The 500th Year Lunch Break

During the company trip, I looked up at a large, ancient tree.

The guide told us.

"It is approximately 500 years old."

500 years.

The moment I heard that number, a thought crossed my mind.

"Come to think of it, if you add up the ages of everyone in our department, it would be about 500 years."

I have never counted.

But, it is surely around that much.

Starting such a trivial calculation is typical of a company trip.

Our department is certainly not young.

In return, there is no shortage of stories about failures and heroic deeds.

When someone fails,

"I've done that too."

someone will laugh,

"I've done it twice."

and someone else will even pile on.

Laughter erupts every time, and no one fails alone.

Of course, we are no match for a 500-year-old tree.

Even so, when 500 years' worth of lives come together, I feel there is a warmth that a single tree does not have.

A single tree takes 500 years to grow large.

A person cannot live alone for 500 years.

That is precisely why I believe we spend time with companions, pass on experiences, and share laughter.

Today's failures will become someone's old stories,

and today's smiles will someday become someone's support.

While looking up at a great tree that has lived for 500 years,

I found something I wanted to boast about just a little.

Even if I cannot live for 500 years,

I can work with companions who possess 500 years' worth of experience.

That is the story I want to boast about a little.

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