No plan to study Sogetsu Ikebana in Tokyo.
No plan spend more than 90 days at it once I undertook it.
No ambition to work up the multiple levels toward Teacher Certification.
No desire to teach–after 34 years in a classroom, absolutely none.
No notion to write a memoir.
No confidence that there was anything to tell when I first received that suggestion.
No aspiration to publish.
No belief that such a book would be of interest to anyone.
No desire to throw good money at self-publishing such a dubious prospect.
No skills required to market the marvel now that it’s done.
Yet, here I am with Tokyo Reverie in hand, launched and facing the uphill challenge of sharing it with the world. Concurrently, I also work to complete the Second Degree Sanyo teaching certificate under the tutelage of my sensei, Fukushima Koka, via private lessons from Tokyo on Zoom.
TOKYO REVERIE Book Launch, July 4, 2026
Now I occupy a weird state on a spectrum between wonder and dismay, fraught with the symptoms of executive dysfunction. One beautiful project done, my challenging ikebana practice ongoing, and marketing–the latest twist on the kado (the way of flowers) which is light years outside my comfort zone, skill set or anything sparking joy–to conquer .
It’s been quite the ride over the past decade. Not sure what’s next other than plodding forward step by step. In the words of Trevor Noah: It’s bigger than you. Let it take you.
