So, at what age do you think someone becomes an "uncle"?
Announcers, commentators, and idols are talking about this topic on TV.
What an irrelevant topic. A topic that seems completely unimportant.
I don't dislike it.
It's that time that makes me forget for a moment about the gloom of COVID-19, the balance in my bank account, and manuscript deadlines. It's important.
"A survey by Hakuhodo revealed that the average age is 43.24 years."
I see. Well, that seems reasonable, I thought, as the screen switched to a young man being interviewed on the street.
"When he starts bragging about the past, he really is an old man."
They divided them not by age, but by their personalities.
I blurted out, "But you know, you've done a lot for yourselves, so I think it's okay to brag a little." Then my wife, who was beside me, snapped, "That's just what you think, uncle." I was like, "Shhh, that's just what you think."
"Maybe it's the uncle who has a weakness for the aunt," I thought, but I didn't say anything.
Come to think of it, when I first entered the workforce, I thought people who boasted about how things were in the old days were very old-fashioned.
In particular, perhaps because I'm part of the generation that experienced the employment ice age, whenever I heard stories like, "During the bubble economy, I would hail a taxi by waving a 10,000 yen bill," I would think to myself, "Really? So, how are you using that experience now?" (What a jerk.)
But I, the one who was making the comments, have definitely entered the realm of being an old man in terms of age. I'm surrounded by young people. To the part-time staff, I'm more than twice as old as they are.
On days when I feel like I've been talking well, I often look back on what I said while taking a shower and realize that I've been talking a lot about what it was like when I was younger, and I feel depressed.
(Hmm... so, how are you using that experience now?) The boomerang hit him hard on the back of the head.
It's embarrassing, but looking back, I think I might be a boastful person.
In my previous job (as a radio director), I had many opportunities to meet well-known people.
So, when I was watching a music show with my family, I said, "When I worked with that person, he was a really nice guy," and my daughter clapped along, saying, "Ji, ma, n! Ji, ma, n!", like the "Pa, je, ro! Pa, je, ro!" darts game at Tokyo Friend Park (the uncle explained that).
I was depressed. Oh, I see, my story was about bragging about working with a celebrity. My daughter just wanted to listen to the song, but she was like, "So what?" I was told this boast. That's annoying.
Speaking of which, I've heard that people brag about something from the past because that event was the peak of their life, and they haven't accomplished much since then.
People who have already given up on trying. People who can't surpass their past selves. People like that brag. It's scary to think about it.
It seems like a pretty shameful thing to do to praise your past self for being better than you, instead of praising others who are better than you. After all, we should avoid boasting as much as possible.
Even though I'm an older man, I'm sure there are some older men out there who don't brag, and I'd like to be one of them. I'll have to be careful.
Just as I was thinking this, something happened that tested my boastful self-control.
I received an offer from a newspaper company saying they wanted to interview me. They had happened to come across a crowdfunding campaign for the opening of Bokumo Wine on the internet and were interested.
This is a chance to officially brag... No, no, the reporter wants to know what kind of crowdfunding is going on. Don't talk too much about yourself.
With that in mind, the day of the interview arrived.
...The result was a crushing defeat. Just as I had feared, it had turned out.
Before I knew it, I had been talking about myself for three hours straight.
By the time I finished, my throat was sore and my voice was hoarse, probably because I hadn't been talking to customers at the counter recently.
The reporter was a woman in her 20s . She was so good at drawing out information. Before being assigned to her current department, she was a reporter covering the police. I confessed everything, from my upbringing to my radio work, my encounter with wine, how I started a restaurant, and how I opened my wine shop.
I was high while I was talking, so I had no time to notice that I was drunk and talking about things that no one asked me about. So this time, I was reflecting on my actions while taking a shower. I was guilty.
And it got me thinking. That reporter had been looking me in the eye and smiling throughout the interview, but maybe in his mind he was clapping his hands and going, "Ji-ma-n! Ji-ma-n!"
Sigh, I have a long way to go before I become a self-controlled old man.
Corona, bankbook, manuscript, self-control. There are more and more things to think about.
This week's wine and snacks
OSAWA WINES FLYING SHEEP MERLOT / CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016
Osawa Wines Flying Sheep Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Osawa Wines is run by a Japanese owner, Taizo Osawa. The winery is located in Hawke's Bay, a relatively warm region in New Zealand, which produces richer wines, both red and white.
Flying Sheep is a basic series among Osawa Wines. The flying sheep and striped pattern are very cute, but the contents are authentic.
This wine is a Merlot/Cabernet, a Bordeaux blend . It's rich in color and flavor.
The aroma is dominated by blackcurrant and blackberry, with hints of cocoa.
It's quite concentrated, but the alcohol content is not too high at 12% , which is nice. It's mellow. I think many people will find this wine "easy to drink."
The dish was paired with yakitori from Sanwa, a long-established Nagoya chicken restaurant. I bought it at the department store basement.
Japanese cuisine with its sweet and spicy sauces goes well with a mellow red wine with a fruity flavor, which is a well-established match.
Enjoy a happy moment with traditional Japanese snacks and wine from the Japanese owner.
