I am aware that I am taking risks. There are a lot easier ways to “expand Sashiko business” for money & fame. However, Sashiko is more than a (temporary) business to me. Therefore, I need to take risks to get chestnuts out of the fire… I just sometimes realize how bad the risk I am taking. Endless emotional labor. I know 99% of followers here do not cause anything emotionally exhausting… but unfortunately, as I often say, the labor is not a majority decision.
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Here is another extreme analogy. One visits a Japanese house. I ask them to take off their shoes. They say, “oh, in my house, we keep shoes on.” and expect “us” to work together to have “mutual” understanding. Do you see how culturally scary this analogy is? They are visiting a Japanese house, yet insisting it is a choice of “understanding”. A similar thing is happening in Sashiko.
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I would rather avoid conflict. I should ignore indifference. However, I speak up, because, in the worst case scenario, the world understands it is okay to keep shoes on in a Japanese house. Then, all the stories around the culture will be lost by the dominating group. I don’t like conflict. Everytime I reply knowing that the advice will make them extremely uncomfortable, my heart beats rapidly. I learn by experience. I know the pain will come: minimizing, undervaluing, victimizing and eventually receiving the criticism of being “You are arrogant”. Regardless of the pain, I need to do this: because they pick whatever they want, and change the culture unnaturally. If I were to visit a western culture, I would follow their “ordinary”. If they claim that they can introduce Sashiko/Boro, they need to learn & follow the Japanese courtesy… Please help me out with your kindness to wipe out the superficial niceness.
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白人女性と家族を持って、米国に移住して、刺し子を教えるようになって、勉強量が圧倒的に増えました。「針の使い方だけ教えれば良いんじゃね？」と無邪気に思っていた4年前。いつの間にか、あまりにも文化が切り取られすぎていて、刺し子と同じくらい社会学の情報発信をするようになりました。妻の専門が心理学ということもあって、日々読書です。今日の投稿もそんな感じ。また配信で愚痴らせて下さい。変化は良いんです。でも、大切なものは切り取られたくない。お味噌汁には絶対に必ずなにがなんでも、「出汁」は必要です。
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#Sashiko #JapaneseSashiko #刺し子
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