Do you have any "school friends" ?
No, not Sumitomo, but Shumitomo. They are friends of the same hobby.
I don't have any because I don't have any hobbies that could be called hobbies.
The other day, when I went to Komeda Coffee, I came across "This is Shumitomo."
They were a woman in her 50s and a woman in her 20s who were sitting next to me.
At first I thought they were father and son, but from what I overheard them saying I realized that wasn't the case.
They spread out their goods on the table and flipped through the manga they just bought, saying things like "Isn't this part great?" and "This is awesome."
We're friends.
Perhaps they met through a mutual love of comics.
Although I had no idea what they were saying, they both seemed to be having a blast chatting about geek stuff.
I also thought it was great to see people in their 50s asking, "Can I have some? Yay!", to try the Komeda beans (the ones that come with coffee) that people in their 20s wouldn't eat.
I envy those who have friends from different generations.
When I arrived at work at Bokumo, staff member Yuri said to me:
"Sorry I can't work on this day. I'm going to a friend's wedding in Kobe."
"Oh, that's nice. Are you friends from high school or something?"
"No. He's my best friend who happens to be sitting next to me."
???
What do you mean?
Apparently Yuri-chan is a fan of a Johnny's group, and when she went to Kansai for one of their concerts, she happened to talk to someone standing next to her in line at the venue, and they hit it off, and now they're best friends.
Seriously, that really happens!
And it's amazing to be able to become close enough with someone that you get invited to their wedding.
I'm sure they've had a lot of fun talking about common topics and developed a strong bond over the years.
And then, yesterday.
The two men at the counter seemed to be very friendly with each other.
From the conversation, I learned that one of them was from Nagoya and the other was visiting Nagoya from Hokkaido.
"Is this the first time you two have met in a long time?"
"No, today is the first time we've met."
Huh? It doesn't look like that at all...
"Actually, we've been online game buddies for about 10 years. He told me he was going to Nagoya from Hokkaido, so I offered to show him around the city."
Amazing!
"So, when I met him for the first time today, I was like, 'Oh, so that's what he looks like.' So that's what he does for a living.' That's what we were talking about."
That kind of thing happens!
As I watched the two tipsy friends leave, I thought to myself, wow, Shumitomo are amazing, they can easily cross all kinds of borders.
In these three examples, we have learned
- It seems like a comfortable relationship between everyone, where age and social status don't matter at all.
- A friend is not someone who is close to you, but someone who is close to your heart.
- Maybe it's a relationship that only works because they're both the same sex. If they were the opposite sex, it might be difficult to become this close because of the thought of love and romance.
That's what it was.
If only I had a hobby, I could have a fun relationship like this with someone...
Just as I was thinking that, I realized something.
Now that I think about it, I am doing work that is kind of a hobby.
Bokumo and Bokumo Wine are stores that we run because of our passion for them.
No one forced me to do it; I just wanted to create a restaurant space and deliver New Zealand wine nationwide, so I gave birth to that desire.
To someone who is gritting their teeth and working hard at a job they don't like, my life is probably almost like a hobby.
In that case, the people who are connected with me through Bokumo and Bokumo Wine are my "Shumitomo"!
It's true, people are from all different generations and ages, and have a variety of values, so it's fun to talk to them.
Oh, that's right, now that I think about it, I have a lot of fellow friends.
Thank you.
So, to you who are reading this.
Once again, hello to all my friends at Shumitomo. I look forward to working with you again in the future. Let's have some wine together next time.
