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The Barber’s Silence: A Haircut, Tolstoy’s Angel, and the Flow of Time
Once I went to get a haircut, and when I saw the barber cutting my hair, I actually remembered a story about a cobbler written by Tolstoy. There is a cobbler in one of Tolstoy’s short stories, whose name I have forgotten. This cobbler was originally an angel and was demoted to the earth for committing sins in heaven. He fell naked in the mud and was found by an old cobbler passing by who took him in. After he recovered, he learned various crafts in the old cobbler’s shop and later became a cobbler. After several years of learning, the cobbler’s craftsmanship has surpassed that of the old cobbler.…
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Washed Ashore: Memories and Regrets on a Tokyo Beach
I really don’t like walking to the beach, especially on dull summer days, when the wet rain hits my chest and makes me unable to breathe. A shirt is washed and worn, worn and washed, over and over again, like a miserable pale sun attached to a confused body, wasting its warmth in vain. But people like me have a cold heart. It always beats alone, coldly, like silent raindrops, making no sound at all. The pocket of my jacket on the left always hangs down, because there is a mobile phone inside, a past number that has never been deleted, and a disconnected profile picture that is always gray,…
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Three Trios: A Daughter’s Reflections on Her Mother’s Life
01 Three trios of wings, fluttering soundlessly in the resplendent hush. Prior to my arrival here, I sojourned for a few days on the Adriatic Sea, dwelling in a residence along the coastline. Occasional beachgoers adorned the petite expanse of sandy shores. From my terrace, I could discern and perceive their presence. On a particular day, a woman with an unmistakably exuberant laughter seized my attention. Gazing upward, I beheld three elderly women immersing themselves in the sea. They exposed their bosoms and swam just beyond the shore. They configured a circular arrangement, akin to encircling a round table, partaking in the consumption of coffee. (Take heed of the accent)…
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Face the Truth: How Your Looks Hint at Your Hidden Health
People age all the time, but their appearance does not necessarily keep pace with their age. When the appearance does not match the age and clearly looks older or younger than the actual age, different people will have different explanations for this. Especially if you look older than your actual age, it is often interpreted as premature aging. In fact, many scientific studies support the reasoning that there are actually signs of aging. A long-term follow-up heart study in Copenhagen found that gray hair, facial wrinkles, and male pattern baldness are obvious signs of aging, which may indicate that people are at a higher risk of myocardial infarction, especially those…
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Beyond Youthful Fire, Beyond Elderly Grace: The Untapped Wisdom of Middle Age
I have always believed that in a certain period of time and in a certain society, even if all the young and old people are possessed by demons, as long as the middle-aged people are not ridiculous, things will not be much worse. In middle age, the green fruits of life become so plump, the noisy youthful conflict precipitates into elegance, and even heavy social responsibilities may dissolve into daily life moods. When you reach the age when you should be independent, you still don’t know how to be spiritually independent. This is a common tragedy for many middle-aged people in China. Every day, we look forward to the instructions…
