一枚の写真

ほんの数年前に撮った写真が目に留まりました。ある教室で開かれた英会話勉強会の様子です。

普通こういった集まりは年齢や性別でかたよりがちですが、この日集まってくださった方がたは全然お構いなし。下は13歳から上は78歳まで幅広い年齢の方々でした。

共通点はただ1つ、英語が好き、英会話が好き。

うまいヘタなど関係なし。好きなテーマを好きなように話し合う。

ソーシャルディスタンスなど気にする必要がなかったあの頃・・・なんだか遠い昔に感じます。

何気なかった毎日が、とても貴重で眩しく見えますよね。

注 小さいお子さんたちの将来もありますので、私以外の顔は全て伏せさせていただきました。

「懐かしいね」。。。 is the phrase that I want to say when I am seeing this photo. Gone are the days that people have the freedom to roam around and gather as a group to form celebrations and get-togethers. This is the photo that I took with my students in the Eikaiwa Class that I am handling.
One can surmise the peace and freedom to flock together to create happy moments which we are now lacking and are forbidden to do during this time of the pandemic. Organizing parties or the like is the new taboo of the society. Being able to recollect as one regardless of race, gender, age, and interests is one of the priveleges that we have lost since the time of the coronavirus. I am still looking forward to the day that we can enjoy the time that we have as a human without boundaries, without masks, without health protocols, just as how we were almost 3 years ago.