Do not entrust your oars to those who would be glad if you disappeared [Miyuki Nakajima #QuoteNote55]

Here is the quote I would like to introduce this time!!

It is a straightforward and powerful phrase, isn't it?

Source

This is a line from the song "Sora Fune" (Ship of the Sky) written by Miyuki Nakajima. This song is famous for being provided to the former Johnny & Associates group, TOKIO. Although it is famous as a TOKIO song, both the lyrics and music were written by Miyuki Nakajima. A version by Miyuki Nakajima herself has also been released.

Both Miyuki Nakajima's own version and TOKIO's version have their own unique merits, but personally, I like this live version by TOKIO the best.

Are you 'happy'?

I have pondered in my own way why the words, "Do not entrust your oars to those who would be glad if you disappeared," strike a chord with so many people.

Why do the words, "Do not entrust your oars to those who would be glad if you disappeared," strike a chord with so many people... Let me start with the conclusion.

To put it bluntly, I believe it is because the question, "Are you happy?," and the phrase, "Do not entrust your oars to those who would be glad if you disappeared,," are essentially the same thing.

"Am I happy?"—this is a question that surely everyone has pondered at least once in their life. No matter how much technology advances, it does not automatically make us happy, so in a sense, "whether one is happy" could be called a universal question given to everyone in every era.

The definition of 'happiness'

The definition of "whether one is happy" varies from person to person, and of course, it is not something that should be dictated as "this is the correct answer!!"

With that fully understood, if I were to dare to define "happiness," I would say it is "a state where you have options and can choose for yourself."

Even if you are in a situation that would generally be considered painful or harsh, if it is a path you chose yourself, you cannot simply label that situation as "unhappy."

Are marathon runners unhappy?

To make it easier to understand, let's consider marathon runners as an example. I have never completed a full marathon, but although it was not an official race, I have completed a triathlon, so I am writing this with some understanding of the difficulty of sports that require continuous exercise for several hours, like a marathon.

※The triathlon I completed was the most common course called the "Olympic Distance," consisting of a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run, for a total of 51.5km.

First of all, running 42.19km non-stop on your own two feet could be called torture if you only consider the situation. If you were to tell someone who has done absolutely no running training to set off this instant and complete a full marathon, not only would your common sense be questioned, but you would have no chance of winning if sued for power harassment.

However, whether they are professionals or amateurs, no one would try to forcibly stop people who are standing at the starting line aiming to complete a full marathon in a race, saying, "Please stop doing something like torture." This is because, for such people, aiming to complete a marathon is clearly a goal they havechosen themselves, and the situation of standing at the starting line right now is also something the runners have chosen throughtheir own choice.

From this, we can see that whether or not you are 'happy' depends not on your current situation, but significantly on your own choices'.

To choose means to decide on something and cut off all other options. Incidentally, the Japanese word for 'decision' (ketsudan) is written with characters meaning 'to decide and to cut off'.
A life without decisions, or one where you cannot make decisions, is an unhappy one.

Summary

This time, I introduced a line from Miyuki Nakajima's masterpiece 'Sorafune' as a notable quote.

You can interpret 'oars' as a metaphor for 'the choices you make in life, and the right to choose those options yourself'.

If we define 'happiness' as 'a state where you have options and are on a path you chose of your own free will,' then entrusting your 'oars' to someone else is equivalent to 'abandoning your right to choose'.

If you 'abandon your right to choose,' you cannot 'choose of your own free will'.

The fact that she can convey such essential truths about life, not through a direct command like 'Don't abandon your right to choose!', but through a song that resonates with everyone's heart—“Do not entrust your oars to those who would be happy to see you gone”—really proves that Miyuki Nakajima is a genius.

As someone in my late 30s, I'm not exactly from the core Miyuki Nakajima generation, but I grew up hearing her music through theme songs for shows like Project X and various TV dramas. Her message, which never fades with time, and her powerful musicality are truly impressive. Please check out her other songs besides 'Sorafune'!

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