Let's Get Used to Inconvenience

For example, it seems many people would fall into a bit of a panic if they couldn't use their mobile phones.

In the Showa era, when we only had rotary phones or public payphones in town, I don't think we felt inconvenienced by that. Even when we finally got a piece of modern technology in our home, my family wouldn't make calls more than necessary.

Smartphones are now a part of daily life. They have become a part of our bodies, haven't they?

Some people even go so far as to say, "I can't live without this," but in reality, you can!

The sight of a smartphone by one's side in any situation has become commonplace.

However, the panic people feel when their convenient smartphone breaks or goes missing is extraordinary.

Back in the day, there were no flip phones, and even before that, there were pagers. No, no, it was an era where each house just had one black rotary phone. The gatekeeper was my father. If the person calling was a man, he would just say "He's not here" without even asking what it was about. If a call went on a bit too long, he would walk past me several times for no reason. He would tap his index and middle finger on his wrist—the signal to hurry up and finish the call. But there was a certain thrill to that, too!

When I first started living in Tokyo, there was only the phone at the landlord's house. When it rang, a buzzer would sound, and my friend from the Kansai region, who I was living with, would let me know that two rings meant the call was for her, and three rings meant it was for me. I felt hesitant to make calls from there, so I would use public payphones or call from work to reach my parents or friends. I would stack up several 100-yen coins next to the phone...

The time public payphones were most useful was during the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Back then, there were phone booths all over town, and everyone would gather 10-yen coins and stand in long lines to confirm each other's safety. People who had been saving 10-yen coins were appreciated by everyone. Most of the lines were jammed and we couldn't get through, but I felt truly relieved when I was finally able to speak with my parents.

Recently, I feel we have entered an era where we are tested on our judgment: is there something else we can use as a substitute if we don't have this, and what should we prioritize? Perhaps it is because convenience has become too much of a given.

Even with natural phenomena, we are now told alarming things like "please take action to protect your life." Protect your own life yourself. Do not rely on others. If that is what it means to live in the present, then that is something we must simply be prepared for.

Many things are happening, but this is exactly the time to learn from the past. Let's survive by borrowing the wisdom of our predecessors. Do we truly possess the wisdom to get by even when things are inconvenient?

The heavy rain that followed last night's thunder has made this morning's walk a wet one. Nike, having done his business, hurried back through the stifling, heavy air. It was a return trip at a trot that clearly said, "That's enough for today!"

Let's make today a good day, too!