Just Two of Us on the Poolside

 

 

 In my city, there are many indoor heated swimming pools. Some of them are run by the city government. I used to swim in one of the pools for exercise.

 There was a rule in the pool. Once an hour, we had to get out of the water. The sound of radio gymnastics started. The lifeguards started their exercise. We couldn’t swim during the radio gymnastics. There was no rule that all swimmers needed to exercise together, but the children exercised and were obedient. Most adults, including me, sat down on a bench and relaxed. In my days, Japanese schools really let children participate in radio gymnastics many times. We were tired of it.

 But I experienced occasions where I needed to exercise with radio gymnastics.

 The pool was open until 8:30 p.m. I sometimes swam in the nighttime during winter. It was an indoor heated pool. But a few people were there on winter nights. Sometimes I was the only swimmer in the pool. Only two of us were on the poolside: a lifeguard and me. Maybe they had a strict rule. They had to perform radio gymnastics once an hour. Even if I was the only one there.

 If there were many swimmers, I could ignore the lifeguards. But I couldn’t ignore them because we were alone. So I did radio gymnastics with a lifeguard when there were a few swimmers.

 One winter night, when a lifeguard and I were alone, radio gymnastics began. I felt the need to urinate and went to the restroom. When I returned from the restroom, I witnessed a shocking scene: The sound of the radio gymnastics was on, but the lifeguard didn’t exercise. He was sitting on a bench and relaxing. When he saw me, he hastily started the radio gymnastics. Maybe he assumed I had gone home. He recognized I returned. He needed to perform radio gymnastics.

 I did the radio gymnastics because I cared for the lifeguards. The lifeguards did it because I was there.

 What kind of charade is this?

Picture by nora

Grim Face

 

 I was a part-time actor. I know some professional actors, but most of my friends are part-time actors. They had to have other actual jobs for a living.

 I know an actress who was working for a first-class company as a full-time worker. In my impression, she was always smiling. She was a mild-mannered person.

 One weekday afternoon, I saw her in a subway car. She was reading some documents. I approached her to say hello but decided against it, as she looked really focused on the documents. Her face was so grim as if I couldn’t recognize the same person.

 I thought being an actress and being a full-time worker for a first-class company were very hard. During work time, she needed to really concentrate on her job.

 Afterward, I met her at a theater. She was the smiling person I knew. I realized the smiling face was really valuable. I didn’t mention that I had seen her in the subway.

 To be a smiling person, we sometimes need to have a grim face.

Picture by a.otsuka

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Stupid people don't catch colds?

 

 

This is a Japanese saying. It is a classic joke. We say this when someone catches a cold to comfort them:  “You have caught a cold. It proves you are not stupid.”

 

However, I recently started taking this saying seriously. I suspect clever people are more likely to catch colds.

 

Stupid people don’t think about complex things. They always listen to the voices in their body. Is it cold or hot? Am I hungry or not? Am I tired or not? Am I sleepy or not? Listening to these voices from own body might be an important ability to avoid catching a cold.

 

Clever people have to think about many things. Will this cause trouble or not? Do people hate me or not? Will the boss scold me or not? Does it make me a loser or not? Will I make or lose profit? Do I look stupid or not? They need to think too much. It causes them to overwork.

 

Even in a situation like this: “If I don’t finish this work till the next morning, it will destroy the human race,” a stupid person will sleep when the person feels sleepy.  The stupid person never thinks about complex things.

 

This thinking style might be a stupidness we should learn. We don’t want to be destroyed by a stupid person. But does any work, even if we realize it is serious, have enough value to justify ignoring the voices from our body?  

 

If you see a person who catches a cold, please take good care of that person. The person might think too much. The person might ignore the voice from their own body. The person might overwork. You should pray for the person secretly: “be stupider!”

Picture by Toshiro Kiritani

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Forbidden Rock

 

When I was a junior high school student, I was a member of the broadcasting club. We would air music and speeches during lunchtime. What we broadcasted depended on students’ requests. Sometimes I aired my favorite music. 

 

There was a strict rule about school broadcasting: no rock music. We could broadcast any kind of music except rock music.

 

I asked the adviser of the club, “Why is rock music not allowed?” The adviser answered, “If we broadcast rock music, all of the students will start to dance. It will cause a big problem.”

 

I couldn’t understand. Even if we broadcasted rock music, I couldn’t imagine my schoolmates starting to dance.

 

I think back on that memory these days. It makes me laugh. There was a generation who loved rock music very much. Maybe they couldn’t help dancing anytime they heard rock music.  But they are older than my generation. We like rock music. But we don’t have such enthusiasm for rock music.

 

At that time, the rock music generation had already graduated from our school. But the school rule remained.

 

I envy that generation. I don’t have any music that will make me want to dance in any situation.

 

Freddie Mercury said: “I won’t be a rock star. I will be a legend.” He was right. They, including my senior students, are not rock stars. They are legends.

Picture by studiostoks

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