Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 23

Family Gatherings

I love family gatherings. But I do not always like the reasons for family gatherings.

We have had family gatherings for the Matsushima and Miyoshi families since I was a kid. We gathered on the farms for work and play and food. We gathered in places of worship for weddings. We gathered at special places for family reunions. And on many of those occasions, both families gathered. There was no sign of family feuds like between the Hatfields and McCoys. Or the Montagues and Capulets. Or th...

You Cannot Edit a Blank Page

I never really thought about it, but you cannot edit a blank page.

Apparently, Jodi Picoult said, “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” As obvious as it sounds, the quote is very deep. There is a truth to it that cannot be denied. Or can it?

By the way. If you are like me, you may not know who Jodi Picoult is. She is an author of many books, none of which I have read. Not that I would not read her stuff, I just have not. There are so many authors like that these...

Driving a Hybrid

Driving a hybrid vehicle is a different experience.

We have two hybrid cars now. A RAV4 and a Camry. I know. They are both Toyotas. There is something to be said for brand loyalty. Maybe they ought to make a commercial about my family. After all, we have five Toyota’s for the four drivers in our household. And our son who lives across town drives one too. Personally, I like Toyotas for their reliability and value. And I have not driven many vehicles I like more than a Toyota. (Too bad...

Writing through the Grief

Margie (Matsushima) Miyoshi
(May 31, 1942 – September 16, 2021)

It might seem strange, but writing is a big part of my grieving process.

I do not know how it started but I always need to write something when somebody I know dies. Some sort of tribute.

Often times I think that we do the tributes too late. We ought to write tributes and eulogies before a person dies so that they can hear them. Which is just another way to say that we need to appreciate people while they are still with us. See...

Be Alert

Be alert! After all, the world needs more lerts.

I do not know when I last told that lame joke, but I do know that I like lame jokes. After all, that is about all I can tell. At least when I do tell jokes.

I was talking to a friend and colleague about jokes last spring. Apparently, he cannot tell jokes either. He told dad jokes as warm ups for his classes while we were teaching remotely. The thing is, he could not tell them if he did not have the jokes up on a web browser on a screen that...

I Can’t Stand Contractions

I don’t know if you have figured this out yet, but I don’t like contractions. At least not when I write.

I know that I use contractions when I speak. Won’t, don’t, can’t. Well maybe not “can’t.” After all, I’m a coach and I tell my athletes that “can’t” is akin to a swear word so they get pushups. At any rate, I know that I use contractions when I speak. But writing is a whole different subject. Literally. (Looky there. Two word plays in one. Or was that two word plays in two sentence...

A Normal School Year?

Another school year has just begun. I am hoping it will be mostly normal.

The last couple years of education have been quite the challenge. Going home for COVID in the middle of the 2019-2020 school year. Then, staying at home for the first half of the 2020-2021 school year. Then, having hybrid classes for the second half. Quite the teaching and learning experience. I know it was not the same for every school or every student. But whatever the case, the last couple years were not normal ...

Ranging and Targeting Software

We all have amazing ranging and targeting software that we just need to use often to make it better.

(I mentioned my basketball ranging and targeting software in a previous post. For those who want to check it out, it was the one about non-sports analogies. I was actually going to write more about it then, but decided that it could be a post of its own.)

Figuring out that I can dribble the basketball without looking at the ball opened up a whole new world for me. (No. That does not mean you...

Learning with Non-Sports Analogies

I watched a YouTube video about playing the piano and got better at basketball. (Sorry that it sounds like a lead-in to a corny commercial.)

To be sure, I am not very good at playing the piano or playing basketball. I work at getting a little better at both, but I am not serious enough about either to become a master. But that is not what matters. What matters is that I am teaching an old dog new tricks. And that I am learning how to do one thing by learning about another.

When I coach, I ...

Successful Writer

Commercial success does not always mean true success. In any industry.

It seems the writing community has fallen into the same trap the rest of the world has fallen into. The notion that commercial success equals true success. I suppose that definition holds true if you are a salesperson. Maybe.

Think about it. If you gain the world but lose your soul in the process, have you really had success? Popular culture tries to answer this same question, including the movies. Movies about money ...