Tonchan is turning 6 months old in 10 days, and we're planning a half birthday party with the other family friends of the babies. We decided to have Italian catered to our home so that people can eat good food and share their stories. While we're planning, gift sharing idea came up, and I opposed, knowing people would hate me being a nail sticking out in a group.
At my elementary school, it was a very small school, we had only 32 in 1 class of our grade. Every month the class had a small birthday party, and we were supposed to bring a small present worth about 100 yen, about 1$ or so, so that we can exchange it at the party. In the class, there was a boy who wasn't financially endowed as his father passed away when he was little and his mother had health issues. The presents didn't have names written but you could take a guess easily who got whose, especially such a small class. He was always picked on giving not very favored presents. Kids are cruel. They use every little thing they can pick on to to bully. I always tried so hard to chose nice gifts so that I wouldn't be hated by the group. I hated such a custom that brought unnecessary tension to the class.
Doing the same thing with the others doesn't mean being equal. It's a brilliant idea to knock out unfavored, make it easier to control, uniform. Whoever can do the "thing" doesn't realize it's such fortunate to be able to "do the thing", doesn't understand nor spare the feeling of whoever can't "do the thing". Whoever can't "do the thing" feels miserable and inferior. Action of giving present should be a happy, caring move to the ones you care about, not causing such agony.
We have no idea where the boy and his family had gone since we graduated from junior high. Nothing is left where they used to live.
At my elementary school, it was a very small school, we had only 32 in 1 class of our grade. Every month the class had a small birthday party, and we were supposed to bring a small present worth about 100 yen, about 1$ or so, so that we can exchange it at the party. In the class, there was a boy who wasn't financially endowed as his father passed away when he was little and his mother had health issues. The presents didn't have names written but you could take a guess easily who got whose, especially such a small class. He was always picked on giving not very favored presents. Kids are cruel. They use every little thing they can pick on to to bully. I always tried so hard to chose nice gifts so that I wouldn't be hated by the group. I hated such a custom that brought unnecessary tension to the class.
Doing the same thing with the others doesn't mean being equal. It's a brilliant idea to knock out unfavored, make it easier to control, uniform. Whoever can do the "thing" doesn't realize it's such fortunate to be able to "do the thing", doesn't understand nor spare the feeling of whoever can't "do the thing". Whoever can't "do the thing" feels miserable and inferior. Action of giving present should be a happy, caring move to the ones you care about, not causing such agony.
We have no idea where the boy and his family had gone since we graduated from junior high. Nothing is left where they used to live.
Comments
And then we all grow up to be the same person...sometimes.
Good for you.
Happy birthday to Tonchan!