(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
There are people I admire.
They are children.
There are very few adults I envy.
Children always seem happy and full of energy. They enjoy life so naturally. I think it’s because the world they see still shines with wonder.
I sometimes see children playing outside. Whenever I watch them, I can’t help thinking how amazing they are. In a way, they are masters of living.
Adults are good at working. They contribute to society and accomplish many important things. However, when it comes to truly enjoying life and feeling free, I think children have the advantage.
The same is true for wild animals. Whenever I see baby animals, they look happy and carefree. I once watched a TV program about tiger cubs. They were playing together and looked as if they were having the best time.
Whenever I see children, I envy them. I wish I could live the way they do.
Of course, it’s impossible to become a child again. That’s why my goal is to live as happily and freely as a child, even as an adult.
Earlier I said there are very few adults I envy, but there is one exception.
He was a former university professor. Although he was an adult, he had the heart of a child. I once attended one of his lectures. After he finished speaking, he stretched out both of his arms and walked off the stage, pretending to be an airplane flying through the sky.
When I saw that, it made me smile. I realized that there really are adults who never lose their childlike spirit. He was over sixty years old at the time, yet he still had the heart of a child.
At that moment, I thought, “I want to become an adult like him.”