Epiphany

Joke of the Week

Raoul’s 2 Cents. October 2, 2026

Fork in the Road

Please move on to the jokes if you don’t want to ponder.

In a few days I will be walking in the industrious little country that attempted to conquer East Asia and had the audacity to declare war against the largest, most powerful country in the world – the fabled land of the samurai. Yup, I’m going to Japan.

The last (and only) time I was there was decades ago when I was still single. I was working for my Dad mining 5 ton marble blocks in Bulacan (a province in Northern Philippines). At one point, our little company was the number one Philippine marble exporter to Nagoya, Japan. Ken Y*, the president of Sekigahara (our Japanese customer) invited us to visit his factory which was/is arguably the largest stone installation company in the world. Sekigahara supplies polished stone tiles, tables and sidings for prestigious buildings all over the world. The company specializes in a “book ending” technique which meant installing beautiful veined marble tiles side by side to look like it was one continuous piece.

Ken was a pudgy, cultured, chain-smoking gentleman. It was his frail elderly father who started the company from scratch right after the war. The perfect host that he was, he assigned a young pimpled employee who spoke broken English to pick us up at the airport and to guide us around. Ken even invited us to sleep over at his cozy home. I saw how the rich Japanese lived … and they lived elegantly but simply.The next morning Dad and I woke up to fresh snow flakes fluttering down the picturesque peaceful garden … a scene that I will never forget. The scene was similar to the sword fight scene in the “Kill Bill” movie.

AT THE FACTORY

There were giant horizontal rock-sawing machinery chugging like trains alongside another set of mechanisms with circular diamond blades. A constant flow of water cooled the blades. Water sprayed in a mist as workers in raincoats and knee-high rubber boots scurried the premises to supervise the operation. One particular metal double-door caught my artistic interest. It opened up to a department of sculptures. Inside this huge warehouse were 3-D masterpieces … including an exact marble replica of Michelangelo’s David. I had to pick up my jaw that dropped on the floor. Surprisingly, this department was the least profitable branch of the business.

In retrospect, I think my Dad wanted to show me all of this to whet my appetite to take over his lucrative business. He was willing to teach me the ropes. It was inviting but it meant long hours and a huge responsibility for the lives of several families. It meant wheeling and dealing with big businesses, competitors, laborers and succumbing to endless legal requirements of a corrupt Philippine government and its international trading partners. This was a career fork on the road for sure. The path to wealth was clear but did I really want to be a slave to the money? Even then (thanks to my Mom), money was never my driver. I was young, naive and maybe even lazy but I knew that my calling was somewhere else. I’m sure my Dad was disappointed but (to his credit) he never forced me to reconsider. Eventually, no one had the fortitude nor the desire to continue the business and it died a slow death. I wasn’t even around when it did.

A LESSON

Given the opportunity, which path would you have taken? As I type this article in my Los Angeles office, I imagine what life would have been like if I took over the business. 

I would not even be here in the U.S.. I would not have met my wife and have kids. I would not have relatively good health because I would have kept on smoking and drinking. I would have been rich but corrupted … bribery would have been second nature. Greed and prestige would have been embedded in my character. My understanding of God would have been that of a mythical super being demanding never-ending rules and rituals as a prerequisite to the saving of my soul. I would have measured people’s worth by their wealth instead of their character. I would have been entitled … never understanding the profundity of grace. I would have considered kindness as weakness. What would have happened to all those people whose lives I’ve touched? Most importantly, I would not have found my faith in Christ. I know some of you think this is weird … and that’s okay. But it’s true. Christ changed me. I would not have the assurance and peace knowing that heaven is waiting for me … peace, not because I deserve it or earned it but because it was a free gift that was offered — and I took it. Completely changed me for the better. No regrets.

But this is just me. TGIF people!

Quotes of the Week

“I speak of the old Japan, because out of the ashes of the old Japan there has risen a new Japan.”

— Shigeru Yoshida

“Japan is quite weird because they wait for you to say something before they respond. You can literally hear a pin drop, they don’t make a sound until you say something to the crowd.”

— Kelly Jones

“I went to Japan and learned that politeness is not just a virtue, it’s a weapon.”

— Anonymous

“I asked a Japanese man for directions, and he walked me there himself. I think I accidentally activated the ‘helpful ninja’ protocol.”

— Anonymous

“The Japanese bow so much, I’m starting to think they’re practicing for a limbo contest.”

— Anonymous

“In Japan, silence is golden. Unless you’re trying to order food, then it’s just awkward.”

— Anonymous

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

— Mark 7:12

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

— Philippians 2:3

Memes of the Week

Send me your jokes & memes so I can share them with the rest of our TGIF family. This week, we thank Ding of Vancouver, BC, Art of Sierra Madre, CA, Jason of Eagle Rock, Jan of Alhambra, and Debra of Sydney.

I found these:

I collaborated with my friend and jokester,Terry Cassel for these below.

SUBSCRIBE