My daughter Julia came to live with me a year ago for school. It isn't easy for me to raise someone who is practically my nine-year-old clone, but that is exactly what I find I am doing with Julia. Through our judo and soccer practices, reading, writing and arithmetic, Girl Scouts, and Japanese language classes, we occasionally have a conversation that connects us both in a sometimes deep and usually humorous way. Hopefully, you will be as entertained as we are.

Old People Like You

Daddy has hiked several mountains around the world and purchased walking sticks at each one. Julia is admiring his collection…

Julia: Daddy, did you make this stick?

Daddy: No, I bought each of those at the different mountains I have hiked.

Julia: This one’s really thick but this one is thin…

Daddy: Yes, the size of the walking stick is usually different for each mountain because of its difficulty to hike. That thick one is from Fuji, the tallest mountain in Nihon. You need the thickness to walk up these really big rocks. That thin one is from Yamadera. Yamadera has a nice easy path to walk, and you don’t need to put as much weight on it. Hiking with a walking stick is much better and easier on your legs when you hike.

Julia: Oh, so a walking stick is to help old people…  like you?

Daddy: Sigh.