Representative's Column・Reference Column/Shoto International Pre Scool in Shibuya

■In the 1950s, there were many interesting things.

I used to get a treat for 5 yen or 10 yen, and when a man who put on a picture-story show (I don't know why there was no auntie) came to the park or an empty lot, I would fly away with my allowance. 5 yen was just water candy, which was a waste, so I kneaded the water candy that was twisted around two disposable chopsticks so it turned from clear to white. I kneaded it only because it was a waste to eat it right away.Other examples include popsicles, a man who comes on a bicycle to sell a box of long, thin popsicles with disposable chopsticks as the core, and "pon senbei," or "pon rice crackers," in which rice is placed in a round iron dish on the spot and an iron lid is put on top. After a little while, a loud "pon! When the iron lid is opened, a round, white, and slightly sweet rice cracker is ready.　The man who made the pon senbei also rode in on his bicycle."

Whenever I went to the candy store with a tenner in my hand, there was always an old lady tending to the store.　Sometimes she would give me an extra candy bar. Even now, as an adult, I am still happy to receive an omake, and when I see an omake, I tend to take it, which I think is probably a result of nostalgia.

When I went to run errands, the ladies in the neighborhood would say, Good for you," and the guy at the grocery store would praise me for being a good boy or girl."

I feel like the adults around me were just as impressed with me as my own children, praising me and getting angry at me for good and bad things.　It seems like sometime ago, adults stopped scolding children.　Why is it that I am confused about scolding my own children as well?

Is it because they cannot take the responsibility of scolding? Or is it because they are someone else's problem?

Children are the treasures of society and the earth, and we should take good care of them, but adults pretend not to see them, go for it! adults, I did not grow up in a privileged environment, nurtured by the love of my parents, but I think I was looked after by the adults around me.

■Thoughts on "Athletic Festival".

When I was in elementary school, once a year, there was an event in which I played a leading role. It was an athletic festival day.

I was the star of the race, especially in the running race. I have already boasted about it before, but it was my turn to be the one and only.

The first prize was a red ribbon, notebook and pencil.

Second prize was a yellow ribbon with a notebook

Third prize was a pink ribbon and a pencil

The only participation prize was a pencil.

If not with your head, then with your body!　Somewhere there was a place where you could be evaluated and recognized for something.　Now it's all the same, we don't rank or differentiate anymore, but why do we give them good marks for their studies?

Is it okay for children to be unaware of their own merits and demerits?

Children who can draw well, children who can write well, children who can sing well, children who can study well, children who can do sports well, children who is dexterous, a child who is clumsy, they are all unique.

Let's see them, let's feel them, let's praise them!

If we adults don't see everything in children, who will?

Back to the base of the story.

Of course I had my red ribbon proudly attached to my chest and promised myself that I would do my best again next year. Even after the athletic festival was over, I was happy to hear the compliments of neighborhood ladies and my friends' mothers, who would say, You are so fast, Yoko, I was watching you! I used to think that it was boring to have only one athletic festival day a year and wished there were many more.

I seriously thought it was unfair, even though we have to study every day and even have exams for one, two, or three semesters.

One more thing about athletic festivals, something that existed then and doesn't exist now: jikatabi (white tabi socks with artificial skin sewn on the back, sold at stationery stores only during athletic meets, but everyone had to wear them, children only).

I remember that in elementary school only, and for lunch, we ate onigiri (rice balls), inari, tamago-yaki (fried eggs), and bananas, which were only eaten at that time, at the family's table, which was set up early in the morning.　However, when my son was in the school, he had his lunch in the classroom, separate from his parents (so that children whose families could not be there would not feel lonely). There were many people whose families could not come to the school when I was there. But they were mingling with other families and having a lot of fun, but I wonder if that's wrong...

The children's athletic festival day seemed a bit bland at the moment, and to be honest, it was boring.　So instead, I cheered loudly, but my son told me it was a bit embarrassing.　

But every year until he graduated from junior high school, I have had cheered loudly without listening to my son's advice not to make too much noise. Even if it was not my own athletic festival day, I still got excited.

Even the pekes and the bees (the same thing) sweat, work hard, get frustrated, and are happy, and it's all a memory.　The sweet, sour, and bitter memories, the happy and the painful, that we recall as we grow up, are the nourishment of adulthood....　If you don't discriminate, do everything, only here, only there, isn't that irresponsible... I think so.

■ Convenient, but...

Now, in 2003, the 1945's are being revisited (or is it booming?).

It was a time when there were no big things compared to now, though there were no convenient things either.　However, I think that although convenient things are indeed convenient, there are many things we lose in exchange.

Take telephones, for example.　In those days, was there a telephone in every house?　I borrowed my neighbor's phone....　The same was true for TV. It was when I was in junior high school that TV came to my house.　When I played with my friends, I went to their houses to talk to them, or promised to do so at school, or had more comminication with them.　I had, or rather had to have, many opportunities to talk with adults, not to mention with my friends.

But I am not denying the convenience.　It is a good thing" if we think about it, and we have much to lose if we use it without thinking about it."