Since two months ago, my life has changed dramatically. I live in a different apartment in a different city. Like so many others, I take the train to work every morning and rely on it to return home every afternoon. I mount the same train car, stand in (almost) the same spot, and see the same faces, postures, and black jacket with white star painted onto the back. Some days, I feel tired, but I am invariably happy. My happiness visits me much more regularly, and last for longer than the night. In the last two months, I have changed the way I exercise, socialize, and understand my place in the larger scheme of human society. I feel much more well-placed. Love permeates much more of my day, every day. The difference is palpable, and it is rare these days that moments of empty feelings stay empty for long. To the cosmos, the gods, and my ancestors, I offer sincere thanks. I want to take care to respect these gentle and profound gifts, and the relationships that sustain them.
April 2020: As coronaviruses ravage the world and "business as usual" operations scramble, one American living in Japan struggles to stay centered.