September 23, 2023: Shofukutei Tsurube’s Way of Life (鶴瓶さんの生き方)
I was struck by a message: It is quite normal to see or hear someone being born or dying every day. That really struck me. I heard it from a comic storyteller, Shofukutei Tsurube. He talked about it in an interview:
- He believes that we exist and work to create pleasant memories. At least that is what he believes, and that is what he has done. We, human beings, must die as we were born. He will die one day and hopes to end his life, recalling a lot of pleasant memories on the brink of his death.
- That is why he has been living each day as if it were his last, leading to what he is now. And his life depends on himself, not on others.
- He no longer needs to be judged by others. He hopes that people will enjoy a lot of his performances while he is still alive. And he would be happy if they would remember a lot of his different performances after his death. He always tries to live each day, satisfied that he has done his best in everything.
It tells me to live each day with making my best efforts.
「死ぬのも日常、生まれるのも日常」というメッセージが心に刺さりました。落語家の笑福亭鶴瓶さんの言葉です。鶴瓶さんは、インタビューで次のように語っています。
― 人間は、いや、少なくとも僕は、楽しい思い出をつくるために生き、仕事をしているんじゃないかな、と。人間は生まれてくれば必ず死ななければならないし、僕だっていつかは死んでいくのだけど、臨終の間際になって、楽しい思い出ばかりが、たくさん浮かんでくるような、そんな一生を送りたい。そんな仕事をしていきたい。
― だからこそ、日常をきっちり生きる。その積み重ねが「今」だ。そして、そんな自分に一番影響を与えるのは他人ではない。「自分」なのだ」のだと。そして、
― 評価はもういいんです。僕が生きている間に、みんなにいろいろなものを楽しんでもらえたらいい。死んだら、あいついろんなことしよったな、って言うてくれたらええんです。それで口幅ったいけど、生きるのも、人と接するのも、何か全てが一生懸命やった、というのが好きですね」。
毎日、全力で生きろということですね。