This morning I watched one Japanese television show. In the show, one young man, in his early 30s, was the main guest. He used to work for the television show as the assistant director. The television show introduces the real farmers and animal breeders who raise them with their love. They don’t use unnecessary chemicals in the process of raising. Their products need more time and labors, so that the prices are higher than the other products. But they are the real foods with much better ingredient and higher energy. He was inspired with them.
After the assistant director resigned the job of television program making, he has traveled throughout Japan and experienced the rare and real farmers and animal breeders. The main MC stated the young man’s face was shining and looked happier than before.
While watching the show, I thought of one of my old friends. We had been close friends in our childhood days. He was funny and open minded. After graduated from the university, he went to Australia and Bali Island. He would send me an airmail with his pictures from time to time. He looked shining in the pictures. He worked as a waiter at the Japanese restaurant in the evening and an instructor of diving (he is a licensed diving instructor).
After he spent his fun days for 1.5 years like that, he needed to come back to Japan. He entered one company. As soon as he started working for the company, he started looking sad. Around the age of 35-ish, under a strong pressure from his environment, from his parents and coworkers and friends, he thought himself of the necessity of getting married.
So he followed the surrounding people’s voices. He married with one woman whom met through an arranged marriage. I knew him since he was very small. He does not look very happy at this moment. This is just my personal opinion. I might be wrong; he might be happy with his current life. Or, I might be right; he might regret of his life decision.
In my generation, it was still common to follow the environmental voices especially the voices of our parents. Our parents and their grandparents value their happiness into the marriage life. I feel nowadays the value system has been changed into more flexible than before. If my friend was born 10-20 years younger, he might have had enough support to live his life as he wants. He is now a parent of three children. He will respect his children’s desire on their life, instead of pushing his own opinion.
All in all, I think it is good to see the changes. The changes to be flexible. It is now everybody can pursue their dreams and desires more easily than the past. There is no such things that “we are supposed to …” or “we should follow the rail that our parents think it the best for us.” It is our life. We are responsible to choose our own best way. There are so many different routes that we can take.
♬ Any feedback? (^^♪
three wisdom 