Japanese with anime voice: episode74
Hello, I’m Sachi.
June 13, today is the day of the start of the Small Kindness Movement. In 1963, the headquarters of the Small Kindness Movement was established, and the day of commemoration was established in honor of it.
- Let’s all do what kindness we can so that it will become a habit in society.
- Believe in people, love people, and serve people
With these principles, this movement is being developed to encourage people to do small acts of kindness with courage.
It is important to be kind to others, but sometimes I think it is difficult to be kind. In Japanese, there is a phrase, “a small kindness is a big nuisance. You do something for the best of your intentions, but it turns out to be nothing more than a nuisance to the other person. It happens sometimes. Even if I do something out of consideration for the other person, it does not mean that it is kind to everyone. However, I wonder if I have ever been kind to others. I probably haven’t done anything since I can’t remember.
When I used to live in Tokyo. I was on the train and heard a conversation next to me. It seemed a foreign girl had come to Japan alone and was asking the lady sitting next to her how to get on the train to her destination. But the woman did not seem to know much about it either, so she was talking about asking the station attendant if she could go with her. I was wondering whether I should tell them that I would look up directions on my cell phone. But I hesitated because it would mean that I was eavesdropping on their conversation. I remained hesitant and did not speak to them on the train. Then, by chance, we got off at the same station, so I took the plunge and spoke to them. I asked the woman, “Excuse me, I heard your conversation, but I can look up train directions on my cell phone if you want”. The woman replied, “Oh, yes, but I’ll ask the station attendant. That’s true. Anyone would answer that way if suddenly asked such a question. It would be quicker to ask the station attendant. Moreover, they would think that they were being overheard in their own conversation. I felt depressed and wished I had not said anything unnecessary.
Well, you know, I didn’t mean it as an act of kindness. I just wanted to help the foreign girl a little. Well, there is no need to be depressed. But still, I have a weak mentality when someone refuses my offer.
While I was talking about this, I remembered something. When I was living in Tokyo, I got off the bus. When I got off the bus, a woman approached me from behind and told me to be careful because my bag was open. I was moved to know that even in Tokyo, there are kind people who will tell you things like this.
Ah! Oh yes! Speaking of kind people! There was a lady who gave my dad a ride home a few years ago. My mom told me this story. My dad had gone a little far away, and it was too late for the family to pick him up. My mom told him to wait there for the time being. But my dad couldn’t wait, so he tried to walk home. He walked home on an embankment with no sidewalk. From my family’s point of view, walking on an embankment without a sidewalk would have been a nuisance to drivers, and I would say, why couldn’t he have waited there in the first place? A woman happened to be driving by and approached my dad and offered to take him home in her car. The woman must have thought my dad was an old man wandering around in a fog. She passed by my dad on her way to her destination. She then wondered why the old man was walking in such a place. Then, on the way back from her destination, she saw him again, and she became concerned. And while they were in the car, my dad said he asked her where she lived, but that was it, he didn’t even ask her name. He should have called my mom when he arrived home. But my dad didn’t. When my dad thanked her, she just ran away. So my mom couldn’t thank her. As for me, I would like to thank her again. But I don’t think the woman was asking for any thanks. She probably just wanted to make sure my dad got home safely. She was like a person of kindness. My mom wanted to find the woman somehow, so she went to the town hall where she lived and asked if there was anything she could do, but as it turned out, there was nothing she could do. I also thought of using social networking sites to look for the woman. But I gave up because I thought that she would not be looking for a thank-you to that extent. But still, I realized once again that this is what it means to be kind to others. It was many years ago, and I know it’s too late to say this, but even so, I am truly grateful for that time with my mom.
