[September Canvas
]
Everyone has a bias. It's not easy to think outside the box.
She calls herself a carrier-pigeon.
The pedometer app. on her smartphone counts 18,000 steps daily.
Our girl is a second-year resident adhering to the work reforms promoted by the Ministry of Health
that regulate overtime work. 1,620 hours a year at most is now the rule for medical rookies.
If asked her occupation by sales clerks, at the beauty salon or contact lens shop,
our daughter simply answers, "I'm in medicine."
Instantly, they all want to show their gratitude exclaiming, "Oh, you're a NURSE.
Thank you so much for working so hard. Especially during this pandemic!"
Even if this isn't quite accurate, she doesn't care.
When the ambulance brought a woman, a senior citizen unable to hear well, our daughter talked to the patient
communicating with a memo pad whenever the woman couldn't understand.
A couple of weeks later, the woman recovered but still seemed to have something on her mind.
In a loud voice, she said to all of the staff, 'Thank you everyone, but I'd like to give special thanks to my doctor.
Can I talk to HIM personally before leaving this hospital?"
Immediately, the young resident wrote a short response in her small black notebook.
"I am your DOCTOR. Take care!"
All the nurses laughed because this almost always happens to female doctors.
September is the last month our girl will be training in ER, ferrying patients to hospital
from all over Ehime in a helicopter.
Would patients believe that this young woman doctor flies almost every day, even Saturdays
,accompanied by a male nurse?
They would have to, because this young woman is a flight doctor.
(Kazuyo Kajiwara)
Life is a brand-new canvas," I used to say to my children, "Draw your dream with your favorite colors."
This summer I watched International athletes realize lively colored, dynamic pictures on such canvases.
Their remarkable exhilaration in defeat as well as victory made my heart leap.
Still, there were bound to be disappointments.
As a student nutritionist, my daughter applied and was accepted to work at the Olympic village,
but she gave up that once in a lifetime opportunity after all.
Her dream of preparing meals for the Olympians was deferred by the pandemic.
All in all, there were dreams realized and dreams deferred in the 2020 Olympics.
And amidst the different public opinions regarding pros and cons, the games went forward.
Due to stringent COVID-19 regulations, most venues had no spectators and little festive mood.
The lack of cheering must have affected the competitors' motivation.
Still I think that was the only way it could have been done.
Fewer overseas tourists resulted in less positive economic impact.
And I wonder why IOC members stayed in such expensive accommodations, their bills mostly paid for by our taxes.
And yet, there was so much that was positive in the Games, and a lot was accomplished.
Foreign athletes appreciated Japanese volunteers' hospitality. Their positive impressions of Japan
have been shared on Social Media. I bet this will eventually lead to more inbound tourists.
Above all, this major global event showed respect for human rights.
The participation of 56 hopeful refugee athletes inspired forcibly displaced people around the world.
Women's soccer teams from 7 countries knelt right before kick off to send a message about racial discrimination.
The LGBTQ participants spotlighted gender identity issues for the first time in the Olympics.
From now on, we need to acknowledge athletes' individual dignity, transparency, sports fairness, and equity.
The IOC must continue to confront these sorts of problems.
Whoever you are, you have a right to pursue your dream. In order to realize them, families, communities, countries,
and the world should not discourage individuals' efforts. Regardless of the problems that had to be surmounted,
Tokyo 2020 played an important role in providing the athletes with canvases/ opportunities
to make their dreams come true. Japan as host country was responsible in that point.
This is how I understand the benefits that this sports spectacular brought the peoples of the world.
(Miwa N.)
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