Photo/Illutration The logo of the “Watashi no Oriori no Kotoba” contest for 2022 (The Asahi Shimbun)

What do the teenage years taste like? Sweet and sour? Bittersweet?

Perhaps they taste salty because of all the sweat and tears. These are the days when you bump against an invisible wall and ask yourself, “Who am I?”

That is why many people can so deeply inspire teenagers with a few words.

The Asahi Shimbun received about 26,000 entries for the “Watashi no Oriori no Kotoba” contest for 2022, in which junior and senior high school students were invited to send in words someone said to them that inspired them.

The winners were recently published in the newspaper. Some runners-up, however, were also quite impressive.

Rin Kawasaki, a second-year high school student, was in the habit of saying, “I’m tired,” as she was fed up with taking tests almost daily. One day, though, one of her friends, who went heart and soul into both studying and a club activity, said to her with a smile, “I’m ridiculously busy, but I’m so happy being so busy.”

The words turned her world upside down, Rin said. She realized how wonderful it is to go all out at doing something.

Riki Tonaka, a second-year junior high school student, wrote about words his older brother told him before his tennis match: “Never making an excuse for losing is a starting point.”

Riki’s brother also taught him the importance of preparation, such as taking care of his equipment and managing his physical condition.

Making excuses to fool themselves into believing they did not deserve to lose is not just a temptation for the young, either.

Ukyo Mazaki, a third-year junior high school student, gave up his passion for painting and music because of his obsessive perfectionism. However, he was thunderstruck by words he found in a book by Japanese artist Taro Okamoto (1911-1996): “Try laughing at yourself.”

It suddenly dawned on Ukyo that a work of art created with strong passion by a person who is laughably clumsy embodies the joy of making anything by hand.

I pray that all young people will come across words that tug at their heartstrings, whether they are as refreshing as soda or as bitter as strong coffee.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 22

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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