Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No554

Today, our daughter's boyfriend came to our house. I was wearing kimono ensemble, very expensive woven Yuki tsumugi kimono and waited them in Japanese tatami room, sitting on zabuton with very serious look.

He and our daughter came together and did seiza, Japanese way of formal sitting. My wife came to pour tea, he removed zabuton and bowed as if his forehead touched the tatami floor. He said, `Please give the permission to get married with your daughter.'

I touched my chin in silence - is this man trustful? Does he gamble?  Isn't he pachinco dependence? Does he have any secret hobby like wearing female dresses?
Does he have strength to seize luck? How much money can he earn? Still many questions echo in my head...

The room was occupied with very tense air. My wife tried to make everyone relaxed by offering tea....

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I knew scene like this was not going to happen. Fathers of old generations were like that.

As a patriarche and a father, the father should have looked serious and strict. Poor young guy should have been so nervous and could hardly ate the food he was offered.

In reality, we ate supper together and I urged him to start what he had to say, because I wanted to watch `Gunshi Kanbei', a historical TV series drama starts at 8:00 on Sunday evening. I watch this drama everyweek. I finally said, `you have twenty minutes before the drama starts' and he started the line.

I have met his guy before and knew he was going to come. As a father, I wish my daughter's happiness, but I do not worry too much. Even if you choose your partner with careful investigation, still there is no guarantee becoming happy. Fathers have different point of view but still it is not 100 % reliable. If we do not agree for their marriage, it will be cause the opposite effect-will increase their passion and their bond will become stronger.

What I was always telling to my daughters is to stand on your own feet. They may fail with choosing parter, or even if they are lucky to find right guys, still the guys may die early.

I do not want them to live a life depending on their partners completely. It is too much gamble, too risky! 

Then I found this poster from USA. What I wished to to say was all in there.

Grils' Catholic school, Merch Achademy made this poster. 
　
　Don't wait for a prince. 
　Be able to rescue yourself. 
　Prepare for real life.
　
　You're not a princess.
    But you can still rule the world.
    Prepare for real life.

They were classmates in junior highschool but after many years, they met again. So there was en(fate)between them. I am glad they had good en and I could watch Gunshi Kanbei tonight.