A song to remember when you want to escape from a life like a cog in a machine

I traveled to an island without a bridge, a small island that can only be reached by boat.

On that island, I met a memorable couple. They moved from the city a few years ago, started a farm, make processed goods like jam using the fruit harvested there, open a cafe only once a week, and live a laid-back life with their three collie dogs.

The husband told me that he used to work hard at a non-life insurance company, but decided to take early retirement and move to this island. They seemed financially stable, but the question, 'Will such a bold choice really work out?' still crossed my mind.

As if reading my mind, the farm owner smiled and said, 'Life has a way of working out.'

Those words strangely soaked into my heart. On the way home, in the car, Stardust Revue's 'The Story of Nanto and Kanal' was playing. It is a song from the March 2025 NHK 'Minna no Uta'.

“ Nanto, who is troubled and wants to escape from a routine, cog-like daily life ”

This song quietly stands by those who feel a sense of dissatisfaction or confinement in their daily work and life. They want to change, but they are afraid. The song gently accompanies those who hold such feelings.

“ Kanal, who would rather live without making waves than take risks and be criticized ”

The feeling of choosing to change nothing and quietly get by should not be denied either. I don't think either one is right or wrong.

The 'Nanto' and 'Kanal' depicted in the song certainly exist within our hearts as well. The part of us that wants to live more freely, and the part that is afraid of change and stands still. I interpret this not as a contradiction, but as a natural fluctuation in the way people live.

◇ ◇ ◇

I, too, used to spend my days commuting between work and home. I would wake up early, get on the train, handle numerous meetings, and before I knew it, it was night. Even though I wanted to change, anxieties like 'Will it really work out?' and 'What will happen to my life?' always stood in the way of taking action.

That is why the sight of the couple I met on that island looked so dazzling to me. Surely, things weren't always smooth sailing for them either. But I felt that their calm smiles were something only those who believed 'it will work out' and took a step forward on their own feet could possess.

As for me, three years have passed since I took early retirement from my company. My life is working out!

◇ ◇ ◇

'The Story of Nanto and Kanal' concludes with this passage:

'Let's believe for no reason at all. We just need to do what we can right now.'

What a gentle message. No matter what choice you make, life goes on. It's okay to stop, it's okay to worry. But please, I want you to listen to the 'true feelings' deep in your heart.

'I want to change, but I'm scared.' If you feel that way, first take a step. It's fine to start with a small step, just try moving.

Even if things don't go as planned, or don't go as smoothly as you thought, 'life has a way of working out.'

But you know,
even if things don't go as planned, they do go according to your actions.

I feel like that couple's smiles
are still telling me that even now.

You don't have to go against the flow.
But, it is you who changes things, and it is you who chooses not to.
Life is, surprisingly, on our side.

◇　　　◇　　　◇

I tried singing and playing 'The Story of Nanto and Canal'. Kaname Nemoto's key is too high for me to sing, but it doesn't have the right atmosphere with a low voice. I managed to sing it by changing the key from A to G. Then, I used generative AI to make it sing.

For the visuals, I processed a photo of myself holding a guitar into an anime style, and for the audio, I used my own voice. It's not Vocaloid, but having those analog elements feels nice and amateurish.

(Memorandum)
I tried creating a video using generative AI with the following steps.

1: Took a photo of myself holding a guitar
2: Recorded my own singing and playing
3: Created an anime version from that photo using ChatGPT
4: Fed 2 and 3 into Hedra to create the video

I could only create up to 20 seconds for free, but it was made with very little effort. It's fun!

The movement of the hands playing the guitar doesn't match at all, but it's amazing how the mouth movements match the spoken words perfectly.

When I showed the finished video to a friend, they enjoyed it, so now I want to try making all sorts of videos.

Thank you for reading.
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