Beyond 50 Articles: The Precious Place I Found
At this milestone of having written over 50 articles,
I felt like taking a quiet look at where I stand right now once again.
_____
This is Maruko from Soramame Biyori.
On note, I write about my daily life, my family, caregiving,
and sometimes, I write as if I am gently scooping up feelings that had been sleeping deep inside me.
Sometimes, writing gives me a strange sensation.
It feels as if I have returned to the girl I once was.
To that version of me who loved to "write" simply for the sake of it, with no intention of showing it to anyone.
It is strange that even at this age, there is a place I can return to.
In the beginning, I didn't worry about likes or comments,
I just wrote because it was fun.
But after I had written about three articles, I suddenly started to wonder.
"What kind of things is everyone else writing?"
"Is what I write reaching anyone?"
I once saw an article that said,
"Even though I put in the effort to write, getting zero likes is the norm. It makes me feel like giving up."
And I felt like I could understand that.
However, thankfully, I was able to receive a few likes from the very beginning.
Why is that? As I thought about it, I realized something one day.
──Ah, maybe it's the "reciprocity culture." Haha.
I actually read quite a lot and pressed the like button.
A like is a mark that says, "I read this article."
So that I can remember properly when I find that person's article again later.
Of course, with gratitude as well.
I feel like "thank you" and "I've come back again" are packed into that little heart.
But I was really saved by this "reciprocity culture."
When I get a like, I am happy, after all.
My motivation goes up a little, too.
Maybe it hasn't been read.
But I decided to look at things in a positive light.
If they disliked me, they wouldn't press the like button.
If the person who pressed the like button likes me even just a little──
Isn't that enough?
As I wandered through note like that,
I encountered many wonderful words.
The first writing that moved me was by Ogion.
I couldn't help but feel my heart leap at the cleverness of the metaphors.
Even today, in a description revolving around the feeling of "unraveling,"
a "rakugan" (dry confection) appeared from the very beginning──I had to take my hat off to them.
(*Click here for Ogion's article where the rakugan unravels ↓)
To be able to write such a sparkling description for a single fragment of rakugan.
I was filled with emotion, wondering how carefully this person must be looking at this world...
I was also deeply moved when I encountered Rinrin's poetry.
I have always loved poetry.
I have been drawn to that secret sense of condensation, where emotions and scenery are tightly packed into a few carefully selected words.
Rinrin's poems, even though I can't explain them well with words, for some reason remain in my heart.
I remember them again and again later. There is such a quiet, certain lingering effect.
I was so drawn to them that I just had to have them in my hands,
so I quietly welcomed the poetry collection they published.
(*Click here for the article from when Rinrin's poetry collection arrived ↓)
Recently, when I wake up in the morning and before I go to sleep,
it has become my daily routine to gently open that poetry collection and read just one poem from a page I open at random.
It is a time to slowly let it sink into my heart, like a spoonful of herbal tea.
And currently, my top favorite──Sho Hijikata.
This person is truly amazing.
The flow of their words, the use of white space,
the strong and gentle will lurking within their quiet questions.
Every time I read them, I think, "Oh, if only I could write like this,"
and I get the feeling of a light being gently lit in the deep parts of my heart.
Just the other day, my second daughter called me suddenly──
saying, "I read the works of Hijikata-san that you often mention in your note, and... they really struck a chord with me!"
"I realized that I had only been building comfortable relationships with people on the same plate as me. That person I'm not good with was just on a different plate, it didn't mean they lacked consideration."
(*Click here for the article that struck my second daughter's heart ↓)
She also said this:
"Yesterday, I wanted words that I needed right now, so I bought a book at the bookstore.
But I got more realizations from Hijikata-san's note than from that book.
I really wondered, is it okay to read this for free?
Because it was more valuable to me than the book I bought."
To have my heart shaken by the same work as my daughter.
That such a "moment of connection through empathy in words" could be born within my family.
That made me so happy, I was filled with emotion.
In the comment section, someone else who is a fan of Hijikata-san
invited me, saying, "Let's start a Hijikata-san fan club!"
I found that interaction heartwarming and couldn't help but laugh.
And, Yukikujira.
This person, too, has an exquisite way of using metaphors!
How do you come up with expressions like that!? I burst out laughing by myself every time.
It hits my funny bone perfectly, and I often laugh until I cry.
Since reading the article above,
I laugh every time I see a waffle.
Waffles are now completely Takashi Sorimachi to me.
Yukikujira also has a unique tempo to their words, and they are like someone who sprinkles strange and lovable spices onto the scenery of casual daily life.
And above all, after reading them, I somehow feel energized.
There's no reason for it, but I chuckle and my shoulders relax.
I deeply feel that such writing is not something you encounter very often.
While writing and reading like this,
this place where I can quietly exchange words with someone is very important to me right now.
I hope to continue enjoying this, while still feeling a bit lost.
I hope to quietly leave Maruko's days here in Soramame Biyori.
Thank you for reading until the end.
I hope we can meet again through some words somewhere.
*The notes of the creators introduced in this article are all pages set to public.
I am purely introducing words that I encountered and was moved by.
If there are any issues, please let me know.
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