of the future for CW. SSB has become a haven for those “audio rangers” who largely memorized the answers to a multiple choice question pool to obtain a license. There is much blame to go around for this occurrence. Our ARRL must assume much of it with their misguided “incentive licensing” in the late 1960’s, which was an elitist movement that disenfranchised tens of thousands “baby boomers”. That is a topic for a future and much more detailed discussion.
More recently, I have been taken by your reminisces of your father and your description of your in-laws. You lost your father nine years ago. I lost my Dad in 1975 and I miss him today. As with yours, mine was a larger than life figure. At age thirty-six, in 1943, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and saw action in the Pacific at Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was ultimately assigned to the Sixth Marine Division, which was scheduled to invade your homeland before the events of August 6 and 9 brought about armistice. Had he been in the invasion force, I would likely never have been born. Perhaps that is the same for you. Following the war, he spoke about certain events, but never discussed Okinawa or the potential invasion of the mainland. I think those events were too vivid and painful for him. One of his closest friends in college (Kenyon) was a Japanese national, Daijiro Kawasaki, who returned to Japan and joined the opposing forces. Mr. Kawasaki passed away just two years ago at the age of 105. I regret that I did not contact him to discuss my Father and their relationship. I even worked in Japan in 1974-75, but did consider trying to locate him. It is my understanding that Mr. Kawasaki was quite successful in business. I will try to post a photo of my Dad running a poker game on Guam during the war. If it works, he is the one with the deck of cards and numerous cans of beer in front of him, while a number of much younger Marines look to him.
I have wanted to comment on most of your very interesting posts, but I just don’t have the time to do it thoughtfully. However, I will make one other comment. You speak of your time as mostly passed. I tell you that you are still a young man with many contributions to make. Continue doing so. I look forward to other CW QSO’s and exchanges here on the Nuttycellist’s Monologue.
73 my friend,
Taylor
WA4APB
Taylor,
DeleteThanks for your comment. We should have discussed about neoliberal economics earlier as well hi.
It is too bad that the art of CW is still missing even in the US, the mother land of amateur radio. We should consider what we could do against that trend, even if it is destined to defeat. I suspect contesting or DXing oriented ham radio could demean its value and lower the ordinary QSO activity.
Fine on your father. Another friend of mine wrote on his memory of his father. Those fathers remembered by their families in this way must be blessed. You must be proud of your father as well.
In fall, 40m may open to your area in your morning hours. See you then. Enjoy playing golf. It is good for you health, mental or physical.
Shin