Today, Sunday 28 July 2019, is exactly a week after we launched the campaign, Kokoro no Kintsugi. It is, in a sense, a day in which I have reflected at what has happened so far and what we need still to do. I've had more difficulty writing today's blog post, not because there is little to write, but so much I want to write about.
But I'll start with a little bit about a photograph.
The location is Q-Court, on the rooftop of Shinjuku's Marui Main Store, now the place with the Apple Store. I'm always surprised how secluded it is, despite the crowds below.
The clouds reflected on the building were much like my thoughts today. There is just so much going on, moving, rapidly and even violently, like the clouds. The clouds yesterday were moving extremely quickly, because of the typhoon, which didn't hit Tokyo.
But around us, it was quiet and peaceful. Sometimes, if we reflect on what we are doing, we see that there is actually a lot of things to be appreciative of.
The reason I was on the rooftop was a conversation with a friend - a new friend. In fact, we only met once, earlier in the week. The conversation was about food and sustainable agriculture. So we talked about many things - tomatoes, compost, weeds, beer, water, yeast, coconut ice cream, camping cars, and Maui. And rooftop gardens.
We watched the clouds pass by. The couples kissing. The kids running around and away from their mothers.
We saw fireworks in the distance. And one by one, the people drifted away. Until, in the end, we heard the announcement, in Japanese, that we were no longer welcome on the rooftop.
At the end, after talking about many things, including lifetime aspirations and methods and filming plans and hope, he agreed, that there just might be some hope in Kokoro no Kintsugi.
As in any venture or campaign, in a busy week or month, I often plan and organize and try to make certain that every meeting and moment is important and efficiently utilized. But there is nothing certain in any of it. Something may come from things where you never expected them to come from. Hope is in discovery.
Just as on a cycling trip or Scout hike, you try to plan for every emergency. But life isn't scripted. Look for those moments when something you hadn't expected or planned leads to a place that feels incredible.
And look out for rooftop gardens. You might discover something new. By watching the clouds roll by.
