Life Sentence

 

 

When I was in my forties, a friend of mine who had been nice to me in our twenties passed away. I was shocked I had lost a friend who was the same age.

I planned a farewell party with the people who were my good friends twenty years ago, but I found it difficult to gather all those old friends. Basically, our forties were busy. Furthermore, some people insisted on this idea: “If he comes, I can’t participate.” I don’t know what their problem was, but it was almost twenty years ago!

I told this story to an old lady who was eighty years old. I expected a mature adult laugh at the story, but she answered seriously, “The same things are happening among us.”

The problems that arise in a person’s twenties could be a lifetime sentence. I myself also have some old acquaintances I don’t want to meet, though we were good friends in our twenties.

Our twenties can be the most difficult time in our life.

Picture by KEN-KEN

Proofreading by ProofreadingServices.com

Superstar

 

 

A few years ago, I passed out at home. My wife called an ambulance, and I was admitted to a hospital. I was in the intensive care unit. I was completely unconscious for a week. Sometime the next week, I regained consciousness. I had a narrow escape.

The doctors and nurses had called me. I had heard them calling my name in my dim consciousness. People really paid attention to me. When I was young, I had been a part-time actor and a part-time teacher. I had never been given attention by audiences and students like that. It was as if I was a superstar.

I gradually recovered. I became able to sit up; I became able to stand up. Everyone cheered me on. But when I recovered and I could walk around, I felt kind of lonesome. No one cheered me on. No one paid attention to me anymore. I was not a superstar anymore.

When I was a child, I wanted to become a superstar. At least, I can think my dream came true in a way. Even real superstars are treated as superstars for only a short period. A superstar might feel as lonesome as I did when they are no longer a superstar.

Dear friends, be healthy. Don’t become a superstar like me.

Picture by DrawShop

Proofreading by ProofreadingServices.com

 

Full Metal Condor Heroes

 

 In 2017, I met a student from Hong Kong at a theatrical event.

 There was a magical topic whenever we talked with Chinese people: the novelist Jing Yong. His masterpiece The Legend of the Condor Heroes was very popular. There are many films based on it. It is said that all Chinese people know about it. I have read the Japanese version and watched the films.

I assumed I could talk to her about it, but she said, “Oh! I have heard the title. But I haven’t read the book and haven’t seen the films.”

I was shocked.

She said, “My favorite product is Japanese Full Metal Alchemist. Let’s talk about it.”

I was even more shocked. I have actually heard the title, but I haven’t read the comics and haven’t seen the animations. I assumed that it might be for younger generations.

 Then I read the comics. It was very interesting. A masterpiece is attractive for any generation.

 When I was a student, my professor told me, “If you want to work for an international project, first of all, you need to know your own country.”

 He was right.

 I will study new Japanese manga, games, and animations for international projects.

 It will be fun!

Picture by drawlab19

Proofreading by ProofreadingServices.com

Toddler Program

 

 When I was a university student, I had a part-time job as an actor for a TV program for toddlers. But I was in a costume. My face was covered. The program was made in Nagoya.

 The film production had not experienced making a program for toddlers. We had to discuss and find a better way to create the program. There were many problems in the studio every day. It was a great experience to be there from the very first day of shooting.

 One day, I was relaxing at home. I turned on the TV. I was fixated on the TV. A toddler program was on the air. It was a long-lived program made in Tokyo.

 I was shocked because the quality of the program was very high. It had sophisticated content as well. I could see that the crew members were very experienced. The actors were also very attractive and had great chemistry. They were on a different level compared with us. We were doing our best, but I realized that the differences between us were so obvious.

 Suddenly, my mother, who was in the kitchen, screamed at me.

“What are you watching seriously? You are already a university student!”

I didn’t tell her I worked for a program for toddlers. If you have a son who is a university student but seriously watches a toddler program, you might worry about him.

 We watch TV. That might be a part of our life. But these programs are great works by great people.

 I once worked for a TV program. That experience gave me a different point of view regarding TV. I think the same things could happen in any field. If you participate, it gives you a new perspective.

Picture by R-DESIGN

Proofreading by ProofreadingServices.com

Bingo

 

 

 Before the pandemic, every week, I visited the nursing home where my mother lived. My mother has Alzheimer’s disease.

 One day, when I visited the nursing home, they were playing bingo, but I was surprised to find that the atmosphere was totally different from that of the usual bingo game. No one was greedy.

 At that time, it was already difficult to communicate with my mother. She put the bingo sheet on her table. Even though her number had been called, she didn’t react. I checked her sheet. She had won bingo, but she was not interested in it. Half of the participants were almost the same as my mother.

 The caregivers supported them every time a new number was picked up. I was filled with gratitude for the caregivers. They were busy just taking care of the patients. Even more, they were trying to amuse the patients.

 I just want to find a simple game that even Alzheimer’s disease patients can enjoy.

Picture by RetroClipArt

Liu Bei

 

 Liu Bei is an ancient Chinese hero. He was a smart person who lived in a very competitive world. His rival was a cruel person who suspected that Liu Bei would be his biggest enemy in the future. He started to think about killing Liu Bei. Liu Bei realized this and started to act like a stupid person. He intentionally showed and grew out his nose hair every day. The rival changed his mind, and Liu Bei survived.

When I was in my thirties, I was a part-time actor. I participated in a performance wherein the other actors were younger than me. They showed respect to me as an experienced actor. I was impressed that the younger actors were very polite.

One day, during rehearsal break, I looked into the mirror in the restroom and found a shocking fact: my nose hair was fully out. This meant that I had recited my cool and beautiful lines with my nose hair fully out during the rehearsal.

I returned to the rehearsal room and said to my co-actors, “Hey, guys! How could you? If you saw my nose hair out, please inform me!”

 One of the co-actors answered, “Oh! We assumed you intentionally did that.”

 I said, “Am I Liu Bei?”

 They hadn’t meant it. If an elder person has his nose hair showing, I would hesitate to point it out.

 Dear friends, if you meet me and find my nose hair showing, please let me know secretly. I am not a great person who might be killed because of my own intelligence.

 I experienced an anecdote of the ancient hero. I can’t live with having my nose hair out every day.

 Kudos to Liu Bei, and kudos again!

Picture by moj0j0

proofreading by ProofreadingServices.com

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