Inonaki vol. 2102
28th February 2009
Nothing is pointless
This month, I read 6 books.
All of them were good books.
In this case, what can I say that will describe it well?
The easiest I guess would be 「I learnt from them」.
I am not sure what exactly it is that I have learnt, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment...... I think.
The way I read is a little weird.
I start about 5 books at the same time.
I love to read essays prior to sleeping.
On those days when I spend a lot of time reading at home, I would settle for the heavy reading .
While in transit, I would be reading novels.
To psyche myself up, I would read the latest popular writings.
When I am feeling bored, it would be gag (comic gags) books.
I will finish all of these in about 2 months.
If I finish one book, I will immediately replace it with another.
However, no matter how much I read, I would forget all of them.
A-re? The main character of that novel, is it the man, or the woman?
All of these may seem totally meaningless, but I am not reading them due to my work.
It is to satisfy my own curiosity, and it helps to kill time.
Just reading.
Just watching.
Just listening.
Just laughing.
Isn't that great!
In this world, there isn't anything that one can live without.
To live means to stumble upon confusing inconsistencies now and then.
For me, up to today, the only one time that I had shockingly come across 「You have no choice but to do this!」 was when I was 18, when I had suddenly gone to Tsukishima for some Monyajaki with my buddies.
I was totally starving, and wanted to stuff myself with okonomiyaki rather than that of monjayaki, and so I ordered the former instead,
However, one of my buddies said, "The owner of this Monjayaki shop, he gets angry when one doesn't order any Monjayaki!" while moving his index finger up and down to point at all the regular customers.
I got angry even before the owner had a chance to.
"Bullshit, yo! I have never heard of such a thing, yo! Why should I, the customer, not be able to choose the order in which I'd like my food to come, yo? Why do I have to please the owner whom I have never seen before, someone I do not know at all, yo!!!"
That particular buddy, he was born in Kansai, he wasn't sure of how to retort to my comments, which made me really vehement about it all.
Let's put things in perspective.
I was the customer. I planned to pay up properly. The me who was born in Asakusa had never heard of such a rule. He, who was born in Kansai, was trying to stop me from ordering okonomiyaki, with some baseless reason. Plus, I was really hungry then. Angry.
Looking back at it now, that was really cute.
However, because of me, the atmosphere at the monja shop turned sour.
The owner too, took the effort to smilingly reassure me, "There isn't any rule about what one should order first, yo!".
In spite of that, I had pursed my lips angrily, and said, "It's OK, yo, this is the way Tsukishima is, right? Ja, I'd like a curry Monja please......" on that night when I was 18.
"You have to do this, there is no such thing as that theory" if we think of it that way, because he was from Kansai, be it that it wasn't due to him liking okonomiyaki, or that the shop owner was obstinate.
It's good that there are all sorts of people.
It's good that they have all sorts of hangups.
Its good that there are so many types of books.
It's good that there are many ways of reading.
In any case, even if I do not remember, I think then, at that time, I would be nonsensically enjoying myself.
Well, remembering the cute 18 year old me, it dawns on me, I don't think there is anything that is pointless in this world.
Nothing is pointless
This month, I read 6 books.
All of them were good books.
In this case, what can I say that will describe it well?
The easiest I guess would be 「I learnt from them」.
I am not sure what exactly it is that I have learnt, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment...... I think.
The way I read is a little weird.
I start about 5 books at the same time.
I love to read essays prior to sleeping.
On those days when I spend a lot of time reading at home, I would settle for the heavy reading .
While in transit, I would be reading novels.
To psyche myself up, I would read the latest popular writings.
When I am feeling bored, it would be gag (comic gags) books.
I will finish all of these in about 2 months.
If I finish one book, I will immediately replace it with another.
However, no matter how much I read, I would forget all of them.
A-re? The main character of that novel, is it the man, or the woman?
All of these may seem totally meaningless, but I am not reading them due to my work.
It is to satisfy my own curiosity, and it helps to kill time.
Just reading.
Just watching.
Just listening.
Just laughing.
Isn't that great!
In this world, there isn't anything that one can live without.
To live means to stumble upon confusing inconsistencies now and then.
For me, up to today, the only one time that I had shockingly come across 「You have no choice but to do this!」 was when I was 18, when I had suddenly gone to Tsukishima for some Monyajaki with my buddies.
I was totally starving, and wanted to stuff myself with okonomiyaki rather than that of monjayaki, and so I ordered the former instead,
However, one of my buddies said, "The owner of this Monjayaki shop, he gets angry when one doesn't order any Monjayaki!" while moving his index finger up and down to point at all the regular customers.
I got angry even before the owner had a chance to.
"Bullshit, yo! I have never heard of such a thing, yo! Why should I, the customer, not be able to choose the order in which I'd like my food to come, yo? Why do I have to please the owner whom I have never seen before, someone I do not know at all, yo!!!"
That particular buddy, he was born in Kansai, he wasn't sure of how to retort to my comments, which made me really vehement about it all.
Let's put things in perspective.
I was the customer. I planned to pay up properly. The me who was born in Asakusa had never heard of such a rule. He, who was born in Kansai, was trying to stop me from ordering okonomiyaki, with some baseless reason. Plus, I was really hungry then. Angry.
Looking back at it now, that was really cute.
However, because of me, the atmosphere at the monja shop turned sour.
The owner too, took the effort to smilingly reassure me, "There isn't any rule about what one should order first, yo!".
In spite of that, I had pursed my lips angrily, and said, "It's OK, yo, this is the way Tsukishima is, right? Ja, I'd like a curry Monja please......" on that night when I was 18.
"You have to do this, there is no such thing as that theory" if we think of it that way, because he was from Kansai, be it that it wasn't due to him liking okonomiyaki, or that the shop owner was obstinate.
It's good that there are all sorts of people.
It's good that they have all sorts of hangups.
Its good that there are so many types of books.
It's good that there are many ways of reading.
In any case, even if I do not remember, I think then, at that time, I would be nonsensically enjoying myself.
Well, remembering the cute 18 year old me, it dawns on me, I don't think there is anything that is pointless in this world.