A Day in Hiroshima

In June I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Japan for my last class in pursuing my masters.  On one of our free days, two friends and I decided to make the 5 hour trek from Tokyo to Hiroshima; stopped in crazy rain in Kyoto and on the way home from Hiroshima got stuck in a train in a typhoon for 16 hrs...of course this would be a memorable experience for anyone...but outside of typhoon delirium...spending the afternoon in Hiroshima is an afternoon that will forever be a moment in my life that holds a very special place in my heart.

We finally arrived at the atomic bomb dome after a few slip ups trying to get there and after about 5 minutes of legit silence taking in the moment an older man walked up to us and asked if we wanted him to take us on a tour of the area.  Our first reaction was filled with random looks to each other trying to figure out the situation; and of course as Americans we figured he wanted money, him recognizing our hesitation he said to us, it's free I just want to show you around so I can practice my English.  And thus our afternoon with Hiro in Hiroshima had begun...

Hiro is a 65 year old man who is retired and is a volunteer tour guide because it is what he loves to do.  He began to share with us that he had created a book in English about the atomic bomb drop from reading different textbooks and that he had taught himself English by reading these books.  He shared with us that if he couldn't teach us more about what happened then the signs around the are then he was useless.  I was amazed that he had taught himself English by reading textbooks so that he could share what he loves to do with others.  We spent the afternoon going around the different sites and him explaining the background information of each and the significance that it holds to the Japanese people.

As we were walking around he took us to the hypo-center of where the bomb was dropped and started to explain to us the intensity of the radiation and how it affected people immediately and then he paused and said that he wasn't very sure about the meaning and intensity of the radiation of the atomic bomb.  I stayed quiet and then one of my friends said, Hiro, Jessica is a physicist...and so I spent the next 30 or so minutes explaining the affects of radiation and the atomic bomb.  It was a moment in life that truly made me realize that my passion in life falls within teaching.  The joy in talking with Hiro and helping him understand this particular topic is a moment that brought me an immense and unknown feeling of joy.  Seeing the look in Hiro's eyes as we talked back and forth about the subject and he was able to create an understanding for himself so he could share his information with others was an indescribable moment that all I can do is thank God for enabling me to experience.  Sometimes it is the moments in life that you can't explain or describe that truly have the biggest affects on you.

After this we went over to the Peace Bell and also met up with Hiro's friend who is also a volunteer tour guide.  The Peace Bell is a bell that has a border less globe engraved on it and on the location of where Japan would be is the atomic symbol and the pole that is used to ring the bell its the spot of the atomic symbol.  At this point Hiro's friend asked me to read her textbook and explain to her what it was trying to say about the symbolism of this because she did not quite understand it.  So I explained to her that the symbolism of this was to represent that until all Atomic weapons are destroyed there is no peace, so the bell represents the struggle for world peace and the notion that Japan has forgiven and all they want is peace.  Again, a moment that God has presented in front of me to help reassure me that my omoi, passion, in life lies within teaching.

June 19th is a day that is still on my mind.  It was truly a day that enabled me to live in the now and begin to try and understand the Japanese philosophy of living in the now.  It is moments like these that take my breath away and remind me how powerful genuine interactions with strangers are and there ability to touch my life and truly transform me.  These are the moments that I thank God for.  The inscription on the Peace Bell says "Know Yourself," in my life I have found that through being vulnerable and genuine with others I have been able to learn the most about myself.  Hiro told us right before we went our own ways that "He does what he loves because he loves what he does."