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親切は天下の回りもの
親切は天下の回りもの
いいことをするたびに自分でシールを貼り、
100枚貼ると願いがかなうという手帳
「ヘブンズパスポート」が
学生や若い女性の間で流行している。
親切にごほうびがいるのか、
と話題になっているが…。
Kindness Comes Around Again
By JOHN GATHRIGHT
"Psst, you wanna buy a passport?!" Passports are selling like hot cakes in Japan right now and they aren't illegal or found on the black market. These
passports won't get you into any countries but they promise to open the gates
to fortune and dreams come true.
You have probably seen them or maybe you even own one. The cute "Heaven's
passport" comes with stickers that you can stick in a booklet when you
do a good deed. It is becoming a hot fad throughout Japan and could become
one overseas.
I would have changed the content a little and maybe not have made them so
cute and childish, but bravo for the idea.
"What? John, get a grip on reality! People should be doing good deeds
out of kindness, not for reward!" My answer to people who would say this
is: You are right, but most people don't! We live our lives surrounded by opportunities to do little acts of kindness, but we don't do them. Not only
are we guilty of kindness omission but thoughtless
ness as well.
As a Boy Scout, I remember having to do a list of kind acts in order to get
my service badge. It seemed like a chore to find chances to be of service
or to perform a kindness.
Helping an elderly lady across the street, surprising a neighbor by
secretly mowing his lawn, picking up garbage off the street, it was a chore
to find opportunities to be kind. But, surprisingly, with each new kindness,
joy and the desire to do kindness grew. Good deeds became almost second
nature.
It was sort of easy to be kind as a kid. Elementary school teachers had
charts that offered rewards for kindness. My grandma would always ask, "Did
you do a kindness today?" If I had, it was a great joy to tell her. If I
hadn't, I would resolve to find a kindness for the next time we met.
On a visit to Canada many years after my grandmother had passed away, I
saw a bumper sticker that said "Did you do a kindness today?" I stopped
dead in my tracks. Not only was I shocked to see the sticker but I realized
that among adults, nobody ever asks that question. I felt ashamed to have to
admit I hadn't done a kindness in a long time. In fact, I was out of the
habit of looking for chances to do good deeds.
The chance to show kindness and do good deeds doesn't jump up and slap us
on the face. Unless we are in the habit of looking for such opportunities,
they can seem invisible.
If a passport encourages people to look for chances to do good, I am all
for it. You never know, after the bearer finishes her first 100 good deeds
and the passport is full, she might keep doing kindness out of good will and
charity.
I don't think I will buy a passport myself. I'm going to write notes and
post them all over the house: "Did you do something kind today?" Actually, I
think I'll even send some to friends. I won't need a reward or stickers.
Kindness itself is a reward. Not only do we feel good, but when we least
expect it someone else is kind to us. What goes around comes around.
Let's put kindness on the move.
"Psst, you wanna buy a passport?!" Passports are selling like hot cakes in Japan right now and they aren't illegal or found on the black market. These
passports won't get you into any countries but they promise to open the gates
to fortune and dreams come true.
You have probably seen them or maybe you even own one. The cute "Heaven's
passport" comes with stickers that you can stick in a booklet when you
do a good deed. It is becoming a hot fad throughout Japan and could become
one overseas.
I think that it is a great idea! Personally, if I were the inventor
I would have changed the content a little and maybe not have made them so
cute and childish, but bravo for the idea.
"What? John, get a grip on reality! People should be doing good deeds
out of kindness, not for reward!" My answer to people who would say this
is: You are right, but most people don't! We live our lives surrounded by opportunities to do little acts of kindness, but we don't do them. Not only
are we guilty of kindness omission but thoughtless
ness as well.
As a Boy Scout, I remember having to do a list of kind acts in order to get
my service badge. It seemed like a chore to find chances to be of service
or to perform a kindness.
Helping an elderly lady across the street, surprising a neighbor by
secretly mowing his lawn, picking up garbage off the street, it was a chore
to find opportunities to be kind. But, surprisingly, with each new kindness,
joy and the desire to do kindness grew. Good deeds became almost second
nature.
It was sort of easy to be kind as a kid. Elementary school teachers had
charts that offered rewards for kindness. My grandma would always ask, "Did
you do a kindness today?" If I had, it was a great joy to tell her. If I
hadn't, I would resolve to find a kindness for the next time we met.
On a visit to Canada many years after my grandmother had passed away, I
saw a bumper sticker that said "Did you do a kindness today?" I stopped
dead in my tracks. Not only was I shocked to see the sticker but I realized
that among adults, nobody ever asks that question. I felt ashamed to have to
admit I hadn't done a kindness in a long time. In fact, I was out of the
habit of looking for chances to do good deeds.
The chance to show kindness and do good deeds doesn't jump up and slap us
on the face. Unless we are in the habit of looking for such opportunities,
they can seem invisible.
If a passport encourages people to look for chances to do good, I am all
for it. You never know, after the bearer finishes her first 100 good deeds
and the passport is full, she might keep doing kindness out of good will and
charity.
I don't think I will buy a passport myself. I'm going to write notes and
post them all over the house: "Did you do something kind today?" Actually, I
think I'll even send some to friends. I won't need a reward or stickers.
Kindness itself is a reward. Not only do we feel good, but when we least
expect it someone else is kind to us. What goes around comes around.
Let's put kindness on the move.
Shukan ST: June 18, 1999
(C) All rights reserved
- Psst
- [pst]ちょっと(呼びかけの声)
- are selling like hot cakes
- よく売れている(like hotcakes は「盛んに」)
- fortune
- 富
- dreams come true
- 夢の実現
- "Heaven's passport"
- 「ヘブンズパスポート」(製造元:日月工芸)
- stickers
- シール
- stick
- 貼る
- booklet
- 小冊子
- good deed
- よい行ない
- fad
- 流行
- inventor
- 発案者
- content
- 内容
- bravo for 〜
- 〜 は素晴らしい( 〜 に拍手喝采しよう)
- get a grip on reality
- 現実を把握しなさい(現実的になりなさい)
- out of kindness
- 親切心から
- not for reward
- 報酬を得るためにではなく
- surrounded by 〜
- 〜 に取り巻かれて
- kindness omission
- 親切をしないこと
- thoughtlessness
- 思慮を欠くこと、自分勝手なこと
- service badge
- 奉仕活動に対して与えられるバッジ
- chore
- (やらなければいけない退屈な)日課
- be of service
- 助けになる
- perform
- 行なう
- elderly
- 年配の
- neighbor
- 近所の人
- mowing his lawn
- 芝生を刈る
- picking up garbage off 〜
- 〜 からごみを拾う
- second nature
- 深く身に付いた習慣や性癖
- charts
- 図表
- would resolve to 〜
- 〜 しようと決心する
- had passed away
- 亡くなった
- bumper sticker
- バンパーステッカー、車のバンパーに貼るシール
- stopped dead in my tracks
- 急に立ち止まった
- felt ashamed to have to admit 〜
- 〜 だと認めなければならないのを恥ずかしく思った
- was out of the habit of 〜
- 〜 する癖がぬけていた
- doesn't jump up and slap us on the face
- 突然現れて、頬を叩くことはない(明らかな形でむこうからやってくることはない)
- am all for it
- 大賛成である
- bearer
- 持っている人
- charity
- 思いやりの気持ち
- when we least expect it
- 最も予期していない時に
- What goes around comes around
- 自分がやってきたことは、再び巡ってくる
- put 〜 on the move
- 〜 を始める