Archive Notes: This is an English translation and rewritten version of a blog post originally published in Japanese on October 1, 2019. [Japanese version]
I felt completely exhausted today, so I ended up skipping my hospital visit.
I probably could have pushed myself to go, but doing so wouldn’t have brought any real benefit. So, I decided to prioritize my rest.
There’s a 30-year age gap between my father and me. And honestly, a 30-year generation gap with someone who grew up in the old Showa era feels absolutely massive.
On the flip side, there’s a 32-year age gap between my daughter and me, but strangely enough, I don’t feel much of a disconnect there at all. Maybe that’s just me being optimistic? (laughs)
The most obvious difference lies in how we interact with technology, like computers and smartphones.
I don’t think many people in their 80s have truly mastered smartphones. For example, my mother’s younger sister is 76, and she doesn’t even own a smartphone—she still uses a basic flip phone just for calls and emails.
My father is actually quite good with his hands, but when it comes to electronics, he has zero interest. He’s totally out of touch. He can cook, yet he doesn’t even know how to use the washing machine.
When you can’t use a computer or a smartphone, your only sources of information are the TV and newspapers. If you want to actively look something up, your only option is to read a book. In this day and age, that directly leads to being fatally left behind.
Then there’s the carpet issue. My father has covered almost every inch of the house with “tile carpets.” The only bare flooring left is barely surviving in the kitchen.
He even put tile carpets on the toilet floor, which makes it impossible to wipe clean. We have a modern heated bidet toilet seat, so there’s absolutely no need for a fabric cover. Yet, he stuck one of those adhesive seat covers on it anyway. It was impossible to clean, so I peeled it off—and he got incredibly upset with me. So, I had to put it back.
I want to keep the toilet completely bare without any covers or mats so I can wipe it down spotlessly. The floor gets dirtiest there, so not being able to wipe it every day is just unbelievable to me. Because of this setup, it always smells a bit off. It never feels truly clean.
I flat out told him, “I can’t possibly clean the toilet like this.” Next time, I think I’ll just spray a bunch of Febreze all over those tile carpets.
His “tile carpet syndrome” is pretty severe. He even pasted them onto a section of the laundry balcony floor—sure, it has a roof, but the rain still blows in!
I don’t know if this is just a generational gap or simply a massive difference in personal taste, but our habits are just completely incompatible, and it’s mentally exhausting.
I need to realize this is a long-term battle and make sure I find ways to take a breather.
