タイトル未定2026/04/23 15:02
Everyone grows old as long as they live.
Perhaps that is the natural order of things.
I could hear the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Like dropping a single drop of water into the silence, I meditated in silence for a while.
People grow older and older. And in doing so, they acquire wisdom.
"Do you still remember your youth?"
A young man asks me this question.
I don't answer. I simply smile.
I was on the outdoor terrace, taking customers and talking to them.
"What I've learned as I've grown older is..."
"Yes?"
"That there is salvation in the world. I suffered terribly when I was young."
"Is that so?"
"It was a voyage through a storm. But when the storm passed, there was also peace like an oasis..." "That's true."
"You used to paint, didn't you?"
"Yes! Please critique my work. A painting that no one sees is meaningless..."
Time passed amidst the rambling conversation.
Suddenly, as I was leaving, I asked the painter:
"Why do you paint...?"
"Partly for a living, but also because I love painting..."
Hearing that, I felt relieved...
Time passed halfway through a beautiful dream, people busily chased flowers, bees worked, and the queen dreamed.
I wonder if I'll ever write novels again... What kind of story would my younger self write if I asked him to?
Thinking about it makes me smile wryly...
