後に引けない状況に自らを置く・・・継続について

　外国語や楽器など、物事を始めるのは比較的簡単ですが、難しいのは「それを続けること」です。「三日坊主」とはよく言ったもので、その分かれ目は、そのこと自体が自分の生活に「どうしても必要であるかどうか」でしょう。私が若き日に「三日坊主」になったのはロシア語、フランス語で長続きしませんでした。

　ところが、中国語については、ある日、内モンゴルから手紙が届き、その内容は「日本から飛んで来たあなたの鳩を保護してます。」というもので、私の家で生まれた鳩がそちらに飛んで行ったことが分かり、国と国とのことで無視できず、現地へ一人でその鳩に会いに行くことになりました。このため、渡航前に近所の中国の人に、生活に必要な中国語を集中して教わりました。

　「三日坊主」にならないためには、つまり、続けるには自分で「後には引けない状況」を作り、そこに我が身を置く意外にないかもしれません。その点、瞬時に世界へ伝わるフェイスブックやブログのお陰で、もう後には引けない状況となり、英語は続けてます。このため、日々「このことを英語で何と言うか」という点に絞って追究してます。ブログは２００７年に始め、今後も続けるつもりです。

　一方、子供たちの挑戦については、少しでも良かったら「必ず褒めるてやること」と思います。近所にピアノを習ってる小学生がいます。そばを通ると聞こえるので、私は彼女に会うたびに感想を言ってます。私は１７才からピアノを始めたので、その点、若き彼女が羨ましくもあります。すでにピアノに喜びを見出してる感じで、こうなればもう大丈夫です。

Dear my friends who are crazy about the effective way of studying foreign language and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

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　It's relatively easy to start something new, such as studying a foreign language or playing an instrument, but the difficult part is to continue it. The saying goes "A human gives up after three days," The continuing factor whether or not the thing itself is "absolutely necessary" to our life. When I was younger, I gave up on Russian and French, I didn't stick with them for long.

　However, when it came to Chinese, one day I received a letter from Inner Mongolia that said, "We're protecting your pigeon, which flew over from Japan." I realized that a young pigeon born in my loft had flown there. Since it was a matter of two countries, I couldn't ignore it, so I decided to go there alone to meet my pigeon. For this reason, before I left Japan, I intensively learned the Chinese which I needed for daily life under a Chinese neighbor.

　To avoid giving up after three days, in other words, to keep going, perhaps the only way to avoid giving up after three days is to create a situation which we can't back out and put ourselves in that situation. In that regard, thanks to Facebook and blog which instantly spread information around the world, I was able to find a situation from which I couldn't back out, so that I continued with English. For this reason, I spend every day researching how to say this Japanese in English. I started the blog in 2007 and plan to continue it from now on.

　On the other hand, when it comes to children's challenges, I always make sure to praise them when they do even the slightest bit well. There is an elementary school student in my neighborhood who is learning the piano. I can listen to her playing when I pass by, so I tell her my impression of her every time when I see her. I started playing the piano when I was 17, so in that respect, I envy her for being so young. It seems like she's already finding joy in the piano playing, in her situation, she'll be fine.