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Busy

First was the neighborhood association meeting. My last one as vice-chairperson. Two years of service, and just like that, I was passing the torch. Well actually I was gulping coffee and speed-talking my way through an hour-long crash course for my successor, trying to cram two years of experience into his brain.


And wow, saying it all out loud made me realize just how busy I've been. The new guy, Sone-san, is someone I always say hi to in passing because he lives a few houses down, and he seemed to take it all in stride. He’s in his 50s, rides his bike to work, and has always struck me as a pretty easygoing guy. Still, I had this moment of self-awareness where I wondered what he must have been thinking. Like, at what point in his life did he imagine he'd be sitting there, listening to a coffee-breath, slightly unkempt, Axe body spray reeking foreigner explain the intricacies of running a Japanese neighborhood association to him? 

But once that meeting wrapped up, I was free, and man, I was walkin’ on sunshine. The actual sun was actually shining too, so I grabbed the boys and we headed up to Ohira Town to a favorite park of ours. This place has everything we love... an amazing grass sled hill and a foresty playground that’s both awesome and hazardous. I'm always amazed there aren't constant ambulances coming and going.


At some point, I just lay down on the grass and passed out. Fine upstanding dad move. When I woke up, I found Osamu playing T-ball with a new friend, sweating like crazy, his sweater discarded somewhere as he ran around in his undershirt like a kid straight out of my '80s memories. 


Kenzo, on the other hand, was upset. Apparently, he “couldn’t find me” and felt lost, even though he was the one who had asked if he could go play in the forest and then skipped away happily. And I wasn’t exactly hiding. I was literally sprawled out on our picnic blanket in the most obvious place possible.


I asked Osamu why he didn’t just tell Kenzo where I was, and he shrugged. “I dunno, I was busy.”

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