英字新聞

July 05, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Living life to its fullest as a human being
香山リカのココロの万華鏡：人間を楽しもう　／東京

As an ice-breaker at the beginning of a seminar, I often ask my students to introduce themselves by telling the class what they'd want to be if they could be anything. Without fail, at least a few students say they would choose to be a cat, bird or fish. Some students name other animals and even plants. But the reasons they cite for these choices are all the same: they want to be "free."
　大学のゼミの始まりで緊張をほぐすためによく「何にでもなれるとしたら何がよいか」のテーマで自己紹介してもらう。すると必ず何人かは「ネコ」「トリ」「サカナ」と答える。ほかの動物や植物の名前もよくあがる。理由はいずれも「自由になりたいから」。

From my point of view, students have an abundance of freedom in their college years, but they themselves don't see it that way. They apparently live very hectic lives. They find that receiving instruction and at times reprimands in extracurricular activities and part-time jobs is stressful. Interpersonal relationships require that they be considerate. Many students commute from their parents' homes if possible, which means they may have long trips to and from school. Completely exhausted, it's no wonder that students wish they could simply lie in the sun like a cat, soar through the sky like a bird, or swim deep in the ocean like a fish.
　私から見ると大学生活など自由そのものだが、学生たちは「そうじゃない」と言う。授業に課題その他で目の回る忙しさなのだそうだ。サークル活動やアルバイトでは、先輩に指導されたり叱られたりで緊張の連続。友人とのつき合いにも何かと気をつかうという。さらに最近は「通えるなら実家から」という学生が多く、通学に長い時間がかかる。疲れきってふと、「ネコになってのんびり寝転んでいたい」「トリやサカナになって空や海でゆったりしたい」と思う学生がいても決して不思議ではない。

But it feels to me like a waste to go through life as a human being while wishing one were a cat or a bird. That's why I remind my students that the animals they've named can't read or write, or that some animals live in constant fear of being devoured by predators. But the response I get is usually some version of, "That's fine. I wouldn't mind," or "There'd be no point in resisting."
　せっかく人間に生まれたのに「ネコやサカナがよかった」というのも、なんだかもったいなく思える。そういう学生には、必ず「でも本を読んだり文章を書いたりできないよ」「天敵に食われちゃうかもしれないよ」ときいてみる。返ってくる答えもだいたい決まっていて「それでもいいです」「仕方ないので気にしません」。

Are they just aloof? Maybe. Regardless, I feel sorry for students who are willing to risk their lives in order to "be free" or take it easy. I had a patient some years ago, a high school student, who told me, "I think I've already experienced all the fun there is to be had in life. Everything from here on out will be boring." I was flabbergasted.
　あっさりしているといえばそれまでだが、人間らしさや命の危険と引き換えにしてでも「ゆっくりしたい」と思っている学生たちがなんだか気の毒になってくる。何年か前には「人生の楽しいことはだいたいすべて経験しちゃったと思います。あとはつまらないことだけ」と話す高校生に診察室で出会い、あぜんとしたこともある。

It's true. Not everything in life as a grown-up is fun. Adults usually have little free time but more responsibilities at work and at home. Adults have to deal with making mistakes at work and saying goodbye to more and more loved ones. Some days can be really tough. I, too, wonder at times what it would be like to go back to my junior high school years. But I still have moments where I feel I've achieved something significant in my career, or that I've made an important decision at a turning point in my life.
　たしかにおとなになれば、ますます時間の自由はきかなくなるし、職場や家庭での責任も重くなり、仕事でミスをしたり親しい人との別れが増えたりと、決して楽しいことばかりではない。私もときどき、「中学生くらいに戻れたらな」などと空想することもある。しかし、そんなしんどい毎日の中にも、「自分がやりたかった仕事で成果を出せた」とか「人生の岐路に立ち自分なりの答えを見つけた」とか、手ごたえを感じる瞬間もある。

To all the young people who wish they could be a cat: Your school years -- as well as the years following school -- may be difficult, but we as human beings are able to make decisions in our lives to try and make them into what we choose. So let's enjoy it.
　「ネコになりたい」などという若い人たちには、こう言いたい。「たしかに学生もたいへん、その後はもっとたいへんかもしれないけれど、自分の人生を自分で決めて切り開けるのが人間だよ。もっと人間であることを楽しもうよ」。

For this message to be convincing, however, we adults must first demonstrate that we are happy in our own lives.
そのためにも、私たちおとながもっと楽しそうな顔で暮らさなければ、とも思うのだ。（精神科医）

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2015年06月30日　地方版