Music plays a huge role in my life. I listen to songs with happy hooks and beats, especially electronic dance music to keep my myself happy and positive and when exercising. Classical and relaxing instrumental music is what I listen to when writing legal documents and researching laws. I like fun music when researching and writing business documents and nonfiction projects. When I write my novels and poems, I enjoy romantic and sad songs so I can bring out the emotions in the characters and dramatic scenes, then I switch to uplifting songs for the happy scenes. Here, I’m wearing my wireless Beats headset from my friend Ryan Sanada in my office with the plumeria flowers in the background. There’s also coconut trees behind the plumeria tree, all very relaxing to look at while I work!
Here’s a great article on what serious writers do to get their writing done.
1. Show up regularly.
2. Get started, no matter how inspired they’re feeling.
3. Think on paper.
4. Get bored, and understand it’s part of the process.
5. Meet their deadlines no matter the hardship or duress.
I took the bus into Waikiki and got off a couple of blocks away from my destination, the Moana Surfrider Hotel. The only thing I had with me was a little black tote bag. Upon arriving at the hotel, I went through the main entrance and out onto the lanai in the back where I paused to absorb the red and orange sun setting into the ocean. I don’t know what was causing me to sweat more, the humidity or my anticipation. I proceeded to the outdoor restaurant covered by a huge tree. I sat at a table to side of the stage that had a large umbrella top covering. A blonde waitress with wavy hear tied in the back came to take my order.
“Hi, is Kanae performing tonight?” I inquired.
Her smile subsided. “Oh I’m sorry. Not tonight. Kainani is dancing.”
“Hmm, I guess I made a mistake. I’ll take a guava juice.”
In a few minutes the waitress returned with my beverage. I drank it down quickly and closed my bill. A part of me was relieved. I strolled out of the dining area and to the beach. I sat on the warm sand. The rhythmic waves of the ocean was soothing to listen to. The clouds hovering had turned pink, one of my favorite things to see.
“Ken,” said a female voice. I turned behind and saw Kanae standing just a few feet away with a grin. She was wearing a white dress with a black sash tied around her waist and white and beige sandals. She was definitely not performing hula tonight.
“Hey,” was the only sound that I could blurt back in response.
“Is it okay if I join you?”
“Sure.”
Kanae sat by me. We both faced the ocean. “It’s been awhile,” she said.
“Yes, about a year. How did you know I was here on the beach?” I asked.
“I had a meeting in the hotel lobby. I saw you walk by. Did you have something here?”
“No. I mean yes. Uh. Actually, I came here to see you dance.”
“Really?” She was now gleaming. “I’m off tonight.”
“I know. The waitress told me.” I reached into my tote bag and pulled out a cardboard item that had numbers on it and the colors red, green, yellow, and white. “Here’s the game piece that you forgot at my party a year ago.”
She laughed. “You came all the way out here to give me a game piece.”
I chuckled. “Well partly. Also, I want you to know that I think about you, and you still have a friend.”
Her eyes swelled up with tears. She moved in and hugged me tightly with her head on my shoulders.
“I’m so happy,” she whispered.
I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.
Two pink clouds descended and floated in front of us and above the blue ripples of the ocean.
I stood on the top of the ridge and admired the beautiful green trees swaying far below with the wind. The last of the blue skies were painted over with shades of gray. Ahead, dark clouds were sweeping in like an angry predator. They swallowed peak after peak and kept coming for me.
I calmly inserted my headphones in my ears and played my favorite song. The happy tune brought me a smile. My time here would be over soon, but I was content. All that came to my mind was my mom, dad, sisters, nieces, family, and my closest friends. It’s funny how we spend much of our lives building so much, pushing through all the problems and terrible people that seemed so important to do back then. Yet, in the last moments of our lives, all we think about are the ones who really mattered. Memories of joy with them came blasting in like a movie in fast forward. You see their faces and then you’re gone.
It was extremely dark when I left. I knew where I was heading, but I was afraid. Then the beautiful moon appeared behind me, lighting up the sky, as if it was telling me to keep going.
I have so much gratitude for my business partners, especially my FBO partners who have been working with me for almost three years, and all of us are pushing forward and taking on challenges without pay for all these years in addition to other projects we have for ourselves or with other groups. Trying to make personal ends meet while developing start-ups are tough and takes patience, but the process of learning, building new skills, and expanding relationships gives us a high. We’re seeing the destination of each goal getting closer and closer with our daily grind. My heart is with all of you as you strive for your goals. Fall down seven times and get back up eight (Japanese proverb). I’m cheering for you!!!
Wanting everything, yet desiring simplicity.
The more you get, the more they want.
With nothing, there’s just authenticity.
But with nothing, you feel like nothing.
When you work hard you get known.
Attacks and Accolades.
Maybe do less and hide.
Lonely and peaceful days.
Wanting the new, yet missing the old.
Change is constant, an unbreakable code.
Love my love. Love.
Love the pain from love. Still love.
Between everything and nothing is something.
Maybe all we need is something.
– Jon Riki Karamatsu, Haiku Poem #137, 6/19/2018 (This poem was inspired by the protagonist in my second novel who struggles with his sadness and anger over the death of his parents caused by the Iraq war. I’m editing the first draft.) –
To distract me from worrying about tomorrow, I work on what I can today.
At times we decline opportunities to pursue our dreams, which causes us stress. I’ve been through it with my political and legal career, and now I’m going through it with my recent goals in the private sector. Focusing on what I can work on now has helped me move forward on my journey, even through the roughest parts. I wish you the best in your journey. I’m feeling you and cheering for you!
Sometimes it’s hard to produce work. Forcing myself to keep going, and it becomes fun again as the momentum builds. Reading and writing this afternoon and evening of Saturday March 24, 2018.
I now have 70 practices for my inner peace and happiness. One is listening to music, especially Electronic Dance Music or EDM, and yes, I dance by myself!!! I once got caught dancing by myself in my office by a staffer from another office when I was a young politician. Lol!!! Let’s go boys and girls!!!!!!!
Anything is possible when you have dragons!!! Let’s keep attacking our goals like a dragon on fire!!! Oh, and a nice lover to share the experiences with, would be a bonus. 😍
On that early evening, I waited by the small, shallow pond in the middle of the large field like we planned a year ago. It was dark. The clouds blacked out all of the stars above. Anxious, I began to pull at the tall blades of wild grass. Did she forget about me? Had she really moved on? In a bitter argument sometime after our promise, I was blocked out of her life. If she had wanted to reconcile with me, she would have contacted me. I was beyond wishing. Instead, I was living in a fantasy.
I waited for about an hour and gave up. Rather than heading back home, I kicked off my shoes, took off my socks, and rolled up my pants to just below my knees. I entered the pond, in an attempt to make the most of my trip there. The cool water felt nice, and I was mindful of the soft mud squeezing between my toes. I slowly proceeded to the middle of the pond, where at that point, I had no care of wetting my clothes. So I crouched down, placed my face in my hands, and let my emotions go. I felt my tears seeping out beneath my palms, making little drops that fell into the water. I stayed like this for some time.
Then, I heard something. There was a buzz. Then a second buzz. And then another and another. I raised my face out of my hands to see what was going on. There were hundreds of fireflies flying in the air, lighting up the pond like tiny flickering candles.
Further away, I heard a faint sound of grass moving in the darkness. Many of the fireflies flew towards the noise. And then I saw a silhouette of the curves of a woman near the other end of the pond. She took a step into the light of the fireflies. It was Kaylee. She was smiling at me in a fitted long-sleeve top and a short skirt. We stood there for a few moments, just looking at each other. My tears were now coming from joy. I grinned back at her.
“Sorry,” she broke the silence. “It took me longer than I thought.”
I looked at her high-heeled sandals and giggled with a shake of my head.
Kaylee followed my eyes and looked down at her feet. “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking.” She bent over to unstrap and take off her sandals. Then, she lifted her light skirt and waded into the pond. As she walked towards me, ripples moved across the pool of water. Upon meeting me, she wrapped her arms around my waist and placed her cheek against my chest. I embraced her body in my arms.
Strangely, the fireflies reacted by moving around us like we were star actors of some kind of show. “Uh, guys, what are you doing?” I asked them.
Kaylee lifted her head from my chest and watched them fly around us. “Let them be,” she joked.
She turned her attention back to me, and gazed into my eyes. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I replied.
Still holding one another, we inched closer. I closed my eyes and felt her soft lips press against mine. My eyelids tightened firmer and quivered upon feeling a euphoric sensation that moved throughout my soul.
Life sometimes has its strange twists and turns. I was glad that we both took a chance on this one.
Hi Everyone,
I hope you enjoyed this romantic scene. To help me evoke my emotions, I listened to the songs “Sleepy Eyes” by Elohim & Whethan and “Stargazing” by Kygo ft. Justin Jesso while I was writing this, which I posted below. I found the picture shown above, of a boy and girl in a shallow pond in a field of grass at http://gde-fon.com/download/guy_girl_lake_water_night_fireflies/401727/1680×1050.
I find happiness working on my projects with my MacBook Pro at coffee shops where I can produce so much work compared to being alone at home. Here I am writing my second novel at Starbucks in Waipio, Oahu, Hawaii on the late evening of October 12, 2017. I finished 66,532 words for my historical, suspense, and romance story based in Iraq during the U.S. occupation. My goal is to write 80,000 words for this novel. My MacBook Pro is my partner and friend. Feeling so much gratitude for the simple joys of life!
Sometimes it’s a struggle to maintain consistency on our goals, whether it be for our career or personal life. I’ve been feeling fatigued lately so my level of effort on my exercise, meditation, and fictional writing has dropped. My main focus has been on my business projects, but after that, I feel tired and sleepy. I forced myself to run outdoors 2 to 4 miles a couple of times this week, and meditated while lying in bed because of my lack of motivation, and this has helped a tiny bit to keep me moving forward. Whatever it takes to keep us going right? Today, Sept. 23, 2017, I woke up with my hair standing up, and put my exercise clothes on to motivate me to go to the gym. Step by step to get back to my highest level of performance. If you are feeling down, I support your little steps to get back to peak performance. I wish you the best in your efforts on your goals!!!
A little brown sparrow came to me on my window sill. It chirped to me comforting words, “Right now the sun is shining and the trees are swaying. I am here and everything seems to be alright. But at night, I will be gone, and they will come for you. Darkness has won here. Close your eyes and go back to your world. She will be waiting for you in the garden by the stream, sitting on the bench under the cherry blossom tree. You know who I am talking about.”
The bird hopped along and faced its back towards me at the edge, ready to launch into flight.
“Wait, why are you telling me this?” I asked.
The sparrow twitched his head backwards at me and chirped, “Because you created us. We want you to see the beauty of what you’ve done for us. The people here don’t know who you really are, but we do. Don’t give up on us just because of the pain you’re feeling here.”
He turned his head back forward and took off into flight, flying high above the coconut trees, becoming smaller and smaller until he became a speck and disappeared.
I wiped away a tear that trickled down my cheek. I knew what he meant, and I understood what I had to do.