Momo: The Strange Story of the Time-Thieves and the Girl Who Brought Stolen Time Back to Humans
As a masterpiece published in 1976,many of you have likely read it in the past.
I didn't read books at all when I was a child, so I only learned about this book recently.
1976. Even though it is a book fromso long ago, I felt something like a message for the present age.
Let's learn together!💪
Inspiration Part 1
The Day You Change the World: The Legendary Speech a 12-Year-Old Girl Gave at the Environment Summit, andthe translator's notesmention this book.
Seeing things that adults cannot see
In that respect, it is said thatSevern, the 12-year-old girl who gave the speech at the Environment Summit, and Momo, the girl who is the protagonist of this book, overlap.
Also, I was excited by the keywords'Time Bank,' 'stolen time,' and 'the gray men'.
Inspiration Part 2
Another inspiration isSource: Your Life's Source Is in What Excites You..
Do everything that excites you at the same time without prioritizing!
Encouraged by these words, Irevived my 'reading novels' habit that I had sealed away.
It's just like the 'present'
'Time can be saved!'
'Saved time will double and return to you in five years!'
The people in the world of this book are deceived by such words. And,
they live busily to save time, their own time becomes shorter and shorter, and they don't even notice that a year passes by incredibly quickly.
Huh?
“Spend your retirement taking it easy.” Holding onto that fantasy, people cut into their own time and work tirelessly.Even in the real world, that era has continued for a long time.
The more humans try to save time, the thinner their lives become.
Wait?
The world is overflowing with conveniences, and we are living lives that prioritize efficiency more and more. We often hear terms like prioritizing 'time performance' as well.
Is it just my imagination,or does the world in this book, written nearly 50 years ago, seem to overlap with the world of today?
The story begins after you finish reading it
In this book, thanks to Momo's efforts, everyone's time is returned.
However,in this real world, there is no Momo.
That is whywe ourselves need to thinkabout it.
What is 'time'?
What are the 'time thieves' in this real world?
What is 'richness'?
It is not asking for a general meaning like one found in a dictionary.
I feel that it is asking for 'my own answer'.
I myself am aware that I am living a very hurried life.
I do not think it is very 'rich'. Not right now.
'Inexplicable'
A song I heard recentlyalso felt connected to this book.
Are you familiar with a virtual singer named Kaf?
Recently, she sang the ending theme for 'Urusei Yatsura'.
I didn't know much about her, so I listened to her signature song, 'Fukakai' (Unfathomable). There are lyrics in this song that go like this:
It's not about money, business, or efficiency, is it?
It's about love, friendship, and things that cannot be measured by such metrics.
Finding beauty in that uncertain scene where my heart was crushed is surely what it means to be
human.
Even without knowing this book, it hits home, but somehow it connects to this book, which gave me chills. Please give it a listen.
(It might be a bad habit of mine to try and connect everything together 😊)
Summary
Reading this book, I felt as if it were written about the present day.
In this book, Momo, who brought back 'richness' for everyone, does not exist in this world. The protagonist is us.
I want to feel 'richness'.
'What is time?' 'What is richness?' While continuing to ask those questions,
I will keep moving forward, believing that richness surely lies beyond my actions.
That's all for today's learning. Please come back again. 👋
Reading period: 2022/10/03-2022/10/15
First edition published: 1976/09/24
<Paperback> I read this version.
<Hardcover> Not suitable for carrying around.
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最後までお読みいただき、本当にありがとうございます！
楽しく、読みやすいnoteになるように今後もがんばっていきます。