Phil Toy and I got our house which we had been chanting for. The house we got is going to be great for meetings. It is really a wreck now, but it can be fixed up so nice…When I think about how I would have reacted to such a house two years, ago, I can really laugh at myself. I January 27, 1972
“Ken Tapola, have changed.
“This evening Russ enshrined Bill Myers Gohonzon and it was a good okrie.
Afterwards, we went to see Larry Jason in a play, put on by the Black Art Class. Russ, Chico, and Iwere the only white’s there. I really enjoyed the play, but even more I realized something more about the great separation between the white and black person in America. The feeling I got was, from the Blacks, “What are you doing here?” Wow, I enjoyed it though.
Another experience I had recently which I really enjoyed occurred during our recent World Tribune Campaign. Dan Castle who is an interpreter for deaf people took me to promote with at a deaf couple’s home. He didn’t say anything, but just talked with his hands with the couple we visited. It was an extraordinary experience, and so warm.”
………….
January 29, 1972-Saturday
Tonight we had a Leader’s Meeting at the Santa Monica Civic with Sogohonbucho and I was appointed Hancho. Wow, did I go through numbers. I couldn’t do Gongyo well, my heart thumped a million times a second, unbelievable.”
…………..
Thursday February 11, 1972
My new district chief or Chikaton is Nancy Joyer. She’s really encouraging.
…………
Saturday, February 19, 1972
“Everyday is a battle,
Reminds me of fighting for Seattle,
But each day I try to renew
the spirit of being a Bodhisattva.
A year ago I told my taicho
I really didn’t care about people.
He told me to chant to change that condition.
Strange, I have a much different feeling about
about people this day.
Last night before my member
came over I thought how fortunate
I am to have such friends.
I recall when I was young in Montana,
I used to dream of having a friend with whom you
could discuss anything and not hold anything back.
Many of my childhood feelings are really blossoming once again.
But the fruit of my dreams is now based in reality.
…………
Thursday, March 23rd, 1972
“Ron called me from Mammoth and says he should be down this weekend. I was really in a sour mood for him and also my dad today, definitely the lack of diamoku. I became very fed up with school today and called Soshibucho Gary Curtis. I told him I was sick of school and he said, “Why are you having tests now? No I said, I just can’t get behind political science. He said that school is really a game and is a test for you. A lot is bullshit, but without it what do you want to be, a dishwasher? He said if he could take it for six years, I could take it for 1 ½ more years.”
……………..
April 4th, 1972. Tuesday.
“Last week and half have been quite exciting. One day after I promoted six tickets to the Battle of Okinawa, and I got home; I was talking on the phone to Rich and a guy about 40 was trying to break in my front door, and then he saw me, and said oh, I ah, is this house for Rent? I heard it was vacant and I wanted to stay here. (There are curtains-the house looks quite occupied). I said, “No this isn’t for rent.”
He demanded, “Well let me in!”
I said, “I don’t have a key to the front door and besides I’m on the phone.”
He left the front door and then, I looked out and it seemed he was going to the back. I looked towards my back door and it was opened so I ran like hell and locked it (with a skeleton key). The second it got locked he came on my back porch.
“Let me in!” he demanded, “Let me stay here!”
I said, “No! There are already four people staying here.”
“Let me stay here!”
It was like a bad paranoia dream coming true. I was really freaking out.
“Well, let me stay in your barn.”
“No, there’s rodents and rats, it’s not fit for anyone.”
“I have a sheepherderdog,” he said.
“No, I said, stay at the lifehouse at Valley State.”
“But, I have a dog.” he said.
“It’s okay.”
Then he raged at me to stay here.
He had a strong ichinen to get in.
I was so nervous, I didn’t know how to get rid of him.
So my last resort was Shakubuku, it was the climax, I said with much Ichinen, “We’re all Buddhists here and we all chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.”
He left…
It was such a strange experience I’ll never forget. Shakubuku is a really powerful cause.
