Wrapping up

It has been almost four months since I started writing.  I am a changed person.  I liked the me from before but the new me is like a new shoe; it will take a few blisters for me to get used to the new look.  I can live with that.

I feel a very strong need, a pull, a calling to do something more tangible with the experiences I've had over the past four months.  For this, I've come up with two ideas.  I will be returning to Japan again in September, this time for three months.  Part of what I will do there involves continuing volunteer work, this time with many different organizations.  I'm not done with Tohoku.  I'm not done with Japan.  Second, I have decided to take the postings from this blog and the other (now defunct) blog to George Clooney and compile them into a book.  There are stories I didn't get around to writing.  These, too, need to be told.

The international media has all but forgotten about what happened on March 11th.  Certainly, much has happened since then.  What the world doesn't realize, and I understand why this is the case, is how widely the events on March 11th will continue to affect us.  All of us.  For this, and for many other reasons, I find it inexcusable that the media coverage has dried up.  I cannot single-handedly keep the focus on Japan.  I can, however, do my part.  It is with this in mind that I plan to publish my postings.

Neither of these projects will be completed quickly.  I am dedicated, though, if nothing else and once I commit, I'm in for the long haul.

So, today I write with gratitude and sincere humility for those of you who have followed this blog and for those who were active in spreading the word.  I am beginning the process of wrapping up the blog transferring my time and energy onto projects that I hope will continue to reach a wide audience.

Thank you for your friendship, words of encouragement and most of all, for your support.