Moyomoto's Modernizing Proverbs Series Part 1: 'Spilled Water Cannot Be Gathered'
Starting a new series today.
It's called,
'Moyomoto Modernizes Proverbs.'
Proverbs, idioms, and famous quotes passed down from long ago.
We think we know them,
but we don't actually know what they really mean.
This is a series where I re-examine those phrases,
'What would this mean in today's world?'
and try to modernize them in my own Moyomoto way.
For this momentous first installment.
Speaking of the middle of August,
that's right.
It's Obon.
So,
'Spilled water cannot be gathered' (Fukusui bon ni kaerazu).
Let's give it a go.
First of all,
how do you read 'Fukusui bon ni kaerazu'?
'Fukusui...'
'bon ni...'
'kaerazu.'
I can read it.
But,
if someone asks,
'What does it mean?'
'Isn't it that thing?'
'The one where you can't put water back once you've spilled it.'
...Yeah.
That's basically right lol
The origin is a Chinese historical anecdote.
During the Zhou dynasty, Lu Shang, known as Taigongwang, was poor in his youth and was divorced by his wife, who had grown tired of him.
Later, when Lu Shang became successful, his ex-wife returned, saying, 'I want to start over.'
So Lu Shang overturned a basin of water and said,
'If you can put this water back into the basin, we'll start over.'
Of course,
it didn't go back.
In other words,
once something has happened,
or once you've done something,
you can't easily return to how things were.
That is what
'Spilled water cannot be gathered'
means.
I see.
Deep.
Now,
let's make a modern version.
First,
an Apple Gift Card you've already used.
'I bought it by mistake!'
'Please cancel it!'
...
Spilled water cannot be gathered.
No,
you've already used the code.
It can't be undone.
And in modern society,
there's an even clearer example.
Smartphones.
Once a person
has known the convenience of a smartphone.
Even if they say,
'A feature phone was enough back in the day,'
they can't go back.
LINE.
YouTube.
Online shopping.
Google.
Maps.
Cashless payments.
Photos.
Videos.
Games.
Everything,
is in the palm of your hand.
Try telling such a person,
'From today, you're using a feature phone.'
They'll probably
react like this.
'No, impossible.'
'What do I do about LINE?'
'How do I send photos?'
'What about PayPay?'
'YouTube?'
'How do I search?'
And in the end,
while clutching the feature phone,
they're looking for their smartphone.
It's completely over.
The Moyomoto-style modern version of
'Spilled water cannot be gathered'
means
this.
Once a person has known a smartphone,
they can no longer go back to a feature phone.
Once a person has known convenience,
they cannot go back to inconvenience.
Once a person has learned to take it easy,
they cannot go back to their former self.
And above all,
once a person
has known 'Amazon next-day delivery,'
they cannot endure
'It will arrive in a week.'
They'll be like, 'No, why?'
The old me would have said,
'A week? Well, I guess I'll wait.'
The current me
is like, 'It won't arrive tomorrow?'
Humans,
perhaps we are creatures that,
little by little, become unable to return to how we were.
So, today's lesson.
Spilled water cannot be gathered.
Spilled water doesn't go back.
Used Apple cards don't go back.
And,
I, who have known the smartphone, can't go back either.
Conclusion
Isn't this the same as 'regret doesn't come first'? lol
See you next time.