I'm Just Going Home
I know it's unprofessional, but whenever I get to work, this thought always crosses my mind.
I want to go home.
That was the state of mind I was in when I was drawn to this book by Kikuko Tsumura at the library because of its incredibly relatable title.
I want to go home. I want to go home as painfully and as desperately as if I were in love. When a guy at work won't return my stationery. When I'm cheering for a figure skater with mediocre scores. And when I'm walking home across a long, long bridge on a day I've lost my transportation due to a torrential downpour. These six stories meticulously weave together the sorrow, pride, small conflicts, and connections inherent in each of these moments, awakening the empathy of those who continue to work, worry, and walk through life.
from the back cover blurb
The title story, "I'm Just Going Home," was enjoyable, with its quirky characters and their conversations written in an exquisite style that made me think, 'I didn't see that coming,' but the part that left the biggest impression on me was the series of short stories titled "Workplace Etiquette."
The narrator is a woman named Torikai who works at a company, and she describes the work habits and workplace behavior of her seniors, juniors, and supervisors from her own unique perspective.
Every single one of the seniors, juniors, and supervisors she describes makes me think, 'Oh, I know someone like that (or I used to),' and it's a storm of empathy.
Among the people at work that Torikai talks about, the one I thought I'd like to work with is a woman named Tanoue.
Here is the basic background information on Tanoue as told by Torikai.
Tanoue had an arranged marriage right after graduating from junior college, started working part-time in the food industry as soon as her child started daycare, but then hurt her lower back and switched to an office job, which is how she joined this company.
This is her fifth year.
She is a bit chubby and looks a little older than her age. Both her movements and her way of speaking are slow, and she is clearly the easygoing type.
She is, in fact, an easygoing person.
from "Workplace Etiquette"
This easygoing Tanoue manages her own paperwork accurately and on time, but according to Torikai, 'the men in the office seem to look down on Tanoue's work as something anyone could do, just writing things down.'
Hmm. Even when people try to hide that kind of condescension, it all comes across, doesn't it...
Tanoue wrote down her own personal mindset for work in a notebook.
When Torikai gave in to temptation and secretly opened Tanoue's notebook while no one else was in the office, she found this item:
・No matter how you are treated, never lose your self-respect.
I believe that when we work, each of us has our own 'principles' or 'convictions.'
They might be 'trivial' to others, but reading Tanoue's mindset for work made me realize once again that it's better to cherish them in your own heart.
When I think about it, I find the workplace to be a strange place.
There are people of all ages, and while there are tasks you can do alone, most work involves coordinating and discussing things with various people.
I think there are people whose values don't seem to align with mine personally, but who I can manage to work with, and vice versa.
I have a feeling that if you find yourself in a workplace where you're so troubled that you can no longer switch off your feelings—thinking things like, 'I'm surrounded by people whose values don't match mine, but it's just a professional relationship, so whatever. I'll just go home, eat some Haagen-Dazs, and read the book I started'—then you should probably think about ways to leave that place.
It was a gentle novel that quietly stood by me as I thought about my workplace, my job, and the relationships with the people I work with.
I haven't read many of Kikuko Tsumura's works until now, so I'd like to steadily read her other books as well.