I took my dad to Philippines last spring.
He wanted to visit the site where his dad died in war.
He was only two years old at that time.
He said that it was his last wish.
With the information he had from Japanese government record,
I researched google map, contacted people in Philippines,
and finally I was able to guess the site.
However, it was only my guess.
No guide book shows the area where I was thinking of.
We went anyway.
My dad had a small heart attack on the way.
He survived.
I survived.
We were so lucky to find an amazing tax driver in Manila.
We hired him for three days.
He was familiar with the area where no guidebook shows.
He drove us the site my dad and I were dreaming of.
It was in a big valley that used to be a jungle, and the river runs through.
In Japanese war map, it only shows the name of the river in Japanese, "Yamato River".
This was the site my grandfather believed to be killed.
We were there.
**********
The life there reminded us
Japan during and after the war.
I only know it from the picture on the book or the story from elderly.
But it wasn't too long ago.
Now after the huge Earth's movement,
the pictures of the damaged area look like that.
Japanese now forced to live life totally different than we used to.
We have to be strong and brave enough to change our standard to live.
We lost many lives,
We lost many, many things.
It's devastating, it's sad, it's unchangeable.
But we have to live,
we have to stand up,
we have to move forward.
Because the wind blows,
the sun rises and sets,
the moon and the stars shine.
it snows,
it rains,
the flowers bloom,
the trees grow,
the birds sing,
the frogs croak,
the butterflies dance around.
We can start over.
As long as we don't stop,
as long as we are all together,
we will be fine.
******** 今回は英語文と日本語文の内容は一致していません。*******
何を基準にそれが普通だって思って生きてきたんだろう。
He wanted to visit the site where his dad died in war.
He was only two years old at that time.
He said that it was his last wish.
With the information he had from Japanese government record,
I researched google map, contacted people in Philippines,
and finally I was able to guess the site.
However, it was only my guess.
No guide book shows the area where I was thinking of.
We went anyway.
My dad had a small heart attack on the way.
He survived.
I survived.
We were so lucky to find an amazing tax driver in Manila.
We hired him for three days.
He was familiar with the area where no guidebook shows.
He drove us the site my dad and I were dreaming of.
It was in a big valley that used to be a jungle, and the river runs through.
In Japanese war map, it only shows the name of the river in Japanese, "Yamato River".
This was the site my grandfather believed to be killed.
We were there.
**********
The life there reminded us
Japan during and after the war.
I only know it from the picture on the book or the story from elderly.
But it wasn't too long ago.
Now after the huge Earth's movement,
the pictures of the damaged area look like that.
Japanese now forced to live life totally different than we used to.
We have to be strong and brave enough to change our standard to live.
We lost many lives,
We lost many, many things.
It's devastating, it's sad, it's unchangeable.
But we have to live,
we have to stand up,
we have to move forward.
Because the wind blows,
the sun rises and sets,
the moon and the stars shine.
it snows,
it rains,
the flowers bloom,
the trees grow,
the birds sing,
the frogs croak,
the butterflies dance around.
We can start over.
As long as we don't stop,
as long as we are all together,
we will be fine.
******** 今回は英語文と日本語文の内容は一致していません。*******
何を基準にそれが普通だって思って生きてきたんだろう。
いつ誰が決めたんだろう。
世間の普通が自分の普通になって、
近所の誰かの普通が自分の普通になって、
普通がいいことで、違うと悪いって思うのが普通になってて、
もともと自分は人となんか違うって昔から知ってた。
それが恥ずかしいとも、悪いことだとも思っていなかった。
自分がいいと信じることは人がなんと言おうが実行に移してきた。
それがいつの間にか、知らないうちになんか変ってきた。
自分もなんか普通に近くなって、違うのが怖くなって、気がつけば世間の普通で暮らしてた。
それから目覚めたのは自分の手術とほとんど同じころ起きた地球の大異変。
麻酔が切れ、痛みで寝られない夜、日本の妹からの電話。
そのときは地震の大きさよりもおなかの痛みのほうが大きかった。
テレビも新聞もない我が家にはあれほどの地球の異変が起きても、
BGM代わりにかかってるラジオが教えてくれなければ、誰かが電話で知らせてくれなければ、
何も知らずに日が過ぎている。
画面を見ないようにしていても、たまたま入ったカフェのテーブルに置かれた新聞の写真が目に入る。
そこには瓦礫の中に埋まった自分の母親の手を握り締めて泣く娘。
こんなの見せられて泣かない人間いない。
これは実際起きたこと、何も否定できないこと。
自分に力があったら助けてあげたい。
可哀想とか悲しいとか、そんな言葉に置き換えてすむことでもない。
地球のあちこちで毎日すさまじいくらい悲しいことはおきている。
手を差し伸べてあげたい。
みんなが幸せに笑って暮らしていけたらどんなにいいことが。
どこからどうやってはじめたらいいのか。
実際何ができるのか。
今までみんなが普通と信じてきたことが、
それがいいと信じてやってきたことが、
一瞬のうちに消え去ってしまった。
なくなったことを悔やんでも前へ進めない。
なくなったものは帰ってこない。
代わりのものはやはり代わりでしかない。
でも、今はそれしかない。
それでやってくしかない。
これが、それが、いまが、
普通としてはじめっからやるしかない。
