As an elementary-school kid, I did not see what was fun about "Hajimete no Otsukai" (My First Errand). As an adult, tears come when I watch some other child on an errand. "You tear up more easily as you age" turned out to be true.
At Koshien, though, my heart does not move much. Apparently I did not become someone who can empathize with everything.
Of course. I only started to be moved by "My First Errand" after my first son was born. I have almost no connection to Koshien. If I had at least poured myself into sports, it would have been quite different. Or if I had once cheered for a relay in earnest, I might have found a feeling I could dig up and say, "that's how I felt then."
When you have a story of your own, it is easier to reach toward someone else's. Conversely, with a story too far away, "that's amazing" does not lead anywhere further. Not only empathy—you miss even the trigger that would make you want to know what comes next.
What will ten years from now look like? The stories I will lean in wanting to hear will only grow, depending on what I come to love, what I will regret, and who I will cheer for.
Tomorrow I want to listen to stories with brighter eyes.