Frank
Hello, this is Frank.
About five years ago, one of my students, barely after greeting me, suddenly asked,
“Frank-sensei, did you get a girlfriend?”
I was caught off guard, but before I could respond, the student pointed at my freshly bought dress shirt and slacks and said, “Because of your clothes…”
As a single father, there’s nothing wrong-legally or morally-about dating. Still, I was surprised at how much people’s impressions can change just based on appearance.
Honestly, I wish I could say, “Actually, I do have a girlfriend.” But as my readers probably know, it’s hard to find a woman willing to be with a man as strong-willed as I am.
The real reason I dressed up a bit was because my long-held belief in my online business was finally starting to take shape. It was a reward to myself.
I believe happiness isn’t about how much money you have, but how you see your life. That’s why I find joy and fulfillment in accomplishing even the smallest things-crystallizing them, so to speak.
With this mindset, I feel like I can keep going, no matter how many times I fail.
There’s a short story by Seicho Matsumoto called “Misadventure” or Sounan in Japanese, a pioneering mountain mystery. It’s well-known that the idea for “Misadventure” came from questioning the common saying, “There are no bad men among mountaineers.” In his essay “After Finishing The Black Painting Collection,” Matsumoto wrote:
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中古価格 |
“I asked many mountaineers, and most answered, ‘There are no bad men among mountaineers.’ It’s a noble phrase. However…”
He continues, “Such proverbial words may work as formulas, but when it comes to individuals, that’s not always true (there are probably bad mountaineers as well).”
He concludes, “Nothing is as conceptually dangerous as official-sounding words.”
Just as Matsumoto challenged common beliefs, my business also began with questioning “rules” like “This is the golden rule of business.” You could say it’s a challenge to conventional wisdom.
Even now, my brother often says, “You’re a fool. If you’d stayed with your trading company job, you could have lived a stable life. Why start from scratch?”
Maybe I am a fool who dislikes “stability,” as my brother says. But that’s what fuels my energy. In my dictionary, “stability” means “regression.”
That’s probably why there are no women around me who prefer stability.
My new dress shirt and slacks aren’t to impress women. They’re more like a change of clothes for the self-respect I’ve gained through business.
On my sister blog, “Experts at Literature,” I also discuss Matsumoto’s “Accomplice.” Please check it out if you’re interested.
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If you’re interested in my published books, feel free to check them out here.
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