Writing about and promoting peace to an American audience might be a thankless enterprise. But to be thankless, it would first have to be noticed.
Violence in the U.S. is so endemic, so commonplace, so intrinsic to the American Way, it would be less extreme to suggest to people that they stop breathing or eating than to propose that fewer guns might reduce the ongoing slaughter. Mass shootings, unless they are a full-frontal horror show involving copious bleeding and splattered entrails, innocent children, terrorists or grandmothers in wheelchairs, though a daily occurrence now, are so much a part of the fabric of life, they now rarely even make the news. Same ol’ same ol’. Better ratings reporting on new trends in smart phone dating apps or meltdowns of transgender athletes refused entry to girls locker rooms.
Scaling this mentality up from road rage and drive-by shootings to relations among nations, results in the same glassy-eyed stupor. To suggest that the country and world could do without war is yelling in a vacuum. American foreign policy comes down to a basic, unstated platitude: It’s our way or bombs away.
So where do I fit in to the savagery that is the new normal?
Am I deterred? Does such a fanatical embrace of human expendability discourage me? Does such indifference to the value of human life intimidate me?
Not quite. Two factors are in play: I was taught to dream the impossible dream. And ironically, there’s some Zen comfort in pointless futility. Dylan said it best: There’s no success like failure.
My two most recent books are about peace. Go ahead. Laugh. I’m happy to put a smile on your face.
THE U.S. AND PERPETUAL WAR came out in May 2023 . . .
As an eBook . . .
- Apple iBook
- Amazon (US) Kindle
- Barnes & Noble Nook Book
- Amazon (Canada) Kindle
- Amazon (Australia) Kindle
- Amazon (United Kingdom) Kindle
- Amazon (Japan) Kindle
- Smashwords (all ebook formats)
- Scribd
- Kobo
As a Deluxe Paperback . . .
- Amazon (US)
- Barnes & Noble
- Amazon (Canada)
- Amazon (Australia)
- Amazon (United Kingdom)
- Amazon (Japan)
- Deluxe paperback direct from printer
WAR IS MAKING US POOR! was published just last month . . .
- Apple
- Amazon (US)
- Amazon (Canada)
- Amazon (United Kingdom)
- Amazon (Germany)
- Amazon (Japan)
- Barnes & Noble
- Smashwords
- Evander
- Kobo (US)
- Direct from Printer
Both of these were intended for Americans to read. Unfortunately, rarely does anyone in the U.S. buy them. They sell almost exclusively in Canada, England, Europe, and Australia. Not sure why that is. Maybe it’s like I said at the beginning. “Writing about and promoting peace to an American audience might be a thankless enterprise. But to be thankless, it would first have to be noticed.”
Whatever.
Let me close by changing the subject.
Want to know what by far is my most popular book? It’s my novel about trafficking of Asian prostitutes, PETROCELLI, completed and published in 2015.
What about my most popular article over the past couple years? It’s a chapter from my book LIVE FROM JAPAN!, which appeared on my blog site August 4, 2020.
Life In Japan: TVs on TV
You probably guessed it. It’s about the popularity of transgenders on Japanese television.
There’s a lesson in all of this somewhere. Let me know in the comments below if you figure out what it is.
Life In Japan: Dekansho 2024!
This year, Masumi and I pulled out all of the stops for the annual Dekansho Festival. We wore traditional clothing, me a jinbei and her a yukata. Jinbei is summer wear for men, and a yukata is the summer version of a kimono, since a regular kimono would be way too hot this time of year.
The festival was especially groundbreaking for me, since I learned the Dekansho dance! Both evenings Masumi and I danced with the crowd, circling the stage countless times. The music, of course, is performed live. It’s a great feeling dancing with thousands of smiling people, folks of all ages, heights, weights, some shy, some outgoing. What a total hoot!
Which makes me realize why this festival is so special, why it’s becoming more and more popular each year — this year it was often shoulder-to-shoulder, particularly by the food and souvenir booths — with visitors coming from all around to experience the unique celebration.
It’s that it’s not just a “spectator festival”. It’s a “participant festival”. It’s like a big party!
If you watched the video, you could see the dancing. It’s impossible without using an airborne drone to capture how many people are doing the Dekansho dance. Half of the festival grounds is covered with dancers.
You might have also noticed a celebrity appearance by the Japanese mascot-destroyer, Godzilla. Well, we didn’t get a photo of him but Spiderman was there too! The kids loved it.
Yes, the kids. And the old folks (like me). And swarms of teens. And everyone in between.
This is how life should be. A whole community coming together, laughing, smiling, dancing, singing, eating drinking. Joined by people from surrounding communities adding to the joy.
By the way, I thought Masumi looked great! It’s rare I get to see her dressed in traditional Japanese garb.
We went both days. Despite there being how many attendees? — 10,000? 20,000? We saw so many folks we knew. We ran into two of Masumi’s daughters, their closest friend and her new husband. We saw neighbors from our village. We saw Yuka and Dan. I met Yuka by being her English teacher back in 2008. We say Bodi, a friend from Pokhara, Nepal, who manages a local Nepalese restaurant.
My only regret is that Dekansho only lasts two days. Like I said, isn’t this what life should be like all of the time? Then again, it wouldn’t be so special if we had it every month.
I guess we just need to figure out how to make every day special, each in its own unique way.
I think I’ll start each day by dancing.
Or maybe I’ll sing as I ride my new bike through the rice and soybean fields . . .
Songs about peace . . . friendship . . . kindness . . . celebration . . . love . . .