gotohealth's Blog

It was 9am, Sam walked up the three flights of stairs, down the corridor west to his 423 office at the corner, as he had the previous thirty years with out ever missing - just as he never missed a day of school. He hung up his jacket and as he was putting on his white lab coat, he crossed the room to look out the window, turning on his radio on the way. 423 Goto Dental Lab was on the corner of the building looking down on Westlake Avenue and northwest to the front door of the Westin Hotel. The Westin was where a lot of celebrities visiting Seattle stayed, including Presidential Candidates and he wrote about them in his book 58 YEARS IN THE MEDICAL DENTAL BULDING.

Around noon, he took his self-made bento from his office fridge, warmed it up in his microwave and sat at his desk in the foyer of his one-unit dental lab. He always kept his door ajar with a brick and was never short of visitors who popped in for a chat or a patient who was sent to him for a tooth shade. He always came home with a story or two like meeting James Washington the famous sculptor; Ralph Monroe, Secretary of State or Chihuly, the glass artist.

Lunch break gave him a chance to think of the fact that this day was Valentine’s Day. Finishing his last bites of brown rice and last night’s leftover Oxtail soup, he took off his white lab jacket, put on his Jacket with all the pockets, headed downstairs, out the front of the building, turned left and around the block to the Bartell Drug Store door on 5th Avenue. He picked up his usual small box of Godiva chocolates, added a 4inch caricature of Charlie Brown and went to the card section to find a funny card.

At home on Mercer Island’s Allen Street, Dee, remembering that this day was Valentine’s, finished sweeping the kitchen and hand vacuuming the entry stairs. She put on her Peruvian heavy & warm brownish coat and got in their new white Infinity sedan bonus car from their nutrition & counseling business. Heading across the Lacey V. Murrow floating bridge, south on Rainier Avenue, she came to the Mutual Fish Market thinking, “Spending fifty dollars on fresh frozen crab and fresh raw tuna is our food budget for our whole week, but this is Valentine’s.” Harry Yoshimura, the owner, was in his office and Dee stopped to have a short conversation. On the way home, she stopped at Island Books for a card and had another fun conversation with its owner Richard.

About 6pm, Dee could hear the ’64 Mustang roaring up the steep hill and parking in the carport in front of Sam’s green ’49 Chevrolet Pickup from off his Brother’s Quincy, Washington farm. The white pedestal round table, one of their first furniture purchases from KCW Furniture, was set, with the set of special Japanese style blue flowered, rice bowl, variety of small dishes for condiments and chop sticks holder, from cousin Miyo. It was placed on the bluish placemat bought when they once entertained the Mayor of Mercer Island, Aubrey Davis and his wife Henrietta, who was daughter Kelly’s 3rd & 4th grade teacher.  

Sam came in the door saying, “Hi Mandie” He was greeted at the door by the Lhasa apso and Dee at the top of the stairs. Taking off his Jacket and hanging it up in the hall closet, feeding Mandie was first before sitting down at the table. 

As Sam quietly raved about the satisfying bites of dinner, “Ahh Uhmmmmmmm”,  he got up and went back to the hall closet. He got a paper bag, handing it to Dee, saying, “Here’s a little nothing.” They exchanged cards, smiled and celebrated another fun Valentine in their lives. 

While “love” is an ultimate ideal to reach for with words and events; keeping it simple and casual as well as finding love in the daily actions made life meaningful and fulfilling. The victory is that there were strong wills and major differences involved, needing discussions and the “purpose in life” of passing on a legacy, of heritage values, to future generations.  It worked for 56 years!!

Yesterday, we had another fun session of story telling at the Panama Tea and Coffee. About 15 individuals joined us for conversation on our 9th session since we started last May 2022. It’s particularly interesting to find the Panama Hotel an INTERSECTION and crossroads of people from all around the USA and the world.

Avery grew up in Ohio and is part of a family interested in history. She finds Japanese Kimono and things Japanese of particular interest and has come to stay at the Panama and help Jan Johnson, owner of the hotel. Avery is most impressed with how Jan has created vintage decor in several of the rooms: The Writer’s Room, Ladies Room, Hairdo Room, Chickadee Room, Bamboo Room.

Khulan shared about coming to the USA from Mongolia, sandwiched between Russia and China. She met her husband Jason here and they have traveled the US, but find Seattle the most comfortable saying, “I feel like my own person and not an Asian that looks different.” She brought some of her Mongolian friends and says there is a count of around 3000 who live with us here in the greater Seattle area. 

Of particular interest was her comments about the Mongolian history of Russia protecting them from Japanese and making everyone equal with the Russian philosophy of government control of all their possessions and equal redistribution. The Mongolian People were also no longer able to practice their own ancient religions and philosophy of life. Khulan adds, “I have both good and bad feelings about Russia at this time.” We all shuttered as Khulan shared that it was 32 degrees below zero this day in Mongolia - the coldest capital in the world.

Gary shared about his Nisei friend, Shigeo Iwamura, who was a flight instuctor for Kamikazi Pilots (human bombs idea started in the Phillipines) in Japan. Shigeo’s family had moved back to Japan in 1932.  It’s speculated that Shigeo was determined to fit in and was caught up in national piety.

There was a healthy discussion of the term “Kokutai” - loyalty to the country of Japan and the emperor (representing the unbroken lineage from the Goddess Amaterasu) during WWII in Japan. Michi talked about women’s group and children in school, during the war, who practiced with wooden swords, and bamboo spears, who were trained to defeat American soldiers. Most of the younger Japanese don’t even know about such efforts as these stories were stricken from all literature. Currently, “Kokutai” only refers to national sports events. 

Raku shared how she, as a toddler, was buried under rubble on August 5th, 1945, when her house in Kyushu was bombed. She was coincidentally at a University of WA social event years later and may have met the pilot of the plane that dropped the bomb. 

Nothing like stories from different perspectives that help us learn for a better tomorrow.