Developmental Editing

I supported this author in transforming a 25,000-word handwritten manuscript into a polished, typewritten draft. This process involved transcription, fact-checking of all referenced current events, podcasts, and media sources, and both line and substantive editing. I reorganized content where needed to improve clarity and flow, all while preserving the author’s original voice and intent. The result was a more coherent and accurate manuscript, ready for the next stage of publication or submission.

Corrections:

Dear Reader,

Three years ago, I began writing what has now become a one-year journal. It started out as a letter to my mother, who was still alive, as a way of helping me constructively cope with stress from my new job. Prior to April 2017, I had always worked on my own and had freedom and control over my workday. When I took a government-sponsored Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) position, I heard rumors about the challenging boredom and feelings of isolation that the job had presented to others, but this was my first experience with it.

My decision to take the ALT job was made as a way to enable me to spend more time at home with my family, and especially, to help me be regularly present at dinner time, which my former work schedule didn’t often permit. With the new job, there were long vacations and other benefits which became more attractive to me when compared to my previous freelance lifestyle.

There came a point in the letter where I realized that rather than sending it to my mother, it would be better to continue it as a journal and perhaps invite her to read it someday. Well, that someday never came. Although I did show her the finished pile of papers, I had used to print out my daily thoughts on life and the world, etc. when she came to visit Japan for her last time half a year before she passed away. We never got around to actually reading it. But instead, we chose to spend our time chatting endlessly during that 6-week visit while I recovered from my hip replacement surgery. All in all, we shared some great memories and zero regrets.

So, if you choose to read this thing, I humbly ask you a favor: have mercy on me and my writing and please realize that I was just trying to make sense of the world around me at that time. I did learn some great things through that first year at a Japanese junior high. There is no reason to be so bored as to let it break your spirit! As long as we breathe, there are ways to exercise our minds and or our bodies, even in the darkest of circumstances! Now, three years later, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, I write this forward.

Never give up!

April 24th, 2017

Dear Mother,

Here I am in a penmanship class in Japan watching 12-year-olds learn to write the English alphabet for the first time. I am getting used to the new regimen and my colleagues. I am learning much too, as I basically get to learn the same lesson in reverse as the Japanese students!

It’s funny how the handwritten letter has all but disappeared in the last twenty years. I realize this has been to your great disappointment. Mine as well! I guess from time to time we can stand in the way of technology and write a handwritten letter!

Penmanship week continues. This morning, I am witness to one of the strictest upper- and lowercase alphabet test I have ever seen! It is so beautiful to see such care being given to the alphabet. The teacher and the students study each letter and then try to print them in their workbooks. Everyone is attempting to get it perfect. Meanwhile, the teacher is checking their work, making comments as to which letter is off and which one is well-written. All this is being performed very well by appearances one of the toughest teacher in the school. After observing several classes of both of the first-grade teachers, I have become aware that this teacher, although feared, squeezes the most out of her class time and students.

Recently it has baffled me, as I look out the school window at the skyline of Nagoya city, I can’t help but imagine it being hit by a nuclear bomb! What a shame that would be. But 63 years ago, it was flattened by US bombers, thus ending World War II. These bombs were not nuclear bombs, but the city was destroyed by five successive bombings. Japan had two of their other cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, destroyed by these instruments of death. This further exacerbates my fears of the current [presidential] regime. It makes things such as working together for world peace or curbing fossil fuel use seem totally out of the question! North Korea is less than two hours away and the government there is regularly testing nuclear weapons. Thus, images of what it would be like to be sitting in the building watching a mushroom cloud go up, seconds before the shock wave, run through my head.

Wednesday, April 26th

It’s a rainy day today. The tall city, with its forty or fifty story buildings, is out of sight. I got a flat tire on my way home last night and had to use my wife’s car. Normally, I have been listening to classical music in the morning, but today I finished an NPR episode on Tom Ashbrook being sent to various cities around America to discuss the issues of race and the nation. Today he visited Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

When I hear of the problems going on in American cities, I can’t help but think about what it would take to end some of these troubles. I know for myself from raising kids here in Japan, one key to success is consistency and stability. This means going to the same school and eating the same food. Hold it…let me continue on that point…seeing the same doctors, using the same insurance system, feeling protected equally by the law. In a nutshell, a basic feeling of equality!

Thursday, April 27th

Today’s podcast was about the future of AI in our lives, or artificial intelligence for those not yet familiar with the abbreviation. According to most authorities on the subject, AI will pretty much take over much of what we now consider to be work. Optimists believe the future will look much brighter with computers and machines doing most of the hard labor with humans filling in the gaps with our ability to adapt and deal with decisions which require more subtle knowledge. Evidently, we are at a turning point with the introduction of this new way of life. It’s amazing that this transformation is expected to unfold over just 25 to 30 years. As this takes place, many people’s jobs will become obsolete but will be eventually replaced with more fulfilling work, leaving the mundane tasks to AI.

Friday, April 28th

Well, this morning was classical music. We have to be careful these days not to overload ourselves with information! All this technology has brought about amazing changes in the way we listen to news and music, but like all things, we must find the correct balance!

Along that topic, now that almost anyone can post news via social media, which has also given rise to ‘fake news.’ Also, there is talk of being informed by either the left or the right, and experts are calling this 'living in a bubble'. The solution those experts are recommending is to take time to regularly listen to programs outside of your bubble.

My feeling on this is much like dealing with another person who has a different view or way of doing things. We need to be open-minded and flexible if we are to get along. But, with certain issues, such as immigration or warfare for example, a stance has to be taken. More than likely, nearly fifty percent of the people will be against you. Basically, an old friend once told me, if you have fifty-one percent of the people’s confidence, you can be satisfied! Although this may work in politics, it doesn’t help one sleep at night, knowing the forty-nine percent are against you!

Monday, May 1st

Today, after a relaxing weekend of visiting the seaside, I can tell that I’m challenged at this new job. It will not be the work which makes this job a challenge, but the lack of it! The day finished well; the children had a half-day of classes today. So, after lunch they immediately began club activities. I asked if it would be okay if I joined in on some of the sports, and the principal said he was hoping I would! I spent the second half of the day playing basketball and table tennis --two sports I love and have not played in years; especially ping pong! It has been a real long time since I played that. It turned out to be quite a workout! I’m hoping I will find a way to join the kids as often as possible.

Tuesday, May 2nd

Today is the last day of school before a five-day break. Three national holidays are linked up with the weekend to make what is called Golden Week here in Japan. It’s a nice little breather after the initial beginning of the school year. It gives us a chance to reflect on our new positions and routines and then get ready for the tough haul until summer break, which beings around July 20th. It should be a restful break and lots of fun for the family.

The morning topic I listened to today was a TED talk featuring xxx, the billionaire, who is investing in many avant-garde environmentally-friendly projects. The program was on boring, as in boring tunnels; it punned with work and titled itself as The Boring Future! 

Basically, XXX is investing money in drilling tunnels. His first target is making a tunnel somewhere under Los Angeles. The traffic in that city is infamously patience-crushing. Instead of building more roads or flying small hovercrafts in the future, he is predicting it will be tunneling which will link our major transit routes.

Other topics which were discussed were self-driving cars and trucks. He boasted that his company is scheduled to send a driverless vehicle on a mission from an L.A. parking space to a destination in New York City for the first time by the end of this year. Solar panels were also discussed, which are more suitable for our houses. Also, he discussed new power-generating facilities, which will not rely on fossil fuels, but will instead use some sort of massive lithium battery storage facility. These and other ideas are giving us hope for a brighter future. We should hope for the best!

Monday, May 8th

Today I am at work but not really. My body is fighting food poisoning of some sort. I figured it is best to show up for work as I am newly employed. But I must admit to not having much to do between now and 4:15 pm. It makes for a long day! I haven’t eaten in about 36 hours, not since we went to a BBQ at our local church. I must have eaten something bad as I’ve felt bad since then, and I’m still unable to eat. I have a nauseous feeling and diarrhea ˗such pleasant Monday morning topics. 

I managed to eat the school lunch. It is not sitting the best in my stomach. This particular 'bout with food poisoning is rather severe. But I am now in the last class of the day. Classes are finished after this. Just office duties need to be done. 

Tuesday, May 9th

Still struggling. After leaving school yesterday, I went directly to a clinic to check with a doctor about my situation. Finally, I knew I needed to get some medicine to help me with killing the virus that was wreaking havoc inside of me. I was prescribed five different pills. I returned home for a dinner which I didn’t eat, but I just needed to be near my family. I recharged myself a bit and used the toilet several times, and then went to my office to teach some young people for an hour. I returned home about 9:45 pm to try to enjoy a few peaceful moments of snuggling in bed with my wife and kids. It was wishful thinking as putting my two little ones to bed and trying to get some quiet time is like threading a needle with your eyes closed. 

Ironically, the news program I’m listening to now is concerned with the over prescribing of medicine. For my breakfast, I took twelve separate medicines in total! Granted, five are for this recent bout with food poisoning. Two are for my left eye, which is recovering from a stress-related retina problem. The other five are for allergies and throat care, along with uric acid and cholesterol-reducing medicines.

The panel that discussed these troubles with over-medicating pointed out that doctors have not been educated enough concerning other options, aside from pharmaceuticals. Also, there is the problem that other options, such as herbal remedies and massage, may not be covered by insurance.

Original:

Dear Reader,

Three years ago, I began writing what has now become a one-year journal. It started out as a letter to my then still alive mother as a way of helping me constructively cope with my new job stress. Prior to April 2017, I had always worked on my own and had much freedom and control over my workday. When I took the government sponsored Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) position, I heard rumors of the challenging boredom and feelings of isolation the job presented to others, but this was my first experience on my own.

The decision to take the job was largely made as a means to enable me to spend more time at home with my family, and especially to be regularly present at dinner time, which my former work schedule didn’t often permit. With the new job, there were long vacations and other benefits which became more attractive to me compared to my previous freelance lifestyle.

There came a point in the letter where I realized that rather than sending it to my mother, it would be better to just continue it as a journal and perhaps invite her to read it someday. Well, that someday never came. Although I did show her the finished pile of papers, I had used to print out my daily thoughts on life and the world, etc. when she came to visit Japan for her last time half a year before she passed away. We never got around to actually reading it. But instead, we chose to spend our time chatting endlessly during that 6-week visit while I recovered from my hip replacement surgery. All in all, great memories and no regrets.

So, if you choose to read this thing, I humbly ask you a favor. Have mercy on my writing and please realize, I was just trying to make sense of the world around me at that time. I did learn some great things through that first year at a Japanese junior high. There is no reason to be so bored as to let it break your spirit! As long as we breathe, there are ways to exercise our minds and/or bodies, even in the darkest of circumstances! Now, three years later, Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, I write this forward.

Never give up!

April 24th, 2017

Dear Mother,

Here I am in a penmanship class in Japan watching 12-year-olds learn the alphabet for the first time. I am getting used to the new regimen and my colleagues. I am learning much too, as I basically get to learn the same lesson in reverse as the Japanese students!

It’s funny how the handwritten letter has all but disappeared in the last twenty years. I realize this has been to your great disappointment. Mine as well! I guess from time to time we can stand in the way of technology and write a handwritten letter!

Penmanship week continues. This morning, I am witness to the strictest upper- and lower- case alphabet test I have ever seen! It is so beautiful to see such care being given to the alphabet. The teacher and the students study each letter and then try to print them in their workbooks. Everyone is attempting to get it perfect. Meanwhile the teacher is checking their work, making comments as to which letter is off and which one is well-written. All this is being performed very well by appearances of the toughest teacher in the school. After several classes of observation of both of the first-grade teachers, I have become aware that this teacher, although feared, squeezes the most out of her class time and students.

Recently it has baffled me, as I look out the school window at the skyline of Nagoya city, I can’t help but imagine it being hit by a nuclear bomb! What a shame that would be. But 63 years ago, it was flattened by US bombers ending World War II. The bombs were not nuclear bombs, but the city was destroyed by five successive bombings. Japan had two of their other cities destroyed by these instruments of death: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

This further exacerbates my fears of the current Donald Trump regime. It makes things such as working together for world peace or curbing fossil fuel use seem totally out of the question! North Korea is less than two hours away and the government there is regularly testing nuclear weapons. Thus, images of what it would be like to be sitting in the building watching a mushroom cloud go up, seconds before the shockwave, run through my head.

Wednesday, April 26th

It’s a rainy day today. The tall city, with its forty or fifty story buildings, are out of sight. I got a flat tire on my way home last night and had to use my wife’s car. Normally, I have been listening to classical music in the morning but today I finished an NPR episode on sending Tom Ashbrook to various cities around America to discuss issues on race and the nation. Today he visited Milwaukee.

When I hear of the problems going on in American cities, I can’t help but think about what it would take to end some of these troubles. I know for myself from raising kids here in Japan, one key to success is consistency and stability. This means going to the same school and eating the same food. Hold it…let me continue on that point…seeing the same doctors, using the same insurance system, feeling protected equally by the law. In a nutshell, a basic feeling of equality!

Thursday, April 27th

Today’s podcast was about the future of AI in our lives, artificial intelligence for those not yet familiar with the abbreviation. According to most authorities on the subject, AI will pretty much take over much of what we now consider to be work. Optimists believe the future will look much brighter with computers and machines doing most of the hard labor with humans filling in the gaps with our ability to adapt and deal with decisions which require more subtle knowledge. 

Evidently, we are at a turning point in the introduction of this new way of life. The speed at which this process of AI blending throughout our world will take an estimated 25 to 30 years. As this takes place, many people’s jobs will become obsolete but will be eventually replaced with more fulfilling work, leaving the mundane tasks to AI.

Friday, April 28th

Well this morning was classical music. We have to be careful these days not to overload ourselves with information! All this technology has brought about amazing changes in the way we listen to news and music, but like all things, we must find the correct balance!

Along that topic, now that almost anyone can post news and send it out into the world via social media, the emergence of ‘fake news’ has come about. Also, there is talk of being informed by either the left or the right, and experts are calling this living in a bubble. The solution those experts are recommending is to take time to regularly listen to programs outside of your bubble.

My feeling on this is much like dealing with another person who has a different view or way of doing things. We need to be open-minded and flexible if we are to get along. But, with certain issues, such as immigration or warfare for example, a stance has to be taken. More than likely, nearly fifty percent of the people will be against you. Basically, an old friend once told me, if you have 51% of the people’s confidence, you can be satisfied! Although this may work in politics, it doesn’t help one sleep at night, knowing 49% are against you!

Monday, May 1st

Today, after a relaxing weekend of visiting the seaside, I can tell that I’m challenged at this new job. It will not be the work which makes this job a challenge, but the lack of it! The day finished well; the children had a half day of classes today. So, after lunch they immediately began club activities. I asked if it would be okay if I joined in on some of the sports and the principal said he was hoping I would! I spent the second half of the day playing basketball and table tennis -two sports I love and have not played in years. Especially ping pong! It had been a real long time since I played that. It turned out to be quite a workout! I’m hoping I will find a way to join the kids as often as possible.

Tuesday, May 2nd

Today is the last day of school before a five-day break. Three national holidays are linked up with the weekend to make what is called Golden Week here in Japan. It’s a nice little breather after the initial beginning of the school year. It gives us a chance to reflect on our new positions and routines and then get ready for the tough haul until Summer break, which beings around July 20th. It should be a restful break and lots of fun for the family.

The morning topic I listened to today was a TED talk featuring Elon Musk, the billionaire, who is investing in many Avant Garde environmentally friendly projects. The program was on boring, as in boring tunnels; it punned with work and titled itself as The Boring Future! 

Basically, Musk is investing money in drilling tunnels. His first target is making a tunnel somewhere under Los Angeles. The traffic in that city is infamously patience-crushing. Instead of building more roads or flying small hovercrafts in the future, he is predicting it will be tunneling which will link our major transit routes.

Other topics which were discussed were self-driving cars and trucks. He boasted that his company is scheduled to send a driverless vehicle on a mission from an L.A. parking space to a destination in New York City for the first time by the end of this year. Solar panels were also discussed, which are more durable for our houses. Also, new power-generating facilities, which will not rely on fossil fuels and will use some sort of massive lithium battery storage facility. These and other ideas are giving us hope for a brighter future. We should hope for the best!

Monday, May 8th

Today I am at work but not really. My body is fighting food poisoning of some sort. I figured it is best to show up for work as I am newly employed. But I must admit to not having much to do between now and 4:15 pm. It makes for a long day! I haven’t eaten in about 36 hours, not since we went to a BBQ at our local church. I must have eaten something bad as I’ve felt bad since then and I’m still unable to eat. I have a nauseous feeling and diarrhea. Such pleasant Monday morning topics. 

I managed to eat the school lunch. It is not sitting the best. This particular bout with food poisoning is rather severe. But I am now in the last class of the day. Classes are finished after this. Just office duties need to be done. 

Tuesday, May 9th

Still struggling. After leaving school yesterday, I went directly to a clinic to check with a doctor about my situation. Finally, I knew I needed to get some medicine to help me with killing the virus that was wreaking havoc inside of me. I was prescribed five different pills. I returned home for a dinner which I didn’t eat, but I just needed to be near my family. I recharged myself a bit and used the toilet several times, and then went to my office to teach some young people for an hour. I returned home about 9:45 pm to try to enjoy a few peaceful moments of snuggling in bed with my wife and kids. It was wishful thinking as putting my two little ones to bed and trying to get some quiet time is like threading a needle with your eyes closed. 

Ironically, the news program I’m listening to now is concerned with over prescribing medicine. For my breakfast I took 12 separate medicines in total! Granted, five are for this recent bout with food poisoning. Two are for my left eye, which is recovering from a stress-related retina problem. The other five are for allergies and throat care, along with uric acid and cholesterol reducing medicines.

The panel that discussed these troubles with over-medicating pointed out that doctors have not been educated enough concerning other options, aside from pharmaceuticals. Also, there is the problem that other options, such as herbal remedies and massage, may not be covered by insurance.