We can say that encounters between people are wonderful. Even if they have never actually met, even if they have never actually exchanged words before, in this day and age, there are encounters between people in a different way from the past. I feel that words play an important role in these encounters. In mobile phones, computers and tablets, there are things we could never have known before, things we wanted to know and people we could never meet. Of course, there are dangerous encounters and we have to be very careful how we use them, but if we have a solid axis as a human being, we can say that we can have wonderful encounters.
The world is now in a really difficult situation, not only with the pandemic that started two years ago, but also with disasters caused by natural calamities and conflicts between countries. What is needed at that time? I think it may be information and human connections. What happens when something suddenly happens and radio and electricity are no longer available? It is the fear that arises from not knowing and not being able to know. The fear that arises when we suddenly don’t hear the sounds we used to hear from this world, when we are surrounded by the threat of nature, when there is a major accident or incident and we don’t know where to run to, and when the devices we are now using without taking them off our hands stop working is a fear that is truly indescribable. I think it might be.
If we can be considerate of others, use our imagination, take responsibility for our words when we say them and when we put something into words, be able to choose what information we need from a variety of information, know what is going on in the world and think about what we can do, the connections we enjoy now in the online world may become great human connections.
Yesterday, thanks to this one mobile phone, I was able to listen to the wonderful music of people I have always been close to, hear their wonderful conversations and exchange words that made me feel at home. It was such a wonderful time with some people telling stories, some people playing beautiful sounds in the background, some people singing and playing songs for someone else, and some people listening with a warm heart.
Each one of us is a unique and wonderful being, even if we are the same species of human being, and even if we use the same instruments, play the same chords and sing the same songs, each one of us is wonderful in his or her own way and makes wonderful music. And the combination of these people, their instruments and their voices makes an ensemble that moves people’s hearts. I hope that many people will realise how wonderful it is, and if they have almost forgotten, they will remember it, and that everyone will know that everyone has feelings for someone else and will cherish those feelings. May everyone spend the night and wake up feeling happiness and peace of mind.