A Serendipitous Meeting

This is Herbert Yanamura. Earlier this week, my sisters and I brought my Mom to visit Aunty Grace, my Dad’s sister, who is in a skilled nursing facility. Her daughter and son-in-law were visiting from California, her son was there, and we all had a nice visit. Herbert is also at this facility; he is a World War II hero, having served in the 442nd Battalion and as a linguist with the Military Intelligence Service. Herbert came out of his room to visit with us, and small world, he knew our Dad back in Honaunau on the Big Island. This was when my Grandpa decided to move his family to Kona to try his hand at coffee farming. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, so the family moved back to Oahu. Herbert shared that he was a year older than my Dad, Keiji, so that would make Herbert 95 years old today. He told us that he and my Dad played together often and that my Dad had to walk very far just to get to school. He also said that they enjoyed playing baseball and that my Grandpa was such a baseball fan; he would watch games and cheer loudly, raising his hands in the air.  Herbert demonstrated, and we laughed, recalling that Grandpa enjoyed watching our brother Roy playing baseball.

We asked Herbert to share about his time in World War II. He was thoughtful and spoke quietly but with clarity to details. It is evident that he understood the importance of sharing his story with us as one of two hundred soldiers, recruited from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, to serve as linguists with the Military Intelligence Service.

When I got home, I searched for more information about him. I found out that Herbert was a war hero, but like many of his generation, he was modest about his heroics. The Battle of Okinawa in April 1945 claimed the lives of 50,000 American soldiers, 100,000 Japanese soldiers, and over 140,000 Okinawa civilians. In June of that year, Herbert saved the lives of 1,500 villagers in Madeira, Okinawa through his repeated appeals over the loudspeaker to surrender to US troops. (Read the story of Herbert’s bravery here.) In 2013, Herbert attended a ceremony at the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum, and he met Hatsuko Tomori, who was a 10-year-old girl back then. It was Herbert’s appeals that led to her family coming out of hiding. (Read that story here.)

World War II was an opportunity for Americans of Japanese Ancestry to prove their loyalty to their country. They did so honorably, despite knowing that many of their family and friends were stripped of their rights and interned in concentration camps. We need to hear stories from people like Herbert; he is a true American hero. I am so glad we had the opportunity to talk story with him.

Girl Power!

When I was growing up, there were few opportunities for girls to participate in athletics. My first experience playing on a sports team was in my sophomore year in college when our dormitory decided to enter a team in flag football. Some guys agreed to coach a bunch of girls who never played football before, and I realized how fun it was to learn something new and to compete on a playing field. Later, I also played on intramural teams for basketball and softball. At that time, the University of Hawaii had put together a women’s volleyball team, and one of my best memories is taking second place in softball to that team; we were clearly overmatched by their pure athleticism, but it was pretty awesome to lose in the finals to them. When we got married, Randy and I lived in a condo with a tennis court, and I learned to play that sport-of-a-lifetime, and later I played old-ladies soccer and learned the game of golf. I love sports, and those experiences have taught me a lot about myself, about persevering even when it was difficult, and how difficult it can be to learn something new.

Title IX didn’t come about until 1972 when I was in college so as a young girl growing up in a plantation village community, we didn’t have opportunities to play on sports teams. It never occurred to me that it was “unfair” for my brothers to be able to play Little League while us sisters were relegated to watch and cheer for them. In high school, there were limited opportunities for girls  in sports, and I’d never played any of them competitively.

Today, I realize the many life lessons that participating in sports teaches us, and our girls are benefiting from having many choices and being exposed to inspiring role models. Our women’s national soccer team recently won the World Cup, going undefeated in the process. 15-year-old Coco Gauff beat several higher-ranked players including Venus Williams before falling to eventual champion and former #1, Simone Halep, at the recently-completed Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. And an Under 11 girls team from Hawaii were featured in Soccer Nation for their pure joy after winning the championship at a tournament in California. It was obviously a very exciting game, but I like what the coach shared: “Win or lose, we came to play soccer, continue to improve and spread our aloha spirit.”

It’s wonderful that young girls have role models as well as choices in what they want to play: team sports such as softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and hockey or individual sports like golf, ice skating, gymnastics, bowling, martial arts, and tennis. Participating in athletics teaches our girls so many life lessons such as teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship. I am thrilled that they are having opportunities that I never had when I was growing up.

Out of My Comfort Zone - Public Speaking

From the time I was a young girl in school, public speaking made me anxious. I was never comfortable speaking in front of groups, especially large ones. So I avoided those opportunities to speak in front of others. It’s true that as a principal, I was fine getting in front of the students and speaking with them; I could speak to parents comfortably, and I wrote and delivered speeches if I had a script in front of me.

Last night, I agreed to do a presentation for a Toastmasters Club to promote my book that has just been released. I wrote a speech, practiced in front of Randy, revised the speech based on his questions and feedback, and practiced some more. I silently recited the presentation in my head as I walked my dog. And then I got to the meeting. I was feeling okay, and my voice didn’t feel strained like it sometimes does when I’m nervous.

It helped that everyone was so nice and made me feel comfortable. And then I presented and included some Power Point slides. I thought the visuals could help me to remember that particular part of the presentation. I felt relieved when I was done, primarily because it was over. I knew I hadn’t hit a home run, but I thought I had made a positive connection with most of the members.

Toastmasters is an organization that helps its members to improve their communication skills in a no-pressure environment, and after the designated members presented their speeches, it was time for feedback.

Usually, one member is assigned to get up and share their observations and reactions to a speech. Because I was a guest who was practicing for future presentations, all members were given an opportunity to give me pointers. It was a powerful experience; I had never had that type of feedback before. Some of the members validated what I already knew. For example, I didn’t make connections by looking at people in the eye; I was looking at the tops of their heads and I never turned to look at the member who was my the left side. I should have been confident enough not to look at my notes because I was sharing my story. I could have had an attention-grabber at the beginning to draw the audience in. I didn’t need the Power Point; my story was effective without the slides. More important though, was the feeling I got after the members had an opportunity to share their suggestions with me. I felt empowered; I knew that I could improve, and they were giving me specific feedback that I could definitely work on for my next presentation.

As I reflect on my time as a principal, I realize that I stayed in my comfortable box where public speaking was concerned. My speeches were for a specific audience who knew me, and I had my notes as my security blanket; I wasn’t nervous because I was basically reading aloud.

I learned that now, as an author, when a book is completed and sent to press, the job is only 50% done. The other 50% is spent in promoting my book. In my mind, I am already preparing for the different groups I will be speaking with, keeping in mind the feedback I received. I know it will be a process to be able to speak with the confidence I observed from the Toastmasters, but I am determined to continue to progress. As a principal, one of my core values and beliefs was that I needed to continue to learn. Even in retirement, I continue to gain new skills.

Thank you to the Paradise Hawaii Toastmasters!

Thank you, Jicky Ferrer, for inviting me to speak at your Paradise Hawaii Toastmasters meeting!

Speaking and listening are essential skills. Thank you to the Toastmasters for your valuable feedback!