MY LIFE
I grew up knowing that we were financially challenged. This stemmed from my parents being incarcerated during World War II, losing their economic resources, and dad being crippled in an auto accident when I was ten years old. Ironically, as a child I never faced living on the streets. That happened much later.
I am a third generation Japanese American that is referred to as sansei in the Japanese culture. Growing up in the 1960’s peppered me with a massive cultural change that engulfed the world. This was replaced with the 1970’s through the early twenty-first century technology era that brought us the marvels and challenges of immediate communication and information access.
I am proud to have been a Silicon Valley C-Suite executive contributor to the global digital transformation. During my tenure in the industry, technology advancements became a part of my DNA as I witnessed a constant array of mind-numbing innovations.
Me at 10 - Blurry memories
I thought this was the most amazing time in my life: semiconductors, personal computers, personal communication devices, and the internet. Then, I began teaching. Digital technology intrigued me, but knowledge transfer and artificial intelligence (AI) energizes me. The personal satisfaction of sharing knowledge with higher education graduate students at two California State Universities and a Claremont Colleges Graduate Institute was a maturing journey and a fulfilling sense of accomplishment.
My lifelong learning has included academic studies culminating with a BS, MA, and PhD degrees from San Jose State University, Gonzaga University, and Queensland University of Technology, respectively. I am currently a student at Boston University completing my MBA degree.
On the wing of my plane
In between and during these major phases of my life I found time to fly my plane, ski moguls, SCUBA dive, train under Kenneth Funakoshi in Shotokan Karate earning a blackbelt, and ride motorcycles.
This led me to expand my horizons with the desire to share real stories about real people and hypothetical stories exploring questions that challenge us. This desire will extend beyond my lifetime which enables me to never be bored and always have purpose. This is my ikigai. I am a PhD researcher focusing on information and communication technology (ICT) solutions to solve the problem of chronic loneliness in the world.
Now, in my 70’s, I stand in my living room and look out the window. I picture a lonely impoverished little Japanese America boy dreaming about what his life could be and realizing it’s never too late to become the person he would have liked to have been. Being that young boy, I look forward to sharing a new adventure with all of you.
Richard Y. Okumoto, Ph.D.
* Interested in Real Stories about Real People – please visit: www.Digital-LifeStory-Project.org
In my 70’s