Footprints of Yamagata's Life Vol.5

Hello. I'm Yuka Yamagata.

In this column, I would like to talk about things that will remain unchanged, rather than talking about "the current era" or trends.

That's why.

I'll start by talking about the current era, but I don't really like the term "coronavirus pandemic."

I don't think there's anyone who likes it (laughs).

What Corona has revealed.
Recently, we've been hearing and seeing a lot about things we've realized because of COVID-19.

In particular, in industries that involve online business opportunities, it is said that the future three years from now has arrived due to COVID-19.

We are on the brink of an era in which online activities will become mainstream and telecommuting will become commonplace.

To be honest, the company I work for is now doing 90% telework, and we use ZOOM for all meetings.

They have no privacy whatsoever, so they are happy to show you the inside of their home.

I think it's become more convenient, but I sometimes wonder what I was wasting my commute time on the train.
Somehow, it felt like he was being forced into the future, and I wish he had grown a little more slowly...
I think things like that.

I'd like to take it a little slower.

This word is the theme of this article.

To achieve something means to grow and succeed, so "slowly" may sound very negative, but I think it's quite important.

There is a scene like this in one of my favorite books.

- A parent and child in a bookstore.
The child is a boy about 5 years old.
Mom seemed to be in a hurry, as if she had another appointment.
The boy doesn't care about that and desperately searches, compares, and worries about which book he will buy.

Then the mother said something.
"Any one is fine, just choose quickly. Mom is in a hurry."

So the protagonist, a bookstore clerk, mutters:
"I wish they'd let me take my time choosing a book..."

After this, there's one more thing to say.

How do you all think it will continue?

The answer is this.

"You become an adult faster than you think."

Such nuanced words continue.

When I read this, I thought, "That's so true."

Before you know it, you've become an adult, trying and failing, getting lost, and worrying.
Even at such moments, there must have been moments when it was growing small and silent.
Before I knew it, I felt like I was living in a world where being "fast" was a "good thing."

It's not that it's bad, but I thought maybe it's okay if it's not fast.

Do you have the time to worry about things that seem unimportant, or are too reluctant to think about what to eat for dinner, because you don't have the time?
I thought.

(But this was a lie. In one scene in Sazae-san, Sazae-san, who lives a relaxed life as a full-time housewife, is seen racking her brains over what to cook for dinner. Being a housewife has always been tough.)

Since when has speed become so good?
I tried to look it up, but I couldn't find a very accurate answer.

Slowly, make it happen.

Another episode that made me realize this was "kintsugi."

In late May, I participated in a new product competition held by a certain glass brand with a friend.
The theme was "glasses that go well with cold tea."

After thinking about it from every angle with my friend, we came up with the idea of ​​making cold tea feel like time has passed, rather than just temperature.

So I researched the technique of "kintsugi," which is used to repair broken things and turn back time.

Kintsugi turns back time while marking a new era.

When I looked into the process of creating such beautiful pieces that seem to have been passed down through time, I found that it takes more time and effort than I could have ever imagined.

There are many "waiting times" among the many processes.

Carefully polished,

Apply natural glue,

It took a week to dry,

Then scrape off the glue,

Apply lacquer and let it dry again,

Before sprinkling gold dust

It takes a considerable amount of time.

The process can take up to a month or more.

Even though we now have glue, Kintsugi is still a traditional technique.

Suddenly, "it goes by in a flash" starts to seem cheap.

Slowly, make it happen.

This sense of virtue is not a concept of saving time and effort.

Kintsugi is not so much about the time and effort it takes, but rather the length of time you have to wait for it to be completed.

I think that's what really struck me.

Returning to the first episode of the mother and child at the bookstore, it's the mother who can't wait.

Perhaps the protagonist's wish was for the protagonist to believe that there is something to be gained by waiting.

Outside of business, how often do you feel like it has to be now, or that it has to be this fast?

I personally like the phrase "XX doki."
I want to be the one to decide.

I don't want to live at a speed that inconveniences others, but I don't think I'd like living at someone else's speed either.

A recent episode got me thinking about this.

The end

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