These days I barely have time for myself. Work, fitness, social life. The holy trinity it is not indeed but it’s my routine indeed. Like anything, this strange trinity of mine needs balance and it is no surprise that I am not in control of any of the aspect. But that’s a good thing, I have identified where I need to give more and where I need to take more. This realization happens in a moment of clarity.
November 11th 2016. I was in Yamagata and I felt my bed shaking and it woke me up. I thought I finally felt a ghostly disturbance but when my mind pulled together I realized it was just an earthquake. “Just an earthquake” until years later in 2020 I was browsing on youtube and decided to do a small research on emergency broadcast systems in different countries, the video loads up showing the United States and then Japan. The video showed a regular talkshow until something popped up on the screen and the presenters were given a piece of paper to read. The presenter then flawlessly repeated what was written on paper word by word in the same tone over and over again without fail. Tsunami warning was issued and the presenter’s voice changed tone into a more serious and concerned tone telling the audience to remember the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011 earthquake of which caused the Fukushima Daiichi incident) and evacuate the area immediately. Aftermath of the earthquake was just a higher than usual swell of no taller than 2m. Four years ago I thought the earthquake was nothing and continued to sleep.
The moment of clarity came after my short drive to get my weekly grocery, Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody was playing and it reminded me the first time I moved to this sleepy town to start my new job. It has been a year since then. Looking back it was a mixed bag for me just because this is my first job ever (and it’s a very important job too!). I was anxious of what was expected of me and if I can do the job or not but at the same time I was excited to leave my home and move out myself. I was alone in this sleepy town, alone in a sense of I don’t have to go home to anyone or anything. Liberating yet lonely, Broke a few habits that came from my old days and got in the groove of my new life. Fast forward a year later (today) it seems that I have lost that groove and maybe, with the queue of Slade’s Christmas song it is an annual prompt to find my groove again.
Until then,
Exploration Cycles 