Auxiliary Lines | On nights when you have nothing you want to do, head to the shelter of stories. How to walk through a world where it's okay to remain weak?

"What should I do when I can't find anything I want to do?"

--- When asked that, I found myself at a loss for words. After all, I didn't have anything I "wanted to do" either, not even a little bit.

The world is a little too dazzling, isn't it? "You only live once!" "You're missing out if you don't do what you want!" Such words flash like neon signs, urging us on while we stand still.

I, too, was once hurt, anxious, and at a loss because of the words of such "irresponsible people." So tonight, I would like to tell you the "reason why you don't have to move."

A long shelter from the rain until you encounter something "interesting"

In the first place, it is fundamentally impossible to move your body when your heart isn't moved. Unless your heart leaps with the thought, "That looks interesting!" you cannot take a single step. But because you don't move, you can't encounter anything "interesting" either.

A lazy person like me sat hugging my knees in this infinite loop for a long time. I was too scared to jump into sparkling places on my own.

But you know, I realized something one day. That even if I don't walk on my own two feet, I can still go on a journey, can't I?

That was reading stories.

Borrowing someone's life without getting hurt

It could be manga, movies, or anime.

If you turn the page, there is someone's "life" there.

A small bottle called a "work" that is packed with the thoughts, experiences, and tears of the author and the people involved. Once we open the lid, we can become adventurers, lovestruck maidens, or heroes who save the world, all while staying in a safe room.

We can observe the characters as they worry, get hurt, and still choose something, from a god-like perspective. "Ah, there is a way of living like this, too." "If it were me, I would run away here."

It is a simulation of the soul that can be done without suffering raw wounds in the real world. You can see scenery you would never have encountered in your entire life through borrowed eyes. Don't you think that's as wonderful as magic?

Toward a "world where even the weak are forgiven"

There is a phrase I hold very dear. It is a line from the anime "Sagrada Reset".

The real world is cruelly fair, and results are everything. Everyone says that you cannot survive if you remain weak.

But, within a story, you can believe in "miracles" and "salvation," even if people call it convenient. You can escape into a world where the weak are saved while remaining weak.

If you are currently on the verge of being crushed by impatience or anxiety, I think it is okay to lock yourself away in such a "gentle world." That is not "running away," but a "shelter" to keep your heart from breaking.

Conclusion: While waiting for the rain to stop

They say you only live once, but if you have stories, we can live thousands of times over.

You don't need to be impatient. You don't need to force yourself to find "something you want to do."

Just turn the pages of a story you love. Travel through many lives there, cry, and laugh. And when your heart is sufficiently filled, if you happen to look out the window, the rain might have stopped. When you can finally think, "Maybe I'll go out and get some fresh air," that is the beginning of your "something you want to do."

So for tonight, good night. Have a good journey.

Undiluted thoughts:

This is the source material for this "auxiliary line" article.
The hesitation and half-baked thoughts behind the polished words are here☟

Reference: