"You Are Not Him"

You’re set to begin that long awaited trip. Your bags are packed, snacks and drink are within arms reach. The itinerary is determined. One last stop before you begin this journey. Now, fueled up, you set the odometer and fuel indicator in order to gauge your distance and fuel consumption. And … you don’t give it one thought. Where did these simple, but intelligent devices originate?

Oh, but when you fueled that tank … you had no consideration, nor question, “What was the process in which brought this hydrocarbon to the pump”? And, he was there again.

Or, consider … the very laptop on which I type this unread blog. Those tiny semiconductors … at their infancy they contained a few thousand transistors. Then … in 1989 ‘Intel’ took that number to more than a million. And today … They hold more than 50 billion. Yes, you read correctly … Fifty Billion transistors! And once again, he was there.

'Orbital Welder' - Developed by RRW ++

I have written often, thought even more, about the man from whom I received my name, but never have I written about his accomplishments. Yes, the three stories above give insight to the amazing achievements of the man ‘Richard Ray’, my father. There are likely several that could attest to that which he, and the group of thinkers, whom were likewise those who brought many of our current-day conveniences, but I know personally only one, and he has since died.

My uncle Hiroshi ‘Mickey’ Imaizumi was that man. An internet search with the simple words, "Tokyo Olympics and expert welder", will bring you to one of the last articles about, not just Mickey’s achievements, but that of my father as well. They were entrepreneurs, from an exclusive group of men who indeed revolutionized what is now our modern devices. The good news … a couple years prior to his death, I was able to visit Uncle ‘Mickey’ one last time.

Kunitaka Imaizumi, uncle ‘Mickey’s’ youngest, spent nine months of his International studies at the University of Oregon, during the 2019 school year. In July of that year, Uncle Mickey and his lovely wife, Kyoung Mee, made a brief visit to Oregon, spending time indeed with Kunitaka, but as well with Karen and myself. Those final conversations provided many laughs, plus several old and new memories of himself and my father. That time told of the brilliance that would be theirs together. And as well, the story of how much money they, and in particular, my father made from the above inventions. And then … the sources of where that money found its home. FYI, that home never went into the direction of his own children. Note … not that this was ever the expectation, but … just saying.

And here … Is where the dilemma arises between the entrepreneur and the father. Part of that dilemma, is on one hand, not to disgrace my father’s name. Yet, on the other hand, to likewise not sweep under the proverbial rug, the true aspect of ‘father’.

What would have been my father’s eighty-fifth birthday, passed only a couple weeks ago, and my thoughts once again asked, “How might it have been different”? Sure in my adult life, there could have been a few things that I could have changed. Would it have made a difference? Not likely! But, perhaps. It is those childhood memories that unfortunately regularly remind me of the fact that, “You Are Not Him”!

Inspired from a scene in the movie, ‘Boys in the Boat’, that we watched on the premier day of Christmas. I imagine on one hand that the movie took theatrical license with the line. Yet, understanding the story, if these words were not directly spoken, they were in fact the reality.

So yes, I was not him! That is, I was not ... and I am not my father. On one hand I was nothing in comparison to his brilliant mind and entrepreneur focus. But, as he at times attempted to be a father, and in his defense, there were moments, very brief, but moments nonetheless, what would different look like? If I could have my childhood back … I would ask for an intentional father. I would ask for a father who was involved. I would willingly have a father who had none of his accomplishments. I would have had a father who said, “I love you son”! And, “I am proud of you Rick”!

I thank my Heavenly Father, who continues to mold this man to intentionally attempt to be the best earthly father that I can be. Am I there? Indeed not! But I hope … until my dying day, that this will be my goal. And in this … I strive to be ... "Not Him".

 

Though a long video ... if you went to minute 4, you would discover the applications of which those entrepreneur's, such as Mickey & my father developed starting in the 1960's. His name, you'll likely never find it within the 'orbital welding' literature. Nonetheless, his fingerprints remain :)