世の中に「びっくりぼん」はあるもの

　午前中、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」でアイスコーヒーを飲み、リラックスし、ママさんとも話が出来ました。時間的に早かったこともあり、他の客はいないのでピアノを弾かせてもらいました。今日は「アメージンググレイス」など弾きました。

　それにしても「人間とは何処かで繋がっているもの」で本当に驚きました。実は、ママさんの息子さんが前高吹奏楽部にいたとのことで、私としては「びっくりぽん」です。私は前高吹奏楽部の顧問だったからです。年代が違うので一緒にはなりませんでしたが、不思議な縁です。息子さんによろしく伝えてくださいと申し上げました。

Dear my friends abroad

　In the morning today, I had the iced coffee at my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi" where I relaxed and had a chance to talk with the mama-san. Since it was early, there were no other customers there, so I was able to play the piano. Today I played "Amazing Grace" and other music.

　Even so, I was deeply surprised to know that "human beings are connected in some way." I was really "surprised" to hear that the mama's son belonged to Maebashi High School's brass band. That's because I was the advisor for the Maebashi High School brass band. We weren't together because we were different generations, but it was a really strange connection. I said hello to her son.

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改めて健康維持を推進

　昨日の夕方、我が故郷で最も自然が広がってるその名も「緑地公園」へ往復４Kほどを暫くぶりにウォーキングしてきました。目的は体調を整えることと、お腹を空かして夕食【の一杯】が美味しくなることです。

　実は、ウォーキングは距離は短くても毎日行ってます。それは上４公園で行われてるラジオ体操会場まで歩いて行くからです。このため、朝食前に歩き１０分～ラジオ体操１０分～歩き１０分の合計３０分は朝食前に身体を充分に動かしてます。

　昨日の緑地公園へのウォーキング帰りの途中、小学生の頃から仲の良かった今は亡きＫ君宅に立ち寄り、奥様と３０分ほど話してきました。彼が他界して既に１３年経過とのことで年月の経つのを早く感じました。実は、Ｋ君は高崎市会議員選挙に立候補する予定でしたが、無念にも直前に病で亡くなり、急遽、彼の遺志を継いで奥様が立候補しました。結果的に奥様は見事に高崎市会議員に当選され、ご主人の遺志を継いで活躍され、私は素晴らしく感じました。

　ところで、今朝、パソコンを開いたらニュージーランドのバリーさんから誕生日メッセージが届いており驚きました。すでに３６年前、彼は１年間、高崎商業でAETをされてた方で、本当に仲良くさせていただきました。私の家や高島山屋のビァーガーデンなどで交流した思い出がたくさんあり、今でもフェイスブックを通じて交流できる不思議さを感じています。

Dear my overseas friends

　Yesterday evening, I walked after a long interval to the "Greenery Park," where is the most natural scenery in my hometown named Kuragano. The purpose was to get into shape and to make my dinner taste better including wine by making me hungry.

　Actually, I walk every day, even though the distance is short. That's because I walk to the radio gymnastics venue in Kami-4th Park. For this reason, I walk for 10 minutes, 10 minutes of radio gymnastics, and walk back to home for 10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes, to get my body moving before breakfast.

　On my way back from walking to Greenery Park yesterday, I stopped by the home of my late friend Mr. K who I had been close with since elementary school, and talked with his wife for about 30 minutes. It's been 13 years since he passed away, and I felt how quickly the years go by. Actually, Mr. K was planning to run for the Takasaki City Council election, but unfortunately he died of illness just before the election. Therefore his wife ran in accordance with his wishes. As a result, his wife was successfully elected to the Takasaki City Council, carrying on her husband's wishes and working hard. So I felt wonderful.

　By the way, I was surprised to see a birthday message from Barry in New Zealand when I opened my laptop this morning. 36 years ago, he was an AET at Takasaki High School of Commerce a year, and we became really good friends. I have many memories of our interactions at my house and in the beer garden at Takashimaya in front of Takasaki station, and it's amazing that we can still keep in touch through Facebook.

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人生は短し、植物の生命は永し

　今を盛りに咲いてるのは左が「クレマチス」で、右が「君子蘭」です。君子蘭は室内の温かな廊下で冬を越したことから、１月上旬から咲き始め、今でもたくさん咲いてます。

　ところで、「この世には本当に不思議なこと」があります。１年ほど前に、西隣のＴ夫人と垣根越しに話していたところ、彼女曰く「彼女の庭に咲いているクレマチスを指して、この花は２５年ほど前にカッキーの奥さんから戴いたものが今でも咲いてます。」というのです。

　私はそのことは全く知らずに今まで過ごしていたので「えぇ～、そんなこともあるのか」と驚いたものです。本人はこの世にいなくても、プレゼントした「クレマチス」が今まで毎年、隣の庭で咲き続けていたのです。これからも咲き続けるでしょう。

　一方、それとは逆に、写真右の君子蘭はＴ夫人のご主人に１０問ほど前に、１鉢戴いたものが私の家でたくさん増え、今日も咲いてます。実は、隣のＴさんも数年前に天に召され、私は誠にショックを受けました。彼は群馬県教育界の重鎮であったことから私は公私ともに本当にお世話になったのです。

　このように植物は人の亡きあとまで、ずっと生き続け、咲き続けます。それにしても、亡き妻はきれいな「クレマチス」をどこで手に入れて隣にプレゼントしたのでしょう。

　実は、隣のＴ夫人は高齢になり、現在、施設に入居中です。最近の傾向で、面会は家族のみが可能で、私はいろいろ話がしたくても会えない不都合な状況にあります。コロナが終息しつつあるので、お会いできるようにして戴きたいです。

Dear my friends abroad

　The flower that are blooming now are "clematis" on the left and "Kaffir lily" on the right. Because the "Kaffir lily" overwintered indoors in a warm hallway, it started blooming in early January and is still blooming in abundance.

　By the way, there are some truly mysterious things in this world. About a year ago, I was talking through the hedge with Mrs. T who lives next door to the west, and she said, pointing to the clematis that was blooming in her garden, "This flower was presented by Kakky's wife about 25 years ago. "It's still blooming even now.

　I had been completely unaware of this fact until now, so I was surprised and thought, "Wow, that can happen?" Even though my wife is no longer in this world, the "clematis" has continued so far to bloom in the neighbor's garden every year. And it will continue to bloom from now on.

　On the other hand, the Kaffir lily on the right of the photo, which was presented from Mrs. T's husband in a pot about 10 years ago, has grown in abundance at my house and is still blooming today. Actually, my neighbor Mr. T also passed away a few years ago, and I was really shocked. He was a major figure in Gumma Prefecture's Board of education, therefore I was truly indebted to him in both my professional and private life.

　In this way, plants continue to live and bloom long after a person has passed away. By the way, where did my late wife get a beautiful "clematis" and present it next to her?

　Actually, Mrs. T, who lived next door, is elderly and currently living in a facility. Due to recent trends, only family members are allowed to visit, and I am in an inconvenient situation because I am unable to meet her even though I would like to talk to her about various topics. Now that the coronavirus is ending, I would like to be able to meet her.

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今の季節、毎朝一際明るい・・・・Lucifer

　写真は、今朝６時１０分に撮った日の出前の南東の空です。一際明るく一つの星が輝いてます。これはいわゆる「明けの明星」です。英語ではLucifer と言ったり、一般的にはMorning starと言われている「金星」です。

　不思議なことに、金星は一年中探しても決して夜中には見えません。もちろん水星は、より一層見えません。理由はこの二つの惑星は内惑星であり、私たちが住む地球から見ると常に太陽の近くにあり、太陽から離れることがないからです。つまり、日の出直前か、日没直後に見える短い時間帯のみです。

　実は、今日１月２９日は父の誕生日です。しかし、子供の頃の私は生前の父と話をするチャンスはあまりありませんでした。今思うに、家族を養うため経済的に逼迫し、６人の子供を育てるために、そんな余裕はなかったのでしょう。特に末っ子の私とは遊ぶことなど殆どなく、父にどこかに連れてってもらった思い出はほとんどありませんでした。

　それでも、大学の入学式には私に黙って来ており、父は喜んでくれたのでしょう。私の２０代は、両親と３人暮らしの期間があり、就職としてのインド行きでは、母は「危険だからと大反対」でしたが、父は「こんな千載一遇のチャンスはない。将来の基盤となる」と大賛成してくれ、この時ばかりは本当に嬉しかったです。

　その後、私は結婚してもずっと両親と一つ屋根の下で暮らしてました。父は４０年前に８８才で逝きました。私にとって、今朝の「明けの明星」は父に見えます。

Dear my overseas friends

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be after my breakfast in Japan time.

............

　The photo indicates the southeastern sky before sunrise, taken at 6:10 by me this morning. A single star shines brightly. This is the so-called "morning star." In English, it is called Lucifer as well, and in general it is "Venus".

　Strangely, even if we earthlings look for Venus all year round, we will never see it midnight. Including Mercury as well, of course, is even less visible. The reason is that these two planets are inner planets, so that as seen from the Earth where we live, they are always close to the sun and never leave the sun. That is why, it is only visible for a short period of time, either just before sunrise or just after sunset only.

　Not change the subject, but today, January 29th, is my deceased father's birthday. However, when I was a child, I didn't have many chances to talk to father before he was alive. If I think about it now, he probably couldn't afford it because he was in a tight financial situation trying to support my family, especially raising six children. In particular, as the youngest child in my family, I hardly ever played with him, and I had very few memories of my father taking me anywhere.

　Even so, my father must have been happy because he came to my university entrance ceremony without saying to me anything in advance. In my twenties, I lived with my parents for a period of time. But, when I went to India as a teacher of Japanese school in Calcutta, my mother was strongly against it, saying it was dangerous, but my father said, "There is one in million chance, and going to India will be the foundation of my lifetime. At that moment, I was happy to the core.

　After that, even after I got married, I continued to live with my parents under the same roof. My father passed away 40 years ago at the age of 88. For me, this morning's "Lucifer" appears to be my father.

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人事により職場のみならず、変化するその後の人生

　真っ赤な花梅の品種名「鹿児島」が例年１月中旬には咲いてますが、今年は未だ開花してません。どうしたのでしょう。私の人生がいつになっても開花しないことから遠慮しているのでしょうか。

　ところで、本日１月１８日は私にとって忘れられない日です。その昔、初めて就職試験を受けました。今考えると、就職試験により、合格しても不合格であっても、その結果で、その後の人生ががらりと変わってくると気づきます。

　人事とはポストに空きがあってこそ、その職場に初めて配属になりますが、ポストが空いてなければ、たとえ就職試験に合格してても職場は全く違ってしまいます。現役中、私は人事で７ヶ所も異動しました。余り使い物にならなかったのかもしれません。

　人事異動によって、その後、職場で出会う人たちが全く違ってきます。運よく出会い、数年間、毎日顔を合わせてるとそれが当たり前になり、その後も縁は繋がります。しかし、ちょっとした運命で、もしかして出会えた筈の人に永遠に出会えないことも生じます。結果的に将来の家族構成までも影響を与えるのが人事です。

　今日１月１８日はインド・カルカッタ日本人学校への就職試験日でした。

Dear my overseas friends

　The bright red flowering plum variety "Kagoshima" normally blooms in mid-January, but this year it has not bloomed yet. What happened? Is she hesitating because flower as my life doesn't bloom?

　By the way, today, January 18th, is an unforgettable day for me. A long time ago, I took a job exam for the first time. When I think about it now, I realize that regardless of whether I pass or fail the employment exam, our life will be completely different depending on the result.

　In personnel affairs, we will only be assigned to a workplace if there is a vacancy in the position, but if there is no vacancy, our workplace will be completely different even if we passed the employment exam. During my career, I was transferred to seven work places due to personnel matters. Maybe I wasn't of much use.

　Due to personnel changes, the people we will meet at work will be completely different. If we are lucky enough to meet someone and see each other every day for a few years, it will become natural, and the bond will continue to grow. However, due to a bit of fate, we can't meet the person if we are supposed to meet. As a result, personnel affairs in work place even affect the future family structure.

　Today, January 18th, was the employment exam day for the Japanese School in Calcutta, India.

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