[Chibi Creative Award] From Karuken-san's theme 'Where the Heart Resides' - Reading Saitama-san's 'Murder of the Soul'. A story about remembering the words written on my report card every time.

It's a bit long.
Please note that the content and the image do not match at all 💦

Actually, the image is just a bit of 'playfulness' 🤣 (I'll tie it all together at the end, haha)

Reading Saitama-san's article 'Murder of the Soul' made me pause many times.

Before that, about Saitama-san... ↓

With that in mind, please read this article. ↓

Reading Saitama-san's article

This isn't just a simple story about 'school is good' or 'school is bad'.

What is a child's heart?

For whom does education exist?

Is what adults think is 'correct' truly leading to a child's happiness?

I was overwhelmed by how they dug so deep, tracing back to history and the background of education, while connecting it to their own experiences.

What I felt in particular is that Saitama-san did not write this article to blame anyone.

The teacher is bad.

The parent is bad.

The school is bad.

They don't end it with such simple conclusions.

Parents and teachers alike, in most cases, wish for what is best for the child.

As those good intentions pile up, there are times when, before we know it, the child's small voice becomes difficult to hear.

I was truly made to think by the way you face those complex parts one by one, carefully and without looking away.

And then, the morning your daughter told you that going to school was painful.

'I see. Then let's go home.'

That one sentence.

It sounds simple, but in reality, I think it is very difficult.

Adults tend to immediately look for 'reasons why they should go.'

But Saitama-san, you knew that what was needed in that moment was not correctness, but peace of mind.

You properly received the small sign that came from your child's heart as a voice.

In that, I felt a deep kindness as a parent and as a person.

And reading this article, I remembered my own childhood.

The words that were written on my report card every time.

'You have a rich sensibility.'

At the time, I didn't understand what that meant.

Was I being praised?

Or perhaps, are you told that you are a bit different?

I finally understood it now that I am this age.

It meant that I was more sensitive than others to subtle changes and discomforts that those around me would not notice.

A child with rich sensitivity is not a weak child. It is just that because they pick up on small signs that others overlook, they consume more energy than anyone else and struggle with it.

Interacting with friends at school and exchanging banter. The mood of a grumpy teacher.

The mystery of having to do something all together as a group.

I found it strange that everyone was doing things as a matter of course, and I hated being forced to do them.

There were times when I was dragged to school by my parents while crying.

That is precisely why I think that heart needed a place where it could feel that it was okay to be there.

What I felt after reading Saitama-san's article was that the most important thing in education might not be to change people into a predetermined shape,

but to create a place where that person's heart can exist in peace.

Not missing the small voices emitted by children, and adults protecting their hearts to the end. That might be the true meaning of education and an important hint for creating a 'place for the heart' in people's hearts.

Furthermore, my thoughts. What is a 'place for the heart'?

And, after reading this article, there is one more thing I thought about.

It is that people do not have to give up on themselves because of things they were not given in the past.

Education has the role of providing the foundation for living as a human being.

It is not merely the transmission of knowledge or propaganda intended to instill a specific ideology.

It is about fostering human pride and a minimum sense of ethics so that a person can be truly human.

How to interact with others. Being considerate of others. Valuing oneself. The rules for living in society.

Passing on such important things to the next generation.

But even if you didn't receive enough of that,

'That's why I'm no good'

I don't think you need to end it there.

If there is something you lacked, you can rebuild it yourself.

Make promises to yourself and keep them.

Isn't that what leads to creating the 'where the heart resides' within yourself?

Recently, there has been an increasing rejection of being strict and a higher awareness of various forms of harassment.

That in itself is a necessary change to avoid hurting people.

However, on the flip side, the word 'freedom' is sometimes misunderstood to mean that one can do whatever they want.

I believe true freedom is not a state without any constraints, but the ability to make choices while possessing the power to discipline oneself.

That is precisely why I think people need 'human pride'.

Instead of following rules because someone else decided them, you keep promises to yourself for the sake of what you value.

You will make mistakes.

You will get lost sometimes.

But each time, you can realize it yourself and make corrections.

Perhaps no one truly knows what the absolute correct answer is.

Even so, humans are not beasts that live solely by instinct.

We have the power to think, the heart to care for others, and the strength to grow ourselves.

That is why, without forgetting the pride of being human, I will protect the 'whereabouts of my heart'.

I felt that this might be what lies beyond the true meaning of education.

Finally, my gratitude to Saitama-san

I don't think a piece of writing could reach people's hearts this deeply if it were just a cramming of knowledge or words borrowed from somewhere else.

What you have learned.

What you have continued to think about.

The time you have spent facing your daughter.

The experience of facing your body and mind.

Because all of these are connected into one, I believe it becomes writing that moves the hearts of those who read it.

I truly respect your stance of reading many books, thinking so deeply, worrying, learning, and transforming your own experiences into words for someone else.

Even after reading it, I find myself continuing to think about my own past and the whereabouts of my heart.

I don't think there are many people who can write such articles.

Saitama-san, I truly respect you from the bottom of my heart 🍓

Please check out my YouTube channel as well 🍓

I am participating in the [Chibi Creative Awards] project.
Karuken-san's theme 'Where the Heart Resides' ↓

With this, I have conquered all genres ✨

There were various themes, but 'Where the Heart Resides' was the one I struggled with the most.

Until I published this article, I had actually written drafts for five articles on 'Where the Heart Resides'.
No matter which article I wrote or thought about, it really didn't connect to what I truly wanted to say.

However, by encountering Saitama-san's article, I was finally able to write it in my own words.

Saitama-san, thank you so much.

And I would like to thank Karuken-san for giving me the opportunity to think deeply about this theme of 'Where the Heart Resides'.

Also, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Kawamura-san and the other judges for giving me the opportunity to face various themes in this 'Chibi Creative Awards'.

The time spent writing all the works was a very meaningful time for me 🙏✨

And thank you for reading until the end.

Details of the Chibi Creative Awards can be found at Kawamura-san's place ↓

Akane-chan's theme 'Freedom' ↓

Yamaoku AI Research Institute's theme 'Nature'

Shizuku Amano's theme 'Wind'

VOID_404 Aniki's theme 'The Choice of That Day' ↓

It's until 7/20! ✨