The 72nd...

Between drizzly days, typical for this rainy season in a year, it was a little fine for a few hours this morning. I have planted a few tomato plants and seeded okra in the farm. Accidentally, I found some green worms eating the leaves of broccoli. And also well grown huge broccoli there. 

For a garden farmer, it is an inevitable issue that vegetables are growing and ripened at the same time, more than we could consume for cooking. I am considering sending some of them to family members or friends. But, as our tradition indicates, some of them would respond to me with sending some gifts, which I never want. it is a negative aspect of our culture which deems courtesy, a bit too much of courtesy, as an important thing in social relationship. Anyway, before the vegetables die in the farm, I should harvest and mail them to my beloved ones.

I have omitted renewing this blog for a while. It was not only due to my laziness but to having some schedules I need to accomplish such as attending to an ophthalmologist, taking a class for senior drivers, renewing my driver's license at police office etc. As I felt my vision had been worsened for the past few years, I was anxious to have the vision test for renewal of the driver's license. It turned out pretty good even without having the glasses. But I and my wife have discussed if we needed to move to certain city area where we don't need to drive a car any longer. Searching for real estate in candidate cities, I knew it was not practical for us to move from here. Even if both of us lose the driver's license due to physical incompetence, we could go for errands, such as getting groceries, on a taxi. Hopefully, it won't be realized too soon.

It is a clear sign of senility for us to talk about only health issue or aging. But it is my 72nd birthday today. Time is surely flying away. This age is comparable to that our parents used to be with us here. I could not help thinking of them at my age. What have they thought about? What have they wanted me to be or to do? And so forth. I, maybe similar to others, was not wise to imagine of such a thing when my parents were with us. It is no use to regret of that. I still wonder what they have thought about their lives at my age.

From now on, the birthday should be the day when I remember of my parents. With heartfelt gratitude to them. As written before, they have raised three of us in poverty. Both of them have moved from this place to a suburb of Tokyo. Working hospitals as a blue worker and a nurse, father and mother, respectively, they have cared for us eagerly. My sister gave me a happy birthday mail telling that our father used to dress me in morning when I was a toddler or even an elementary school pupil. I had a vague memory of that. Again, my heart was full of thanks to him. My mother used to go for work at a salvation army hospital early in the morning and came back home to feed all of us for breakfast. I still remember of that. I still wonder if I have rewarded enough while they were with us. I am afraid it is not easy for me to replay yes to that question.

A psychiatrist, Mieko Kamiya, wrote an impressive book titled "A Journey of Mind", written in Japanese. I have repeatedly read it since my young days. I was attracted by the comparison of our life to a journey. And, possibly since she had been working as a psychiatrist, she distanced herself from any events in life in a sense. Not totally involved in them. In two last chapters, she mentioned of fall in life and end of journey, that is, death. They seem to tell me to get ready to transit from this real world into the eternal phase of time. Kamiya was writing this book a few years before her death being conscious of her own mortality due to her heart disease. It was written in a serene tone. Having distance from the real world as she encourages us to is a kind of relief to me. Getting ready for that moment is another goal for me to step into the 72nd year of age.

There have been a lot of greeting posts and e mails for my birthday. I won't deserve that but am still thankful for that.

And, returning to reality, I decided to prepare steamed vegetable salad featuring this fresh broccoli. I haven't forgot to tell my wife there could be mummified worms in the broccoli. It tasted fresh and good.