Almost all my friends are males in their 30’s and 40’s. Most of them constantly complain about one thing or another, mainly their jobs and Japan, but sometimes the changing values and the loss of compassion and integrity in people, when they are not afraid to sound like my grandpa.
Lecturing on it for hours to anyone who is unfortunate enough to be around will not help, but acting upon it and trying to fight the system and everyone in it single-handedly will not help either.
One option is to start your own blog and continue your monologue there, while imagining people reading it with a great interest, oh yeah, exactly like what I am doing now. It’s therapeutic, trust me.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware of the emotional responsibility we have for our partners and friends, and I can assure you that I am an excellent listener. I have the patience to just listen, and the ability to understand people. And that’s how I often end up listening to people’s problems, in all detail, for hours on end.
But anyway, if you absolutely hate the idea of blogging, another option would be to go freelance, provided that you had the necessary professional skill. And if that fails, you can always go and live in a farm where you can deliver your preach to the sheep or horses whenever you feel like it. They will certainly thrive on your devotion and attention.
I’m an idealist and a dreamer myself, although I’ve also noticed that things are changing, and not necessarily for the better. But I’ve learned when to shut up and when to step back.
Sometimes the only way to win the war is learn to lose first. And let’s face it, it’s impossible to win every battle. You only have to win the important ones.
There are both good and bad things around us, it doesn’t matter it’s now or “the good old days,” and it doesn’t matter it’s Japan or the States. The real challenge is to adapt to whatever environment you happen to be thrown into, without losing yourself, and stay true to yourself.
Or we can just blame everything either on our unhappy childhood, or better yet, on Hollywood!
