March 11, 2020.

Today is the anniversary of the Great Tohoku Earthquake that claimed the lives of thousands of Japanese people. Events had been planned to remember the lives lost this day, but they’ve been canceled due to the coronavirus. Instead, we’re asked to observe a moment of silence.

It’s very sad, but unfortunately, that’s how life is.

Still, that moment of silence is all it takes to make one pause. Despite the craziness going all around, I’m still here. It makes you realize that life is fleeting, and I definitely don’t want to waste it. There’s a whole great world out there that’s just waiting to be lived.

I want like to start living my life now because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Even though I hate the term, it really does capture the feeling aptly: As the kids say these days, YOLO!

You only live once.

Wait, isn’t that a James Bond movie?! Not sure, though.

I think I like the soap opera version better: One life to live.

I digress, but the message is clear: if you’re reading this, you’re still alive. Many others aren’t, so what are we doing from this point on?

At this point, I’m living my life to the best of my abilities. I’m at the state where I can enjoy myself and yet serve a purpose. I’m going to stay at my current job for at least a year and possible for the next three years. Despite my dissatisfaction and disillusion with management, I still love teaching. I’m providing value to the society: I’m introducing my kids to a different world through learning English. I still also enjoy the interaction with my kids, their parents, and the staff at the school.

I still want to travel all through Japan and throughout the world. I have a list of places I want to visit that  would overfill a bucket. That is the main thing that I want to accomplish right now. Unfortunately, it costs a lot of money, and I know that. But there are ways to get around it, like some traveling hacks. International travel might be iffy right now, but I’m just as content going for a simple drive to somewhere I haven’t been before.

I know it doesn’t sound as glamorous as other peoples’ lives, but these things make me happy, content, and productive.

Like the moment of silence, I’m just taking stock of what I’ve done, what I’m doing now, and what’s going to happen in the future.

Life is long, but it’s also short.