The Tiniest Little Joys | Hideyuki Tokuda (Dean, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
2008.02.22
The entrance examinations for the Faculty of Policy Management on February 19 and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies on February 20 were held successfully at the Hiyoshi Campus. This year, we were blessed with beautiful weather on both days, and I believe the prospective students were able to take their exams in a relaxed atmosphere. I am very much looking forward to meeting these students with bright, shining eyes at SFC in April.
In fact, every year, many faculty, staff, and part-time workers help us with tasks such as proctoring the exams. It would be impossible for the faculty alone to conduct exams on such a large scale, and I am very grateful for their help. This year's entrance exams also went smoothly, but one of the young faculty members from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies who was helping us left the exam headquarters cheerfully and briskly to proctor, but when he returned after his duties, he was limping on his left leg, enduring pain. Apparently, he twisted his ankle on a step on his way to the examination hall.
I later received an email from him, and it seems he had fractured his foot. I am praying for his speedy recovery.
Now, regarding the theme of "small joys," people who have peace of mind often notice that these "small joys" are surprisingly abundant, while those who are exhausted may not be able to notice them at all. Whether or not you can feel these "small joys" for yourself might be a barometer of your mental health in this stressful era.
Now, when I look at the "small joys" around me, I find that there may be more things that should be recognized as "medium-sized joys." First, one joy is when my family of four can go out for a meal together. Just recently, our schedules happened to align, and the four of us went to a yakitori restaurant. I especially felt it when we were drinking beer with our children, getting excited talking about their futures and telling old stories from their childhood. The second is the joy I find as the one in charge of my dog's "toilet duty." When she has a pleasant morning walk and happily relieves herself at her usual spot, I can also return home in a good mood. The day starts off exhilaratingly. This is a "tiny little joy" that anyone who walks a dog can understand. The third is the moment when my old Mac at home—which had broken down, wouldn't start up, and just showed the Sad Mac icon no matter how many times I turned it on—finally boots up again after a long struggle, and the Smile Mac appears. It's a moment where I feel a sense of accomplishment, like "I did it!," along with a "tiny little joy" akin to reuniting with an old friend.
For those of us living stressful lives day in and day out, it is essential to maintain a mental balance that allows us to feel these "tiny little joys."
(Date Published: 2008/02/22)