<Begin Segment 21>

BF: Did you still stay pretty close, I mean as far as what work you did in the store, was it very close with your father? That you were sort of --

TM: Yeah. It started out working closely with my father, manual labor, because I wasn't expected and I wasn't thinking of taking over any management type, so I just did the groundwork, and I appreciate that opportunity. But as we were growing I think I maybe mentioned that I feel that for whatever reason my life was formulating into where, I feel, I don't know, the influence of the culture again. But you, my -- I don't want to say philosophy -- but my strength has been in both the family and outside organizations, trying to fill niches that are not being filled, or not being done by others. And I think, the more I think about this, this has been my strength or my role in life, whatever. It started out in the family. You just try to do, in a family business there's always gonna be slots or vacancies or things that are not being done, and I think this is where, probably, I don't know what it, how it started, but looking back, that's been I guess my suit or my calling is to do things that's not being done. And looking back, I think that's where my strength in bringing to the various non-profit and even profit organizations, moving in, but trying to fill or take on responsibility that I view as not being performed. And I think to enjoy that, not because it's something I like, but because of the fact that it's something that I perceive as not being done, or could be better done by myself or something like that. So looking back, that's probably -- I don't think you get up one morning and say this is what you're gonna do, but you start to, in a family business say well gee, somebody's not doing that so, you can't turn around and say, "You do that," you just end up doing it. So I think looking back the last few days after this interview process I was thinking what has my role been? And I'm thinking more and more I feel that my role has been to fill the slots or the responsibility that, I perceive as not being done, and just stepping in and doing it.

BF: So even as, when you were younger then, it wasn't necessarily something that your father assigned? You would just see something and do it.

TM: Yeah. He needed help, so you're there, and that type of situation I think.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.