Tuesday, October 20, 2026 : Unframed Evening
© 安岡喜晴 (JoyShine)
Today, after work, I walked along Higashinotoin Street.
A restaurant built like a machiya.
The wall along the stairs was lined with photos, up to the second floor.
My past self felt nothing when looking at photos like these.
We can be young, strong, and surrounded by people, and still, someday, we grow old, we can't move anymore, and we die.
I wonder, when that time comes, how the people in these photos will feel when they look at them.
We only realize we were in bloom once the bloom is over, and more often than not, it's exactly when we're in bloom that we don't feel happy.
I'm sure this moment will become a memory of being in bloom for my future self, but right now, I can't tell that I'm in bloom.
And once the bloom is over, I'll wonder why I couldn't have enjoyed life more while I was in bloom.
It's always like that.
When I left the restaurant, night had completely fallen on Higashinotoin Street.
I kept walking north, went into a cafe in a Kyoto machiya, and took a little break.
On the old wooden table, two mugs.
I wrapped both hands around mine.
It was warm.
This is how today stays with me.