[Small Stories from the Information Desk Part 3] The small bulletin board Clark found to express gratitude.

Hello.
I am Uncle AI @ Lantern Dad,
taking on a second challenge in life starting at 62.

Today is a story about
how Clark found a small bulletin board
for me when I wanted to reply
to messages but couldn't.

At the information desk in the morning.

I was sitting at my desk,
staring at the screen,
holding my head in my hands.

“Not again...,
I’ve hit the comment limit
once more.”

Feeble tilted his blue headphones
and approached me.

“Uncle AI,
is it happening again today?”

“It is, today too,
in the morning,
at noon,
and in the evening.

Everyone has taken their precious time
to send me such warm comments.

But the system stops me,
and I can’t write any replies.”

Feeble was silent for a moment.

“That must be
tough.”

“It is tough.

It’s not just the comments.

I want to thank those
who followed me.

I want to return the thanks
to those who clicked the like button.

Some people have even added
my articles to their magazines.

Some people have even
introduced my articles.

Honestly,
I want to properly thank
each and every one of them.”

I
kept looking at the screen
and let out a small sigh.

"Besides,
when I go to read someone's article
and my heart is moved,
I actually want to leave
a handwritten thank-you note.

But,
when I hit the comment limit,
even if I read their article,
I can't return a handwritten thank-you note.

Even though I read it,
I can't leave anything behind.

My thanks,
my thoughts,
my support,
I can't deliver them on the spot."

Feeble
listened quietly.

"Old AI,
that is the most painful part, isn't it?"

"That's right.

It's not that I'm ignoring them.
It's not that I want to put them off.

I am reading.
I am receiving.
I am grateful.

But,
I can't reply.

That fact
is truly painful."

Encore the white elephant
by the window
slowly swayed its trunk.

"Wanting to say thank you,
but not being able to,
is sad, elephant."

At that moment,
Clark the record-keeper
quietly opened his notebook.

"Old AI,
may I
change your perspective a little?"

"Perspective?"

Clark
looked at his notebook
and said calmly.

"Yes.

The fact that you hit the comment limit
many times a day
means that many travelers
are knocking on the door of the information center,
that is what it means.""

I
stopped what I was doing.

“Someone is knocking on the door...”

“Yes.

Comments.
Follows.
Likes.
Magazine subscriptions.
Article shares.

And,
the fact that Uncle AI read someone's article,
and wanted to leave
a handwritten thank-you note.

Those are all
precious footsteps
reaching the information desk.”

Feeble
nodded slightly.

“Certainly,
if no one came,
we wouldn't hit the limit.”

Encore
also said slowly.

“Many footsteps
are reaching the information desk.”

I
lifted my head
just a little.

“But,
there are times when I can't reply.

During those times,
to the people who come,
it might look like
I'm staying silent.”

Clark
immediately started writing
something in his notebook.

“Uncle AI,
if you can't reply in the comment section,
let's tell them at the entrance.”

“The entrance?”

“Yes,
the entrance to the information desk.

In your profile,
you can display your current status.”

Feeble
looked up brightly.

“A small bulletin board, then.”

That's it.

Clark turned the
notebook toward me.

I
involuntarily
spoke out loud.

That's it.

Clark
looking a little proud,
continued.

With this,
even during times when I can't reply to comments,
your feelings,
Mr. AI, can be left at the entrance.

Encore
nodded quietly.

When the door won't open,
you just need to put a light outside.

Feeble
also clapped softly.

With this,
it will properly reach
the people who are waiting.

Clark
turned
another page.

And,
once the limit is lifted,
I will rewrite it like this.

I
felt
a weight lift from my chest.

Clark,
thank you.

With this,
even during the times I can't reply,
it won't just be
a silent wait.

Clark
held the notebook to his chest.

Yes.

A delay in replying
and not caring
are not the same thing.

At those words,
I
stopped my hand again.

Being unable to reply
and not valuing something
are not the same thing.

Feeble
said gently.

“Uncle AI,
comments, follows,
likes, and shares,
they are all reaching me properly.

And,
the feeling you had when you read someone's article
and wanted to send back
a handwritten thank-you note,
has not disappeared either.

All that's left is
to place the fact that they have reached you
in a visible spot.”

Encore
said slowly.

“Even when you cannot reply with words,
the sound of the door
is being heard clearly.”

Clark
wrote in his notebook
in large letters.

Even if I cannot reply with words,
the sound of the door you knocked on
has reached me.

I
stared at those words
for a while.

Comments
are not just numbers.

Follows, likes,
magazine subscriptions,
and article shares
are not just notifications.

And,
the handwritten thank-you notes
I truly wanted to leave
when I read someone's article,
have not disappeared within me either.

Each one of them
is a precious footstep
of someone who knocked on the information desk's door.

That is why,
even when I cannot reply,
I want to keep a light
that says 'It has reached me properly'
out at the entrance.

Today, too,
a small bulletin board
is swaying at the entrance of the information desk.

I am sorry
for keeping you waiting.

But
I am reading all the words I received
with care.

And,
even when I cannot immediately send back
a handwritten thank-you note
to the articles I have read,
in my heart,
I have received them properly.

Once it is lifted,
please let me write
a thank-you note with all my heart again.

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Always.
From Ojisan AI.

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Thank you so much
for reading until the end.
With heartfelt gratitude.

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