I want to become an adult who can empathize and listen like Masako from 'Kamome Diner'
Kamome Diner.
One summer day, a small restaurant called 'Kamome Diner' opened on a street corner in Helsinki.
The owner of the shop was a Japanese woman named Sachie (Satomi Kobayashi). Sachie thought it would be nice if people passing by could just wander in and spend their time freely and happily, so she decided on a simple and delicious menu, with rice balls as the main dish.
However, although some people peeked in out of curiosity, day after day went by with no customers.
Even so, Sachie polished the tableware until it sparkled every day, went swimming at the pool in the evening, went home to cook, and the next morning she would stop by the market to shop, opening the shop properly every day, living a life that felt like it was moving in sync with the relaxed pace of the city of Helsinki and its people.
Sachie believed that if she just kept working diligently every day, customers would eventually come. (C) 2005 Kamome Shokai
I love this movie and have watched it many times, but lately I've mostly been watching it in the background.
Since I've had more time to sit still, I watched it seriously as if I were in a movie theater. It really is interesting all over again.
A movie that expands your dreams
I wish I had a bright, spacious kitchen like the one in Kamome Diner where I could see everyone's faces,
The three characters are so wonderful, and watching them makes me excited and want to be like them.
I also love that they each wear clothes they like. When you wear the clothes you want to wear, things like age and other labels don't matter. The person's best qualities are brought out and they look radiant.
Their personalities are all charming, too.
Sachie-san, who is warm but also elusive.
Midori-san, who is always honest and can sincerely say thank you and I'm sorry.
Masako-san, who has depth in every word she speaks and has beautiful, graceful manners.
I feel like I wrote something similar to this when I talked about the drama 'Suika,' which features the exact same cast.
Today, Masako-san caught my attention.
Masako-san reveals that she had been caring for her parents for many years.
The way Masako-san interacts with people is exactly that of a veteran caregiver.
The way she positions her body when sitting next to someone who is grieving, the way she furrows her brows to show empathy, her deep nods. The way she doesn't interrupt.
She returns a smile from the heart to those who smile at her.
I also work in caregiving, and all the veteran seniors I've respected and met so far have been like this.
Even though it looks like they are only thinking about the person in front of them, they also have the whole situation in their heads, and I have always wondered, 'How can they do that?'
When you try to work in caregiving, you first go to school.
There, you are first taught that 'empathy and listening are important.'
The textbook says things like saying 'I see' or not denying what they say, butin reality, it's not that simple.
For example, if someone insists that something that wasn't stolen was stolen, and they treat you like the culprit, saying 'It's your fault.'
What would you do on the spur of the moment?
Anyone would want to say, 'That's not true!' That's only natural.
Not denying this really tests your human strength.
Even if you fail, or if your attempt to be kind is seen through and you get yelled at even more, you can't become a caregiver like Masako-san unless you take that first step.
Caregiving work is always a battle with yourself. But that is also the reason why it is interesting.
Actually, I wish I could be like this outside of work too.
It is important to have goals. Because a role model serves as a guide no matter what you do.
In a novel I've been reading lately, a character is described as having 'goodness oozing out of them,' and I thought, 'Wow, how wonderful.'
From my perspective, Masako-san is like that too.
As a hasty and short-tempered person, I wonder if I could ever become like that...
It was a good time to reflect on myself after a long while and feel positively that 'this is who I want to be'.
Let's take our time and do our best little by little, shall we?
Bonus
It's available on Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc., so if you haven't seen it, please do 🕊️
I can watch it anytime via streaming, but I've been debating for a long time whether to buy the DVD... I also want to read the original work.
🌾 I participate in the Amazon Associates program. If you are interested, please take a look at the link.
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