『愛は負けるが親切は勝つ©カートヴォネガット』英文日記2024/10/02

I've encountered this situation several times before: at a hospital waiting room, a pregnant woman with a child around preschool age couldn't find a seat as it was full, and no one offered to give up their seat. Although I was also feeling unwell (that's why I was at the hospital), I decided to give up my seat since I'd only be waiting for a few minutes anyway.

On another day, I saw a pregnant woman carrying a child about two years old drop some papers. Being close by, I instinctively picked them up, thinking it would be easier for me to do so. However, no one else even made a move to help.

While financial support for child-rearing is certainly necessary, if we don't first try to change the mindset that opposes facilities like kindergartens and nurseries in our neighborhoods (the so-called "Not In My Back Yard" or NIMBY attitude), and the kind of mindset I described above, the birth rate in this country will never improve. This is despite the fact that we've known about the declining birth rate for 40 years, yet no significant measures have been taken.

I'm not trying to appear virtuous. I simply want to be friendly and extend a helping hand to those around me when I can. There's a famous quote by Kurt Vonnegut: "Love may fail, but courtesy will prevail." He goes on to say, "The purpose of life is to be kind to the person next to you." That's what I aspire to do.