Saturday, February 21, 2015

ちょっと良いお話

日本日本の婦人が話してくれたちょっと良いお話

マイケル・ヨン
2015年2月20日

日本の文化について彼女といろいろと話しているときに,第二次大戦中にアメリカ兵からうけた家族への酷い仕打ちについて話してくれた.強姦である.家族にはそれについての記憶がある.しかし何年か前,彼女は事故にあい重傷を負った.ほとんど動けなくなった.彼女は家を離れられなくなり本も読めなくなった.オンラインでネットを読むことはできた.

怪我により非常に憂鬱となり,死にたいとさえ思った.彼女は東京に住んでいながら,沖縄の米軍兵士とオンラインで友達となった.彼の名はケビン(Kevin).

現在に至るまで彼女はケビンと会ったこともない.しかしながら数年にわたる長い間,ケビンは彼女を励ましつづけた.彼女が死にたいと思っていたときにジョークなどの言葉をかけ,それが彼女に強さと生命をもたらした.

同じような米国人のオンライン友達も作った.彼女は誰にも会ったことがない.おそらく今後も.でも彼女は,彼らのおかげで,今,自分が生きていると言っている.

だれかにオンラインでメッセージを送るとき,ちょっと考えてみよう.言葉は強力な薬にもなる.ケビンやもう一人の米国人がだれであれ,彼らは心の優しい婦人に,それも婦人が最も必要としている時に,大きな違いをもたらした.彼らは勲章などは貰わないし,何をなしたのかについて気がつきもしないだろうが.



Michael Yon
February 19, 2015

Japan -- nice story told to me by Japanese lady 
During a long conversation about Japanese culture, she told me about some terrible things that happened to her family by American troops during World War II. Rape. So there were family memories about that. But some years ago, she had an accident and became very ill. Nearly unable to move at all. She could not leave home, or read a book, but she could read online.
The illness was very depressing and at times she wanted to die. She lives in Tokyo but made friends online with an American Soldier far away on the island of Okinawa. His name is Kevin. 
She never met Kevin to this day, yet over a long period spanning into years he would offer encouragement, and at times that she wanted to die, he would tell her jokes and words that brought strength and life. 
She also made friends with another American online who was similar. She never met either one and probably never will, but she said they saved her life.
Something to think about as we type words to people online. Words can be powerful medicine. Whoever Kevin and the other American are, they made a big difference for a kind lady when she needed it most. They will never get medals and probably will never even know what they did.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Agree with you. It's real hard to read all Japan- bashing articles on NY Times, LA Times, Japan Times...etc about so called comfort women/ sex slaves. I felt no one was on our side or even listen to us, the true story about this issue.
When I found out your article about the issue on your FB, I cried. Really, I cried.
You gave us strength to fight back anti Japanese propaganda. Our indignation of these insult overwhelmed us but didn't know what to do.