Liberia

Never had to tackle such a wide range of emotions
than in Liberia for my Peace Corps service.

Going in, I believed that development
work was going to be my life.

But even on the nights
when those cool Harmattan winds
would make themselves over the Sahara,
I'd lay under my mosquito net wide awake.

One day I asked my students "the question,"
What do you dream of doing?

Two years went by, and again
I was reminded of how beautiful,
people and life anywhere, could be.

And also how life really is
just one big damn lottery.

If I could ask my students again,
If you had the opportunity to go after your dream, would you go for it?

I know they'd say, "Yes, Mr. Fukuda - go racing."

 

Whatever

San Mateo County, CA
2012

(lemonade stands, lawn mowing, car detailing,
umpiring, Safeway, curb painting, tutoring,
bank teller, research specimen, Craigslist,
sailing instructor, acting, EMT,
teaching, government job, online startup, restaurant)

  -it takes.

What If

Studied one of my passions,
explored LA,
and made a lot of great friendships.

So grateful for the opportunity to go to college,

but the decision to choose an education
over an invitation
from a prestigious racing school
for a prized scholarship runoff,

both absurdly expensive and possibly career advancing,
still continued to linger in my mind.

This maddening itch to go racing
would never go away.

Night after night,
I'd ask myself,
but what if?

It Begins

Porsche 911 GT1, scale model 

It's the first time I'm allowed alone at the mall.

At age 10, I am convinced that this is
the single-most beautiful thing in the world, 
and that I'm going to drive one of these one day.

Sixteen years later,
I am still having trouble falling sleep.

Ken Griffey Jr.

in

The way he'd wear his cap backwards
His grin, and that swing
That beautiful, effortless swing

A 13-time all-Star
10-time gold glove winner
and one of the most prolific
home run hitters of all time

If it weren't for injuries
he might've been the greatest.

Griffey played the game with intense joy and passion,
and in my eyes, the right way

He made me fall in love with the game

In 2010, he retired
with the respect of everyone

He was, and continues to be,
one of my all-time heroes.