Waiting...

Tosh's Journal: September 28, 2023

photo source: istock

One of my hobbies is waiting. While one remains, things do happen but don’t happen because you are waiting. No, it doesn’t work that way. As I announced a few days ago, I will return to my beloved Japan. And when I’m in Japan, I wait. I usually wait for my wife to get ready or make arrangements before we go somewhere in the evening or sometimes in the afternoon. Mornings don’t happen because we are usually sharing a bathroom with the family, and at times, it feels like you are at the pastry shop, and you have to take a number before being served. First come, first serve is a good rule, but getting out of your bedding in fall or winter mornings can be difficult due to the warmth in one’s sleeping area. But again, there is pleasure in waiting if you know how to stay properly. And not everyone is skilled, or dare I say it, have the patience to do a proper waiting stance.

And since my Japanese is only in the subject matter of the weather, the cost of something, and if you are healthy. The rest of the Japanese language is theoretical mathematics, and I will never fully understand the nuances built into the language. There have been moments where I wanted to discuss Roland Barthes with another, but that will pass in good time. I mostly wait until my wife translates whatever is being said to others. And what do I think about while waiting?

I can find Shibuya Station from Meguro, but once I get to that station, I have to study my Apple or Google Maps to figure out how to get to the location. Without fail, and primarily due to the architecture of Tokyo, I get lost. This is not a moment to panic but to reflect on your surroundings, and hopefully, you will discover something new. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have found a used record shop in this manner. The funny thing afterward, and when I’m home, I can’t recall where that shop was. So instantly, it becomes a memory and not a real place. And I think about that often when waiting for someone or something.

There are, of course, numerous ways of keeping a list of places that you went to, and what is the most efficient for me is Yelp. I have a folder for each city I visit, where I list restaurants, shops, and places of importance to me. I used to write things down in a notebook, but I tend to get the store or restaurant’s name wrong or misspell their name terribly, so re-reading what I wrote becomes useless. Also, this is a good time to clear your head and think about what you did that morning or any time before this very moment. Some people have told me to respond in life, but for me, reflection is much more seductive and powerful. I prefer to do nothing but wait and think of one’s past.

I have taken care of the housesitters who will take care of our home airline meals, and I am now contemplating what book or magazine I should bring for the flight. My go-to list is usually Mojo Magazine because it can last an 11-hour flight and is easy on the eyes. I have taken my laptop out and written about what life is like on a plane trip, which, oddly enough, is pretty much intense waiting.