【Notebook for Finding Landmarks】272. I am neither the Happy Prince nor the swallow

It was very sunny this morning.

Now, I plan to start updating the novel I have been serializing since January 6th, 2021. I am still organizing the draft😅 but once I decide, I have no choice but to do it.
I have set a minimum goal of two chapters for this year.

I will officially announce the schedule tomorrow.

I have built a pace by posting on note this year. I don't know about next year. However, as an individual caught in the waves during this current situation, I am grateful that I managed to finish the year.

I would like to thank you for reading my posts for 272 consecutive days since April.
Thank you very much.

▲ A cloud that looks a bit like a dragon. Sharing it with you.

⚫ Divergence

I had almost no opportunities to talk with people this year. I barely managed to meet my writing friends a few times → Congratulations on your new home🎉 Let's celebrate in a little while.

▲ A photo taken on the 27th. Retouched.

Besides that, I met a few new people, but since we didn't exchange contact information, I wonder if it will be difficult to meet again.
Even though it was my first time meeting them, I was able to have quite deep conversations, and all of them made me feel deeply about the current situation.
Everyone is having a hard time.

I once wrote that I am 'practicing Simone Weil.' It might sound like 'what on earth is that,' but I suppose it means knowing the difficult realities on the ground.

There, you won't find the bright, orderly, and peaceful days seen on this note. There was a vortex of raw worries about how to live each day. No, there are probably still many. Simone Weil saw through Beauvoir, and I think that is a valid statement for this period.

Let me excerpt that part again.

------
It is written in Beauvoir's work 'Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter'.
At one point, she has a discussion with Weil. It must have been on the theme of what is important to people. By the way, please note that this is not a direct quote from the original text (I only read it in high school and remember it vaguely).

W: 'What is most necessary is a revolution that gives food to everyone.'
B: 'Hmm, isn't it important to recognize the significance of each person's existence?'

Weil said to Beauvoir:
'It is obvious that you have never suffered from hunger.'
------

I cannot agree with the idea that a revolution is necessary, but I am the same in the point that securing life comes before thinking about existence.

In this note as well, I have been writing about live music venues and restaurants closing down since the beginning. It was a shock when a nearby diner I frequented closed its doors. There was a lot of talk about economic recovery, but I have doubts about whether the money actually reached those who were truly in need.

Also, I am very concerned that those engaged in medical work are exhausted.

I don't think such information appears much on the internet or in the media. Television documentaries do it occasionally, but I think it should be highlighted more.

I wrote before that I like beautiful things.
That is certainly still true, but just by looking around a little, I can see various things.

Am I the 'Happy Prince'?
Am I the swallow?
Am I special?

No, I am sure anyone can see it.

And I,
do not want to pretend not to see what is visible and just let it pass by.

That is why I am writing.

All I can do is listen to people's stories.
Is that okay, God?

When I overlap the beautiful daily life I see on the internet with the afterimages of the people I met and the shops that closed, I sometimes lose track of whether they are stories from the same world.
I am thinking of considering what I can do to recognize that difference and apply it to the future.

To find hope from there.

For now, I am thinking of writing a novel with that theme, and I am looking for materials. Please note that it will likely take three years to complete due to various reasons.

This year was a year of learning for me.
It was the same last year, and it will be the same next year.

One thing to conclude.
I am so glad you are here.
The last song of this year is dedicated to that thought.

Chihiro Onitsuka 'Meteor Shower'

This person's singing is truly beautiful.

Well then, please continue to support me next year.
I hope it will be a wonderful year for everyone.

Sawa Ogata