The Person Who Keeps the Fire Burning — Reflections on What It Means to Live, Inspired by a Bus Ride August 3, 2026 (Monday) Reiwa8

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend a long time talking with someone on the bus ride home.

Usually, when other passengers get on, conversations naturally come to an end. There is a need to respect everyone’s privacy.

However, yesterday I took a slightly later bus, and for a while, there were very few passengers. It became a rare moment when we could talk quietly for a long time.

What I heard was the story of one person’s long journey through life.

This person had worked in the Self-Defense Forces when he was younger, and later made the difficult decision to change the direction of his life.

After leaving that job, he obtained many qualifications related to the things that support daily life, such as electricity, water, and other essential services. He gained practical skills that people need in order to live.

Today, he works as a bus driver, helping many people travel safely.

Because he had experienced disaster situations, he came to think deeply about what truly helps people when everything else stops.

Even when electricity and gas are unavailable, fire can provide warmth, allow people to cook food, and help them survive.

That belief led him to build his own house with a wood-burning stove.

Listening to his story, I found myself thinking:

“What do people really seek in life?”

Going to school.
Learning.
Working.
Creating a family.
Becoming a parent.
Being useful to others.

There are many different forms of life.

A person’s value is not determined only by an impressive career or social status.

There are many people who quietly support others every day, without receiving recognition.

This person had also experienced loneliness and hardship in childhood.

Yet, while carrying those experiences, he continued to search for what he could do and walked a path where he could be of service to others.

I believe that is a truly meaningful way to live.

Now, living at Matsuyama Eden no Sono, I have the opportunity to see many different lives.

There are people here who have lived long and rich lives.
Each person has their own joys, struggles, and stories that have never been told.

Yesterday’s bus ride allowed me to touch one of those stories.

Human beings are not perfect.
Some people carry wounds from the past.

Even so, continuing to find one’s own purpose and helping others along the way may be what it truly means to live a full life.

A conversation with someone whose name I do not even know gave me precious time to reflect on the meaning of life.

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