Perspectives

SCG Staff Articles

Reflections On Wellness
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

Reflections On Wellness

After two years of pandemic life, it feels easy to focus on what is going wrong in the world. “I’ve got a runny nose this morning: is it allergies or the plague?” is a thought I’ve had many times of late. That pervasive sense of needing to question our safety is exhausting. Maybe we’re feeling like nothing is going “right” and all the places where we seek solace are crumbling. Sometimes there is a discernible cause such as the death of a loved one or rejection from a school we applied to, but other times the cause of our “unwellness” seems less clear. Difficult seasons are part of life and that’s okay, but they sure get exhausting after a while.

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The Path Awaits You
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

The Path Awaits You

One of the real treats I was offered as a child was a “discovery ride”. My father would take me on a jaunt that did not include a preconceived destination. The goal was to travel roads we had not been on to see sights we had never before witnessed. We might travel on major highways, backroads, or even gravel and dirt roads. And the trip might last a couple of hours, an afternoon, or all day. Every trip was unique as were the sights we discovered. It was tremendous fun. I never lost my love and fascination for this kind of road trip and which I still hold today. On my most recent trek, I discovered the Red House Presbyterian Church established in 1756. The cemetery behind the church contained graves of very early settlers who lived when our state was still a colony.

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Immigrant Day - Self Reflection
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

Immigrant Day - Self Reflection

I have lived as an immigrant for almost half of my life. Living as an immigrant for all this time is how I found the strengths and qualities that make me today. As an immigrant, leaving one’s country, family, and everything that is known since birth becomes a challenge that is not easily grasped.

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The Shadow
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

The Shadow

Why do we spend our time “entertaining” ourselves with these awful tales of terror, death, and manipulation? What is enjoyable about using our rare free moments disturbing our mental peace? We seem to use these moments of sanitized fear to safely explore our own, albeit mostly far less violent, darker sides.

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