芝生化奮闘記

　最近の訪問者が多分気になっている現象が起きています。少し説明が必要ではないかと思います。妻についてです。

　もともと日本の行政の子供に対する姿勢（OECD加盟国の中で教育予算がGDPに比率として最低である、子供にとって芝生がいいと言いながらお金がかかるから予算をなかなか充てない、などなど）が大嫌いな人で、この芝生化運動にはそれ程積極的ではないです。別に反対しているわけではないけど、もし僕が明日の朝「GSTをたたんで、翻訳一本で生活しよう」と言い出したら世界で最も喜ぶ人でしょう。

　NPOを立ち上げる前の収入と比べて最低で80％減、今でも半分行くかいかないか、自分と旦那の健康が害され、生活が乱され、それでも文句一つ言わない人ですので、僕から見たら感謝の連続です。

　ここに来て、初めてこのブログに訪問したという自称ケンタッキーブルーグラスさんが根拠も証拠もなく僕の心の奥にあるのは「 英雄扱いしてくれ

　僕のことを妬んだり、恨んだり、批判したかったりするのは別の構わない。正直言って、どうでもいいです。勝手にどうぞが僕の本音でしょう。

　但し、その悪意に満ちた、心の狭い、嫌らしい意見を自分の心のなかに閉じ込めてください。聞き苦しいです。迷惑です。妻の耳に届いて欲しくありません。

　まともな意見交換や議論をしたいのは大歓迎ですが、自分の歪んだ意見だけ述べて後は隠れるといった卑怯者は訪問しなくて結構です。

  Recent visitors will have noticed a phenomenon here that deserves some explanation. It concerns my wife.

 She has never really liked the Japanese authorities attitude to children (lowest ratio of education spending to GDP among the OECD nations, a reluctance to allocate funds for grass school grounds despite professing to believe that grass is a better environment for children, etc. etc.), so has never been a great fan of my NPO's activities. Make no misunderstanding, she has never opposed it but she would be the happiest person in the world were I to tell her tomorrow morning that I was folding up the NPO and going back to translation as my only work.

 My feelings toward her are one of undying gratitude for never once complaining despite a fall in my income to less than half the pre-NPO level (down as much as 80% at its nadir), despite the damage to bout our health, and despite the disruption to our intended lifestyle.

 To add insult to injury, a first-time visitor who calls himself Kentucky Blue Grass has the utter gall to attack me in near-libelous terms, claiming that he can see into my heart and knows that all I really want is to be treated like a hero. Shame on you, Kentucky Blue Grass.

 If you want to envy me, to hate me, or to criticise me, feel free. Frankly, I couldn't give a damn (apologies to Rhett). Suit yourself

 But please keep your narrow-minded, petty, spiteful comments to yourself. They are ugly to listen to, they are downright annoying. I particularly do not want my wife to be exposed to them.

 I welcome wholeheartedly people who genuinely desire an exchange of opinions and true debate. But I equally despise cowards who merely post their twisted, abusive opinions then scurry off to hide who knows where.