【高齢化社会と「連休」感覚の変容】

　世間は３連休ということですが人生一段落夫婦としては行動予定はおおむね自由度が高いのでその連休にあわせる必要は特段ない。これまでならば「今度の連休、どこいこか？」と計画していた記憶があるのですが、そういった「追い込まれる」ような心理から解放されてしまった。そういった計画最優先という強迫観念がすっかり薄らいで来ています。これはいいことなのか悪いことなのか（笑）。
　早朝散歩はひとりで出掛けるのが習慣だったのですが、カミさんを誘ったらいっしょに出掛けることになった。休日だし、特段、自宅兼用事務所に出入り予定はないので、朝食も作り置き食品と残り飯のおにぎりというメニューにして外出時に弁当的に食べることにしていたのです。カミさんの朝の予定は特段なかった。ただ、散歩終了後はあちこち買い物の予定はしていた。
　ふだん歩いているコースをふたりで歩くと、ペース配分が違うので、ときどき立ち止まってか、あるいは歩速をゆっくりさせるかして合わせる必要がある。人生自分ひとりだけのものではないので、そんな風に歩いていたら、今度は逆に追い越され気味になった。
　やや上り坂から歩き始めて、そのあと下り坂気味に道が変わったら、彼女はそのペース通りで追い越されそうになったのですね。わたしは上り坂は早足で登りたいし、一方下り坂はノンビリとゆったりしていたいのだ、ということにふたりで歩くと気付かされた。「へーえ」という気分。

　コースはわたしの普段通りで、北海道神宮の周辺緑地を森の中、水辺、いくつかの神社参拝というようにめぐって、最後は北海道神宮本殿に参拝というコース。　神宮境内、早朝は日本人ばかりなのでそこそこ人出があっても静粛は保たれている。散歩が時間がズレて日中になってしまうと声の大きな国のみなさんが多くて、ちょっと悲しい騒音ぶり（泣）。大袈裟に注意するまでもない事柄なのでまぁ、無視一択なのですが、マナーはどうすれば向上していただけるのか、と思ってしまう。
　まぁ日中にしか散歩時間が取れないときには、神宮は避けた方がいいのでしょうね。
　という夫婦での早朝散歩でしたが、カミさんからは「楽しかった」という高評価（笑）。おお、楽しんでくれたんだというよろこびがこみ上げてくる。高齢化時期にはやはり夫婦関係の円満が大きな条件なのでしょう。人間ひとりだけで生きているワケではない。
　ということであくせくせず、自分たちペースで連休、その先も過ごしたいものです。


English version⬇

Aging Society and the Changing Sense of “Consecutive Holidays”
As we age, we realize that the marital relationship as a basic unit is extremely weighty. I want to remember to be thankful.

　The world is celebrating a three-day weekend, but as a couple who has reached the end of their lives, we have a high degree of freedom in our plans, so there is no particular need to adjust our activities to this holiday. In the past, we would have planned our activities by asking ourselves, “Where shall we go on this consecutive holiday? But now I am free from that kind of “driven” mentality. I have become free from such a “driven” mentality. The obsession of putting the highest priority on planning has completely faded away. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
　I used to go out for an early morning walk by myself, but when I invited my wife to join me, we decided to go out together. Since it was a holiday and I had no particular plans to go in and out of my home office, I had decided to eat breakfast as a lunch box when I went out, with a menu of leftover food and onigiri rice balls. Kami had no special plans for the morning. However, after the walk, we planned to go shopping here and there.
　Walking the same route we normally walk, our paces differ, so sometimes we have to stop or slow down to match our pace. I was not alone in my life, so when I was walking like that, I began to feel like I was being overtaken.
　When I started walking slightly uphill and then the road changed to a downhill, she followed my pace and almost overtook me. Walking together, we realized that I like to go uphill as fast as I can, while I like to take it easy on the way downhill. I was in a “heh-heh” mood.

　The course was as I usually do, visiting the green areas around the Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, including the forest, the waterfront, and several shrines, and ending at the main shrine of the Hokkaido Jingu Shrine.　The precincts of the shrine are usually full of Japanese people early in the morning, so even if there are a few people, the place is quiet and peaceful. However, when the time of the walk shifts to the middle of the day, there are many people from other countries with loud voices, and the noise is a little sad (crying). I don't need to be overly cautious about it, so I just ignore it, but I wonder how I can improve my manners.
　Well, if you can only take a walk during the daytime, it would be better to avoid Jingu.
　We had an early morning walk as a couple, but Kami gave us a high evaluation saying, “It was fun” (laugh). (Laughs.) I was pleased to hear that she enjoyed the walk. I suppose that a major condition for an aging population is a happy marital relationship. People do not live alone.
　So we should not be too busy, but rather enjoy the holidays and beyond at our own pace.