September 7, 2022

  • Reflecting on my life as I find myself in my senior years i

    1998 22nd Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair T-shirt design

    1998 22nd Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair T-shirt design

    I should've gotten a civil service job... I'd have a nice pension, money in the bank and a sizable social security check. My regrets.

    Instead I chose to be an artist. Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. I tried to make a living designing, doing illustrations, photography, photographing weddings and events, screen printing posters and tshirts.

    I worked very hard at it amidst having kids, taking care of my aging mother, dealing with the wife, managing the family property. In the end I didn't have much money to show for it.

    A lawsuit from my brother over family property cleaned me out. Now I'm begging for scraps. $500 after my Medicare insurance just isn't cutting it. Good thing my adult kids help out with the property tax and insurance. But that is just a loan.

    I always had a strong feeling for education. After my world travels I should have gotten a masters degree in Asian studies. Specializing in Asian American art, the Chinese diaspora, Chinese American history, etc. Becoming an educator. I guess I was too much of a rebel and pessimistic about the whole system to conform to it.

    Growing up in a family store was like growing up on a farm. You helped out as soon as you were able. I thought it was pretty cool to roll out of bed and go to work downstairs. Being your own boss.

    In my world travels I was amazed by all the small family run businesses.

    Seems like the whole system in this country is made to work for a big corporation or government where the emphasis is to work for for someone else, work in a job you hate, steady paycheck, for the benefits, health insurance and a retirement pension with only few years to enjoy yourself after retirement. They don't teach entrepreneurship in schools.