Beyond the Second Floor: Finding Spirit in Life’s Second Stage with Koffeemocha
Exploring the magic of life, one story at a time
One night my daughter brought me the picture book "Joseph Had a Little Coat by Simms Taback" and suggested I read it. I recognized this book because I used to read it to my grandchildren, knowing that it was one of their favorites. This time, however, it prompts me to read from my perspective. The book ends with the note,
"You can always make something out of nothing.”
It's Halloween today, so imagine this: a kid, wide-eyed and curious, sneaking into a hidden corner of a dimly lit bookstore… That was me.
As a kid, I had an unofficial membership to the most exclusive part of my aunt's bookstore - the stockroom. Most kids might dream of theme parks, but for me, the "second floor" of my aunt's bookstore was the ultimate playground.
Half shelf, half storage, and definitely off-limits to customers, it was where unsorted illustrated storybooks teetered in stacks, just waiting for curious little hands. My aunt had the wise idea of taking me up there so she could keep an eye on me while she worked, but I'm pretty sure she underestimated the effect those books would have on my tiny imagination.
With the freedom of a VIP pass and no adult supervision (okay, my aunt was in the next room), I dove into these children's books like a little scholar.
"A picture is worth a thousand words," they say, and those illustrations became my language. I couldn't read much yet, but I quickly figured out who was who:
The heroes always looked strong, brave, and upright, while the villains, well, let's just say they could use some eyebrow control. The bad guys would have an extra evil look or a twisted grin, sometimes even exaggeratedly upside-down eyebrows, to make sure I knew they were up to no good.
It was wonderfully simple: heroes made the right moves, got the applause, and lived happily ever after. Villains, on the other hand, were drawn to lose in all their cartoonish shame.
The stories and characters I discovered became my early role models. Armed with a sense of heroism (borrowed, of course, from those upright characters), I'd note down what I could remember, sometimes even copying lines I found irresistible.
My mother would light up and tell my aunt, "Fei Fei can write words!"
Well, sort of… But that was the moment I began to understand that I could impress my mother.
Most importantly, "writing" (really taking notes and learning new words) was found to be a way to hold on to a little bit of magic. It was actually something to be proud of.
But like most childhood dreams, this one took a back seat as life happened. Careers, responsibilities, and the daily grind moved in... But the desire to read and write never left. It lingered quietly in the background.
That old storeroom full of books stayed alive in my memory, as did the dream of one day creating my own storytelling. It never quite went away, it adapted, finding new forms and expressions as I navigated my engineering career and the complexities of life.
Engineering Perspective on Storytelling
Engineering is often seen as a discipline that emphasizes logic and systems, but it's also deeply creative. Every problem I've encountered over the years has been an opportunity to step back, analyze, and systematically think through solutions, a mindset that has seamlessly translated into my storytelling approach at Koffeemocha.
When I delve into the stories of my own life, I do so with an engineering lens, peeling back each layer to see how all the pieces fit together, and identifying patterns and solutions within the human experience itself.
This analytical perspective transforms memories into insights that help me not only understand life's complexities, but also explain them in a relatable way. My approach to writing and reflection is to map experiences the way an engineer might analyze a system.
Just as I did in my engineering career, I ask questions: What are the components of that experience? How are they connected? How does this understanding resolve a deeper question about life?
Adapting Through Phases of Life
In retirement, I am rediscovering storytelling - not as a return to something old, but as a new chapter that embraces growth and adaptability. The journey from picture books to today's digital storytelling reflects my own evolution. I've learned to embrace new forms, use different platforms, and explore storytelling technologies that were once unfamiliar to me.
Embracing these changes isn't just about staying relevant; it's about pushing the boundaries of how stories can be told and understanding that storytelling itself is constantly evolving.
In some ways, this adaptation mirrors the problem-solving processes that have defined my engineering career. As technology and techniques evolve, so must my approach to storytelling.
I see each technological advance as an opportunity to refine my expression, applying the same analytical rigor I used to tackle engineering challenges.
A Purposeful, Engaging Community
Koffeemocha is more than a platform; it's a gathering place for those who, like me, are on a journey of reinvention and discovery. By sharing my reflections, I hope to build a community of curious thinkers and reflective doers, people who find joy in examining life's twists and turns.
It's a space where we can connect over shared experiences, find meaning in the journey, and embrace new perspectives even as we enter different life stages.
Perhaps a story I share will inspire someone else to reflect on their own journey, to adapt and reimagine their purpose in ways they hadn't considered before.
My goal is to foster connections that are as layered and meaningful as the stories themselves.
Koffeemocha’s Mission by Heart
At Koffeemocha, the mission by heart is simple yet profound:
To explore the intricacies of life through an engineering lens, guided by curiosity and reflection. Retirement is not a finish line; it's an evolving, dynamic journey that requires adaptability and purpose.
My journey, from a young boy enchanted by picture books to a retiree immersed in storytelling, represents this mission in action.
Through Koffeemocha, I hope to capture not only the essence of the different stages of life, but also the adaptability that each new stage requires.
This is my invitation to readers: to see each other as mirrors for a moment, a time of creative renewal and bold reflection in which each of us reimagines what growth can look like in each chapter of our lives.
Kefei
koffeemocha in NYC