Tohoku-Kanto Daijishin: Week 1

Dear All,

I just wanted to let you know that we are all fine. Our bodies are on vacation, our minds are not, but still we feel very fortunate and thankful. Thank you for your concerns for our well being and for the flood of emails received, as it is always nice to hear from you, especially in times like these.

We are currently in Fukuoka, in Kyushu Prefecture, a perfect place to clear the mind enough to make important and sound decisions. The decisions our family has made thus far have been some of the toughest. Given the changeability of the nuclear crisis, we suspect there will be tougher ones ahead. Nevertheless, and for better or worse, they are our own and involve the consideration of many factors.

Naturally, our primary job is to ensure the safety of our children. Second to that, we want to ensure their continued happiness. I am happy as I am proud to say Kai and Hana are making the later job easy as pie. (They are bouncing on the hotel beds now.) Now five days away from home, Miko and I are reminded of the two months we spent backpacking in Thailand when Kai was 3 and Hana 1, realizing that 99.9% of our personal safety and happiness was easily transportable. It still is, but with Kai, soon 8 and Hana 5, their needs extend beyond their nuclear family: their friends, their school, their community, their grandparents, Jiji and Baba constitutes their familiar world. They miss and need these people and things, too. That said, and while it’s still reasonably safe to return, we will head back today, barring any unforeseen travel restrictions we may encounter. However, because Kamakura is still experiencing rolling blackouts and other inconveniences, we will stay as long as we can at Jiji & Baba’s house (Odawara) where things are relatively normal (i.e., no rolling blackouts) and a bit further south than Kamakura. Logistically, this makes sense too as there is a shinkansen high-speed rail station in their town. Should I need to get to Tokyo or we all need to head further south again, we can do so quickly. Miko is scheduled for an international flight on March 25 and my new term is scheduled to start early April. Given the situation in and around Tokyo, schedules are not fixed. What is fixed is that we are still employed. Yes, there is no denying the fealty we have for our employers as well. In upholding our job commitments while keeping safety a top priority involves keeping an eye on air quality and wind direction, two most important gauges on our dashboard now. That said, we must put our trust in information services over news.

News stories this big generate even more hyperbole than other international news stories because they play on everyone’s fears. And they do it well. In newsrooms this is just another day in the office, but for people like me, I don’t need to read bold headlines or hear the cacophony of countless so-called experts to know the severity of the situation. What I need is a weather vane and Geiger counter! Still, I find myself far from impervious to the fears generated by the media, some warranted, most not. What I fear most is that the hype will impede our ability to continue to make sound decisions about what to do as this crisis unfolds. Because the more of it that is out there clouding the less embellished sources of information, the less able we are to make the right decisions.

In closing, I want to ask you to please not worry about us. Thank you for the many offers of support. And in response, I can only think of one thing we need most now and beyond this crisis. Kai and Hana really enjoy video web chats. For example, seeing Jono and Camy face-to-face has helped them form bonds and is a gain-gain proposition for both sides of the line. As always, for me, knowing how you are doing and generally what’s up is really all we need from you. I look forward to joining the discussion on how our world can secure safer and more sustainable sources of energy. That, I believe, is the lesson to learn from this crisis.

with love,

Mike and family