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James Sogi Philosopher, Juris Doctor, surfer, trader, investor, musician, black belt, sailor, semi-centenarian. He lives on the mountain in Kona, Hawaii, with his family.

6/3/2005
A Graduation Speech, from James Sogi

The Japanese use the idiom mono-no-a-war-e, which cannot be directly translated into English. /A-war-e,/ is the awareness of the ephemeral beauty in our lives. It is the poignant sensation that our lives are passing, and that this time will never come again. A-war-e, is the vaguely poetic feeling you get around dusk, watching the rain fall on our window panes, watching the sunset fade to night. "Mono-no-a-war-e" is no more and no less than appreciating the sadness of existence. The Japanese have their love for the cherry blossom, not just for it s radiant beauty, but because they appreciate, so sadly, that soon the blossoms will all be gone.

It s funny, that when it comes time to say everything, I find myself at a loss for words. Somehow we expect ourselves to be able to say goodbye to the people sitting next to us, the people that have been there through it all. But sadly, a goodbye will never sum up all those wins, the few losses, the late nights, the early mornings, the inside jokes, the long talks, the times we spent just killing time, and all the unforgettable memories.

We cannot find closure to our time here. And yet, it's time to move on. It s time to grow up and become different people. We will walk across this stage and say goodbye to this day, to our friends, and to this part of our life.

Above all, be conscious of your existence. Be conscious that this is change, and that indeed our lives are indeed passing. Do not wait to say goodbye to make something of your relationships or of your life, because goodbye is too late goodbye is not enough. In every way, we are like the cherry blossoms, ephemeral, and all beautiful.

Because I have no other way to say this, Goodbye. And from the bottom of my heart, I love you all so much. Thank you.

c

Jim Sogi, May 2005

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