One day, I found Essene Natural Foods, one of the few health stores. As it turned out, my girlfriend from high school was the cashier. She invited me to this "study house" where she lived. I went, and the fellow who greeted me offered me a tea with soy sauce. The kitchen had an earthy smell I loved and wanted to indulge in. That was my introduction to Macrobiotics. Denny Waxman ran this house and needed a breakfast cook, so I volunteered. While I was there, a group of Japanese Macrobiotic teachers came to offer a teaching program. Cornellia Aihara gave a cooking class and prepared a fully balanced Macrobiotic meal. It was so memorable the feeling I had from the food she made, I felt that this is the food I have always been looking for. I went to Michio Kushi's lecture and was impressed by what he said, especially about predictions for future generations. I also took a week-long class on Shiatzu with Shizuko Yamamoto. She was amazing. The stories she told of her own experiences and the effects of her foot massage only added to my intense awakening. This was my beginning; it all made so much sense. I purchased the two main books by Georges Ohsawa, The Book of Judgment and Zen Macrobiotics. It was difficult back then to eat the way they were teaching because it was very salty, and the resources for ingredients were limited. There was only Hatcho miso, too strong for us young Americans, who were used to a meat-based diet with soda and lots of sugar foods, a giant leap worth the plunge.