小さな語りシリーズ2024/06/09　　Small Story Serie

2024/06/09「意地っ張り」"Obstinacy"

彼は毎朝、同じ時間に駅のホームに立っていた。コーヒーショップの小さなカウンターでカフェラテを注文し、片手にビジネス新聞を持ちながら、会社へと向かう電車を待つ。30代半ばの彼は、同僚たちから「意地っ張り」と言われていた。それは、いつも自分の意見を曲げず、自分のやり方に固執する姿勢から来ている。しかし、彼自身はその評価を気にしていなかった。

ある日、いつものように電車を待ちながら、ふと中学時代の友人からのメッセージがスマートフォンに届いた。久しぶりに再会したいとのことだった。彼は少し迷ったが、結局会うことにした。再会の場所は、駅近くの小さなバーだった。彼が到着すると、友人はすでに席に着いていた。

彼は友人の笑顔を見て、少し心が和んだ。会話は途切れることなく続き、昔の思い出や最近の出来事について話した。友人は変わらず温かく、彼の頑固さを理解しつつも受け入れてくれた。

「君は本当に意地っ張りだな」と、友人が笑いながら言った。「もう少し心を緩ませてもいいんじゃない？　君は確かに意地っ張りだけど、周囲の人を思いやる優しい心も持ってるんだから」気さくな友人の言葉に、彼は初めて自分が周囲にどう見られているのかを真剣に考えた。そして、友人の言葉の奥にある優しさと、彼自身の変わらなさへの寛容さに気づいた。

その夜、彼は帰宅後、一人静かにリビングで考えた。友人との再会が、彼にとって大きな気づきをもたらした。自分の意見を貫くことも大切だが、時には他人の意見にも耳を傾けることが必要なのだと感じた。

次の日、彼は少し違う道を選んだ。朝のカフェラテを注文する際、いつもとは違うメニューを頼んでみた。そして、その日一日を新しい視点で過ごすことに決めた。彼は自分の意地っ張りな部分を少しずつ緩め、周囲との関係を見直すことを始めた。

もう少し、気持ちを楽に、緩ませてみよう。「意地っ張り」でも、「思いやりのある意地っ張り」ぐらいにはなってみるか、軽くそう自分に言い聞かせて、口元に笑みを浮かべながら、カフェラテを片手に空を見つめた。

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He stood on the station platform at the same time every morning. At the small counter of the coffee shop, he ordered a café latte and waited for the train to his company, holding a business newspaper in one hand. In his mid-thirties, his colleagues called him "stubborn." This label came from his habit of never bending his opinions and sticking to his own ways. However, he didn't mind this evaluation of him.

One day, while waiting for the train as usual, he suddenly received a message from a middle school friend on his smartphone. The friend wanted to meet up after a long time. He hesitated a little but eventually decided to meet. The meeting place was a small bar near the station. When he arrived, his friend was already seated.

Seeing his friend's smile put him at ease. Their conversation flowed without pause as they talked about old memories and recent events. His friend, unchanged and warm, understood and accepted his stubbornness.

"You really are stubborn," his friend said with a laugh. "But you could relax a little, don't you think? Sure, you're stubborn, but you also have a kind heart that cares about the people around you." For the first time, he seriously thought about how others saw him through his friend's easygoing words. He realized the kindness in his friend's words and the tolerance towards his unchanging nature.

That night, after returning home, he quietly thought in his living room. The reunion with his friend brought him a significant realization. While it's important to stick to his opinions, he felt that sometimes it was necessary to listen to others' opinions too.

The next day, he chose a slightly different path. When ordering his morning café latte, he tried something different from the usual menu. And he decided to spend the day with a new perspective. He began to gradually ease his stubbornness and reconsider his relationships with those around him.

"Let’s take it a bit easier, relax a bit," he lightly told himself, smiling while looking at the sky with a café latte in hand.