Today is Friday. Friday is the day I’m finally free from my weekday job, which has nothing to do with pearls, and I can return home to Kobe from Osaka.
Today was also inventory day at my weekday job. This process takes a lot of time, so I worked overtime until around 9 PM on Wednesday and Thursday to prepare, hoping to leave a little earlier today.
Thanks to that, I was able to leave Osaka at 7 PM.
The weather has suddenly shifted from midwinter to early spring in the past few days.
I ride my motorcycle on the highway for about an hour to get to Kobe, but tonight, I didn’t have to endure the freezing cold.
I was wondering, “What kind of article should I write about pearls today?” but nothing has come to mind yet.
Basically, I write about whatever I feel like writing at the moment. While well-structured and carefully thought-out articles are great,
I personally feel that such pieces often lack a certain kind of passion.
Of course, when professionals and experts create well-structured and thoroughly considered articles, they produce high-quality content.
However, I am an amateur when it comes to writing. When an amateur tries to write something too polished, it tends to feel incomplete or pretentious.
I can’t quite put it into words, but I believe that what amateurs can offer is enthusiasm and a sense of immediacy.
Also, when I write spontaneously, I never know what will come out, which makes it enjoyable for me as well.
In a way, I like to wait for the experiences, knowledge, and emotions buried deep in my subconscious to surface and turn them into articles.
This applies to music as well. Even professional guitarists or pianists play the same phrases in their live performances, and those are wonderful.
But I have often been deeply moved by moments when musicians, unafraid of mistakes, play phrases that come not from their minds but from their hearts, from somewhere deep within their bodies.
At such moments, the distinction between professionals and amateurs no longer matters.
About 20 years ago, I went to see an Eric Clapton cover band live.
They weren’t particularly skilled, but their love for Eric Clapton and their passion for playing instruments overwhelmed me with emotion.
In short, it was an absolutely fantastic live performance.
A week later, I went to see Eric Clapton himself perform at Osaka Dome.
During his one-and-a-half-hour performance, he only said about five words in Japanese—”Hello” and “Thank you.”
He played many famous songs, yet I found myself dozing off just 20 minutes into the concert.
I didn’t feel any energy from him at all, and it ended up being a very dull experience for me.
One of my companions scolded me, saying, “Don’t sleep during a live concert!”
But another, a die-hard Eric Clapton fan of over 30 years, said, “Today’s concert is incredibly boring. He has no motivation at all. I don’t blame you for falling asleep.”
From experiences like this, I have come to believe that there is something far more important than just skill.
Sometimes, a veteran and eloquent salesperson might be less engaging than a nervous rookie who stumbles over their words but tries their best to sell a product.
If possible, I’d like to listen to that earnest salesperson and do my best to understand them.
This is a matter of personal values, but mine align with this perspective.
A perfectly round pearl with thin nacre is less appealing to me than a baroque pearl with thick nacre and strong luster.
I suppose I was trying to steer the conversation back to pearls with that analogy.
That said, I can be contradictory. For instance, when it comes to rakugo (Japanese storytelling), I only want to listen to skilled performers.
“You’re contradicting yourself,” you might say.
Yes, because I’m human.
Some people love summer, while others love winter.
But even those who love summer might find something they enjoy about winter, and vice versa.
Human preferences and values often intertwine in complex ways.
It’s probably the same for dogs and cats as well.
I find things that can’t be neatly explained with rulers or calculators quite fascinating.
At this point, I have no idea where this discussion is heading, and this article is turning out to be rather rambling.
The time is now past 12:12 AM.
Tonight, I was replying to inquiries I received this week while recording videos for them.
I truly appreciate every inquiry.
It brings me happiness when someone takes an interest in the pearls I love.
That’s all for now. Thank you so much for reading.
Comment