by Grace Madrinan
Funny how the long journey can stir some thoughts. Last April, I had the opportunity to visit Japan which is notorious for its complicated but efficient transport system. For a tourist like me, who only knew three phrases of Nihongo, it was a challenge. Nevertheless, I find it the most memorable. Truly, everything I need to know I learned from the train station.
1. Sometimes we can't read the signs. Since Japan is not predominantly an English-speaking country, there are still some signs with no translation, and even if there is, still we can't understand them. In life, we can't always read the signs from God, and sometimes -- most of the time, we misinterpret it. It wouldn't hurt if we ask for help from someone in authority, like a mentor, a priest or a spiritual director. Just like in the train station, I'd asked help from someone who knows the station (and who knows English) like the postman or the guard in uniform.
2. If we did not pay attention, we will miss our stop. If we doze off or got distracted with lots of things we see inside the train, we will miss our station. We have to watch out for the next station, especially if the route is new to us. In life, if we are not focused enough, we will miss our goal. We need to monitor our progress just like counting the number of stations left before reaching our destination.
3. When we ride the wrong train, we will have to take the longer route to make it right. If we act hastily without planning ahead, we might get on the wrong train. And when we do, we have to take the longer route just to go back on track. In life, it is important to plan ahead where we're going, what we're steps to reach it similar to planning what routes to take, where to drop off and when to transfer to the next train.
4. In times of doubt, ask for help. Since we're new to the place, there’s no harm to ask for directions. But let’s not ask just any other person, choose someone who is more likely an expert, like a policeman, guard, or postman. Similarly, if we need guidance on spiritual growth, ask for a mentor, someone whom you know that can give a sensible answer.
5. Travel light. Inside the train station, everything is fast paced and people are rushing everywhere. If we travel with big luggage, we will be left out and forced to carry it all while running towards the next station. In life, we need to free ourselves of clutter (worries, grudges) and carry only the essentials to get to where we're going, faster.
6. Timing is everything. If we miss the train, we will have to wait for a few minutes to an hour, which means a delay in our arrival to our destination. In life, if we miss an opportunity, we have to wait for the next one to come.
1. Sometimes we can't read the signs. Since Japan is not predominantly an English-speaking country, there are still some signs with no translation, and even if there is, still we can't understand them. In life, we can't always read the signs from God, and sometimes -- most of the time, we misinterpret it. It wouldn't hurt if we ask for help from someone in authority, like a mentor, a priest or a spiritual director. Just like in the train station, I'd asked help from someone who knows the station (and who knows English) like the postman or the guard in uniform.2. If we did not pay attention, we will miss our stop. If we doze off or got distracted with lots of things we see inside the train, we will miss our station. We have to watch out for the next station, especially if the route is new to us. In life, if we are not focused enough, we will miss our goal. We need to monitor our progress just like counting the number of stations left before reaching our destination.
3. When we ride the wrong train, we will have to take the longer route to make it right. If we act hastily without planning ahead, we might get on the wrong train. And when we do, we have to take the longer route just to go back on track. In life, it is important to plan ahead where we're going, what we're steps to reach it similar to planning what routes to take, where to drop off and when to transfer to the next train.
4. In times of doubt, ask for help. Since we're new to the place, there’s no harm to ask for directions. But let’s not ask just any other person, choose someone who is more likely an expert, like a policeman, guard, or postman. Similarly, if we need guidance on spiritual growth, ask for a mentor, someone whom you know that can give a sensible answer.
5. Travel light. Inside the train station, everything is fast paced and people are rushing everywhere. If we travel with big luggage, we will be left out and forced to carry it all while running towards the next station. In life, we need to free ourselves of clutter (worries, grudges) and carry only the essentials to get to where we're going, faster.
6. Timing is everything. If we miss the train, we will have to wait for a few minutes to an hour, which means a delay in our arrival to our destination. In life, if we miss an opportunity, we have to wait for the next one to come.
7. At the train station, we have an option to choose. There are trains that come every 5 minutes but takes longer because it stops at every station. There are also some rare rapid trains we have to wait for a few more minutes but will take us sooner to our destination. In life, we have to decide which path we want to take. Do we want to jump to the next available opportunity or wait for a while for the next one?
8. We will meet different people in the train, others will stay beside us for a while, but they have to drop off at any station sooner or later. In life, there are people who will stay beside us longer but we can't expect them to be with us at the same destination. They have their own destination to take, but enjoy their company while we're with them. More often than not, they might even give we tips on how to reach our destination sooner. Better if we found out that we are going towards the same destination all along.
9. If we feel the train is too slow, we can drop off at the next station anytime and transfer at the rapid line. But we have to pay extra cost. In life, we control our own pace. If we feel things are moving slow for us, we can do things to speed it up. But we have to pay the extra cost, like work overtime, study more, make more sacrifices…
10. We can't stay at the train station. We have to move, decide where we're going and take that ride. If we happen to take the wrong train. We can always get off and ride another one. We can't be stagnant, we have to get moving. Similarly in life, we need to make a decision on where we are going, take some actions and reach that destination.
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