Growing up in the 1970’s I vividly recall Sunday evenings with my family gathered around our small TV watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins. Marlin Perkins was the Steve Erwin of the 1970’s…but much more dapper…he looked like Walt Disney’s older brother. Marlon had snow white hair and a distinguished Disney mustache, and he always wore an old school safari suit. My most vivid memories were of the African episodes when we were treated to various chase scenes on the savannah: lions chasing wildebeests, cheetahs chasing gazelle, leopards chasing monkeys and other small game…

The rise of hate crimes and violence against individuals for Asian descent in the U.S. has caused me to revisit some writing that I did several years ago while I was still at the University of Idaho. My last few years at the University of Idaho were spent as the director of the Confucius Institute (2014-2017). The COVID-19 pandemic has only added fuel to the anti-Chinese sentiments in the U.S. and has motivated the current efforts to shut down Confucius Institutes, limit academic exchanges, and worst of all had led to the current epidemic of anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S.. All of these issues have led me to revisit this editorial, and I feel that it still addresses some important issues. The heart of this piece of writing is rooted in my commitment to fostering diversity in our academic institutions and in my desire to see our institutions of higher education focus on cultivating more inclusion in general. Exclusion of "the other" has never resulted in positive social change; it merely reinforces difference and promotes tribalism and homogeneity. We will never address the deeply seated divisions that are threatening our democracy by refusing to work with the other side.

I thought that some of you might be interested in this tale of poor choices, frozen feet, and adventure near the Arctic Circle. I don’t usually write stories because I prefer writing essays, but this is a narrative that I am reminded of every winter. Instead of the crumbs of a madeleine cake touching off a cascade of memories, my Proustian reminiscence begins with my cold right foot. Every year, as the weather gets colder, my right foot reminds me of this experience and I am grateful for the lessons I learned on this trip.

The dangers and stressors that we face in our day to day lives aren’t lions, tigers, or bears that are trying to kill us; our modern day stressors tend to be more intellectual and less physical, less life-and-death and more existential.  We will often say, half-jokingly, that we are “our own worst enemy”, but the truth of the matter is that this is more true than we would like to admit.  

This week is my oldest daughter’s 20th birthday. She has been an incredible blessing in our lives and her intrepid spirit and unabashed curiosity and passion has only grown through the years. Back in 2006 we took a trip to visit family in Pismo Beach, California and spent a week playing on the beach. During that trip I wrote what would become my first published poem. I have since published many other poems in various journals and literary magazines, but this one holds a special place in my heart. This poem is a captures my daughter’s spirit and her approach to life, and it only seemed appropriate to share it here as she begins her next decade this week.