I'm in a park at the moment. When I was working as a senior engineer, I rarely came to places like this. When I did come, it was to play with my children, or to play on the playground equipment together, or for some other "purpose".
But today, I just came. Without reason. Which is surprisingly interesting.
This is Ibaraki. There are no tall buildings like in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto. The sky is wide and quiet. There is the sound of cars, but they are far away. The sound of insects echoes, and birdsong is mixed in. Once again, I realise that you can tell the seasons in Japan by the sounds.
Being here shows how 'purposeful' I have been. Progress, goals, achievements. I find that my head is filled with it all.
But in the forests and parks, there is no such thing. Because the object of comparison is not a human being, but just the wind or a tree. There, there is no superiority or inferiority, no meaning, nothing. Just being alive is enough.
It's weird to say this, but-- I feel like I live better when I've forgotten my purpose.