Dear Ian,
I hope this entry finds you well. In fact, I know someday you’ll discover this online journal that I started in 2013. Unfortunately, the original platform (Xanga) where I first published my online entries in 2005 was shutdown. These entries have been saved to my Facebook account and made private, but I’ll give you access someday so you can read them at your leisure.
Ian, I know you’ll hear many stories from family and friends about my life, but I want you to hear my story from the most accurate source: Me.
My inspiration for journaling stemmed from the oral history about your great grandfather and grandmother. It would mostly be about timelines, facts, and major life events. For example, your great grandfather, Nai-Kun Norman Cheng, grew up during World War II, married your great grandmother in China, studied a PhD in engineering in Germany, taught in Taiwan, immigrated to the U.S., worked in New York City, and raised three children with your great grandmother. Photographs would show how they looked and dressed in these life events; however, one major data was missing in all of this.
How they lived.
Sherry the dog, Grandpa (Front: left to right)
To my knowledge, your great grandparents never kept a written journal and their stories are survived mainly through the memories of their children and relatives. Unfortunately, without any memoirs, their story will mainly be facts. I am certain that there was more to be said regarding their life events such as…
What was life like in China during World War II?
What were their life goals?
What were the challenges that they faced as immigrants from China?
What emotions and thoughts were going through their mind during all these major life changes?
The questions are endless. Without any written accounts, the stories behind these photographs posted above will fade. It is a lot of work to journal one’s thoughts and life given the everyday obligations and time restraints. However, this is the destiny of everyone’s story if one does not take the time to write a journal.
A list of facts.
Given my daily responsibilities and limited time, it is impossible to capture every moment of my life. Therefore, I only record what I deem is relevant in terms of my thoughts and life events. After all, this is a journal, not twitter. I hope that as you read each entry, you will get to know me more in each life stage. In fact, as I read my entries in chronological order, it’s surreal to see how my attitude, and priorities has changed overtime. It reveals more than just improvement in writing.
It’s what you call, “growing up.”
Part of me wishes that I had started writing this blog in my early teenage years, but part of me also thinks it might have not been that interesting since it mostly resembles the typical Asian teenage story about a workaholic kid trying to excel at life. Of course, there’s more to be said regarding my younger years, but this is a story for another time. Also, it didn’t help that the internet was not widely used for online blogging and the fact that I could not maintain a written journal due to my atrocious handwriting.
Nowadays, I make an effort to preserving my memories here. From the entries you will read here, I hope you will know me more than just a list of facts about me. You can say that I’m placing a part of myself here. As the saying goes regarding online posts, “What goes on the internet, stays on the internet.”
While I do realize that this journal is public, my focus will still remain the same.
To my family and friends who are reading this, I hope this journal gives you a true understanding of who I am.
To the strangers who stumble upon this blog, I hope my story provides you inspiration and life lessons. Hopefully we can meet someday in the near future.
Ian, even though you are currently sleeping as I’m concluding this particular entry, I can’t help but smile and appreciate the wonderful age you are at now and look forward to meeting the man you’ll become.
Love,
Your Father
chenger86 