The First Experience

When I was a high school student, a friend of mine said, “This morning, when I was taking the bus, I saw an old man standing. So I offered him my seat. But he yelled at me, ‘I am not that old!’ I’d assumed I would be praised.”

At that time, I thought that some old people were strange. I had to be careful when I offered my seat to an old person.

Now, I am over fifty. My senior friends have already had the experience of being offered young people’s seats. I find that I understand how the old man felt.

A person never realizes that they are old on their own. One day, suddenly, someone pronounces, “You are old!” That could happen to me soon.

Will I act properly then? A young person may offer their seat to me. Will I smile and accept that offer? Will I say, “Thank you,” to that person? I am not sure. Life is a succession of first experiences, and I have failed at most of my first experiences.

I think I might scream at the kind young person.

Ours is also a difficult age.

Japanese

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Picture by hirokoji

Waving a Hand

When I was young, I was a stage actor. I was on stage at mini-theaters. Some productions were broadcast on TV.

One day, I was walking around. Someone waved at me from a shop. I didn’t know who he was. But he could have been an audience member of my show. He might have recognized me and waved.

Wow! I was finally a celebrity! I thought I had to be friendly. So I waved back at the person. Then I noticed he looked surprised.

I walked to the shop and looked closely. Then I realized he was not waving. He was a clerk at the shop. He was wiping the window.

I was so embarrassed that I wanted to disappear.

I never did become an actor who was so famous that everybody would wave at me.

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Japanese

Picture by Shiho Mayuzumi

 

The Wheel Pose

　When I was an elementary school student, I was good at P.E. I was not good at ball games, but when it came to other activities, I was at the top level in my class.

I was good at muscle flexibility. Of course, I could do the wheel pose. Furthermore, I could stand up from the wheel pose. Only a few of my classmates could do that.

When I was over fifty, I thought I need to do something for my health. I bought a book about yoga. I decided I would do one pose every day.

I hadn’t known that the wheel pose was also a yoga pose: Urdhva Dhanurasana. I tried it. Shockingly, I couldn’t do the wheel pose.

I lay on my back. Then I tried to lift up my body. But my back never left the floor. It was impossible to stand up from the wheel pose. I was shocked. Was this a symptom of aging? The result of no exercise?

From that day on, I have tried to do the wheel pose every day. A few years have passed since then. Do you think I can do the wheel pose now?

I can do it easily. I am on the way to regaining my lost ability. I want to be able to stand up from the wheel pose some day.

Dear friends of my age, don’t give up!

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Japanese

Picture by Hinageshi