If you weren't so tired, society would change for the better

It's another good day today, isn't it?

Hello.
I'm Satoru.

It's irresponsible to just say things and leave it at that, so
this time I'm going to write my own modest
answer to yesterday's article.

Yesterday's article is here

When you're living your life,
there are times when your heart just gets frayed, aren't there?

I also work as a volunteer probation officer.

The work of a probation officer isn't very well known, so
I'll introduce it a little.

Even people who have committed crimes or offenses,
after receiving some kind of punishment,
naturally have to return to the local community.

In other words, they have to
"return" to being a member of society once again.

But, honestly speaking, returning to society immediately
is quite difficult. There are the eyes of those around them,
and there is criticism.

It is by no means an easy place to return to.
But if we just leave them be,
they will end up back at square one.

As a member of society,
supporting people who have committed crimes or delinquency
while staying close to them in the community

is the job of a volunteer probation officer,
which involves preventing recidivism, eliminating delinquency,
and helping these individuals get back on their feet.

Often,
the nature of the work
is confused with that of welfare commissioners,
but it is actually quite different.

So, when taking on a case,
I receive a 'personal history report' from the supervising probation office,
which details the circumstances of how that person
ended up committing a crime or delinquency.

(Since this is highly sensitive personal information, taking it out or showing it to others is strictly prohibited.
It must be returned to the probation office after the case is closed.)

Reading these personal history reports
sometimes makes me want to cry.

I think, 'If they were pushed this far,
they probably didn't have any energy left
to think clearly...'

or

'Why couldn't they have sent out
a sign for HELP!
to those around them sooner?'

or

'Why
did the people around them just leave them be?'

A swirl of various emotions comes over me.

Oh, but I certainly don't have any intention
of justifying their crimes.

What shouldn't be done
must never be done, no matter what.
Therefore, it is a fundamental premise that they must take responsibility
for the consequences themselves.

However, there are things I can see 'now' that I couldn't then,
like, 'Could something have been done back then...?'

Working as a volunteer probation officer,
I have many such realizations.

In my case, I mostly handled juvenile crime,
but for children who turn to juvenile crime or delinquency,
the outcome changes significantly depending on how those around them provide support.
The results change greatly.

Especially how parents, teachers, mentors, and people in society
respond to them.

The reason is that they are still children,
and for children whose way of thinking is still more immature than those around them,
if you don't give them appropriate advice,
there are many things they won't understand.

Furthermore, they themselves
have such deep worries and suffering
that they are unable to even think.

And besides...
including myself,
adults are often tired and lack the capacity to care.

That is why we often fail to catch
the signs that children are sending,
or even if we do catch them, we tend to ignore them.

You have memories of this too, don't you?
When you have had something happy happen and your heart is full,
you feel like being kind to others for no reason.

Unless you are somewhat fulfilled yourself,
you cannot be kind to others,
and even if you are, it will only be fake kindness.

I can say this definitively because I was like that myself.
Even though I was suffering and in so much pain,

there was a time when I said,
"I want to help people who are suffering."
Of course, nothing went well,
and the situation just kept getting worse.

Even thinking about it now,
it is an unforgettable experience that makes me shudder.

There are many ways to fulfill yourself.
If you search the internet, I am sure
there are many methods that will suit you.

But one thing I can say is
that nothing can begin until you let both your body and mind rest.
That is the truth.

When I say rest, it doesn't have to be something grand
like enjoying a vacation.

Five minutes, ten minutes, it doesn't matter.
Just relax and gently hug your own existence.
That's all you need to do.

It doesn't cost any money or time.

If you can find the time,
make sure to secure it
and get some rest. Sleep is especially important.

In my experience, people who lack energy or motivation
are overwhelmingly sleep-deprived.

Just by adding one hour of sleep,
both your body and mind will find rest.

Adults, in particular, are tired.
That's why, unless adults recover first,
we can't pass that energy on to the children.

I believe that adults becoming energized
leads to an increase in Japan's sense of happiness.

Regarding rest, in this article by Kurosaki-san,

Is the price of your effort costing you your peace of mind?

It is proposed as a 'theory of rest'.
It's a heartwarming article that will make you want to cherish yourself more than you do now,
so I definitely want you to read it.

Thank you for reading until the end.
See you tomorrow!