Tuesday, 01 February, 2000 "Grandfather"

　　　I had lived with my grandfather when I was eight to eighteen. I felt it was longer than that at that time. He was a "man of Meiji."His everyday life began with him looking east and praying. There was a household Sinto after in my room. I was awakened by his clapping every morning. Because he was skillful, he made play things for us. One of them was "takeuma"(bamboo walking stilts). It wasn't plastic. It was made of bamboo and wood. We played with it everyday.

　　　He respected old customs. I helped him make "Shimenawa"(sacred rice straw rope with interwoven tassels of white paper)at the end of the year. It was very thick. Now my father buys it at a supermarket. But it is poor, and I remenber my grandfather when I look at it.

　　　On January seventh in the morning, he cut grass and sang. We ate "Nanakusa gayu"(a rice/tea meal with grass condiments) but now my mother and I don't sing.

　　　February 3 is "Setsubun"(the eve before the start of Spring). My grandfather would throw a few stones outdoor and many beans indoor, and prayed to god. He repeated it three times. Now we only eat beans.

　　　I am a science teacher, but I think fondly of his unscientific customs and, looking back, I now wish I had learned more from him and his ways.

この文は、１９９４年に書いてアメリカ人に直してもらったものです。せっかくだから残しておきたいと思って・・・