Amy Tan and me

   
     Amy Tan and I have a great deal in common; though she is talented, and I just work hard. Not to say, she does not persevere. We were both sensitive girls brought up in the 1950's and 1960's, in the San Francisco Bay Area, by immigrant parents. My parents were German Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. Her mother and father escaped Communist China.
     Our mothers were damaged by trauma, too proud to admit their issues, revealing their past lives in spurts and bursts later in life. Coincidentally, they earned licensure in medical fields, to earn extra money. Our fathers were ambitious but missed the mark in becoming "well known" in a competitive environment. In their quest for success, they encountered privileged, native English speakers, with connections. Amy Tan's father strove as a pastor, engineer, and inventor, my father in business and politics. Amy Tan's parents were unabashed in their exalted hopes for their children's futures; my parents concealed their dreams with, "do the best you can". I continually felt that my efforts were short of the highest levels.
     In her book, Where The Past Begins, Amy Tan expressed these thoughts eloquently. We, like other children of immigrants, were affected by the rip tide of regrets, fear, and anger that permeated our households, equally sensitive and attuned to nuances in our parents' mood swings. Tragically, Amy Tan's older brother and father died within six months. Thankfully, I did not suffer this tragedy. However, like her, I lived in fear of a brain tumor, other ailments, and an early death. Amy Tan is a well-known author; however, she worked in the field of language disabilities for a short period of time. I was a Speech-Language Pathologist for 36 years. Our lives have been dominated by words,sentences, and a love of language.
     November 8, 2016 was a watershed moment for many Americans. Amy Tan wrote about the terrible days when we realized that the worst of our country would be laid bare--zenophobia, racism, sexism, isolationism, extreme materialism, ignorance. We came face-to-face with the hidden despot; the autocrat lurking in the shadows; the man who would voice the worst sentiments of fearful citizens. Amy Tan's family was familiar with discrimination, and my family knew firsthand what damage a  dictator could wreak.  We wondered who are fathers would have voted for. I knew without a doubt that my father--a loyal, staunch Democrat-- would have voted for Hillary Clinton. Ms. Tan was not sure, since her father was an Evangelical Christian. Like Amy Tan, I have been deeply upset about the deceit and disregard for human life that permeates the Executive Branch of the government.
     I rely on memory and imagination in my life, reaching back to past events to interpret the present. Imagination has been a safe place for retreat and calm. My father regaled me with tales of imaginary friends, who I do not remember at all. I must have been quite young. A rich fantasy life enables me in my writing and in daily life. My daughter and I enjoy spinning yarns for fun. In her recent book, Amy Tan describes at length the role of memory and imagination in her writing.