一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

 

Mia Naoko Rosas presented with her very first Yukata just in time for Obon by her namesake Naoko "Nikki" Ikeda in front of the Blooming Art Gallery in the Japanese Plaza. What a generous gift!

ありがとう ございます!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

A rare hat shaped cloud was seen over Mount Fuji sometimes called "tsurushi-gumo," or hanging cloud. This phenomena occurs after a Typhoon swirls winds around the volcano. This image was photographed and circulated across the internet on Wednesday morning.

Personal Reflections: A Time of Mourning and Living.

It's been over a week since the untimely death of one of the most vibrant enigmatic personalities I have ever known. Suzanne DeSha was so full of life and tragically lost at the age of 44. Understated, but never underrated she was a timeless beauty that embraced nature and the natural wonders around her. And what a loss it was for so many of us that knew her to end up on a stretch of Highway 33 in the full bloom of life. It didn't matter if one had lost touch or was not close with her, she had that mark about her that with one glance of her entrancing eyes that one could not forget her beauty and subtle grace. For me, her death has made me take a hard look at my own life and what I've not been doing right. She lived for the outdoors and brought a smile wherever she went.
 

Suzanne had a zest for life unequaled by those who knew her. Her life lesson learned has not been lost on yours truly. It is with such great sense of void and sadness one reaches within and ponders what we can take from this tragedy and learn from. As with all American Mishima stories the central theme centers around the "Fragility of Life" and the consequences of failing to recognize that in time. In all due honestly, I could not have written a better character than the one I knew in Suzanne DeSha. Always composed, and noble in dignity. She was one of those rare beings of light that could brighten any darkened room or saddened occasion. As a practicing Buddhist and believer in the state of Nirvana she possessed, her spirit will continue on in her photos, our hearts, and in our memories. 40 years from now those of us who will have survived by then will still remember those beautiful haunting eyes of hers and the happiness she shared with the people around her from her sister Diane, parents, friends, classmates, coworkers, and her loving boyfriend Tom who she had blissfully spent her last six months on Earth with. And for those of us left behind, those who were close and those who admired her from afar, her timeless beauty and lust for life should not be lost on us. Not a chance.

So I say make an effort everyday to appreciate the life and world around you. See beyond the endless bills, politics, and hardships life throws at us and appreciate the light those bright beings have given us. Go outside, see the parks, walk in the sand, feel the ocean at your feet and smile at the sky and when possible see the world. A beautiful life has left us but not in our hearts nor our consciousness. Even if you did not know Suzanne, from reading her accolades one could appreciate her uniqueness and how fortunate we were to have known such a wonderful human being. One in a million one could say. Everyone at some point in their life if they are lucky as we were will come across one of these unique beings that without any effort will light up a room and make the world in one small subtle way or another a better place. Appreciate the life lessons they bestow among us and cherish these moments for you never know when they might slip past you or come to an end. For Suzanne, this is not the end. In Buddhist terms the Enlightened will have safely crossed the sea of birth and death and have reached the shore of liberation. Suzanne had found her Nirvana and lived life to the fullest as we should while we still can. I am sure somewhere out there she is smiling down on us. In one form or another we shall see her once again.

In Deep Reflection and Memourium

Suzanne DeSha

April 2nd, 1968  -  June 12th, 2012

A Noteworthy Passing: Suzanne DeSha 1968-2012

American Mishima is sad to announce the passing of an old dear friend from school who was tragically killed in a car accident yesterday in Ventura County. Suzanne DeSha was an adventurous spirit, independent, and a true original from Camarillo California. She had just turned 44 in April. She is survived by her parents, sisters, and her boyfriend Tom Baughman. She loved hiking and music. She was friendly to everyone she met and will be terribly missed by those who knew her and those who loved her. 

Rest in Peace. 

Suzanne DeSha 

1968-2012

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

Vintage Photo of LA's most famous Nisei and Star Trek Icon actor/activist George Takei visiting Boy Scout Troop 379 based out of the Los Angeles Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo. (Say, that's where we go!) As it turns out, Takei was once a proud member of Troop 379 and played the bass bugle in the troop’s drum and bugle corps. Who would have known!