Serene state of mind

　

-I know, I know... Halloween is already the past and the town is filled with Christmas atmosphere around me now.

1. In 1990s, Halloween was a festival of different culture and countries only on English textbook.
Now, as is already spread widely, in our country, media's instigation paid off, and late October is a season when not only children parade in costume but also grown-ups make boisterous merrymaking in masquerade dresses until some are arrested for damaging property and obscene acts.
This association could be nothing new, but every year in this season, I cannot help reminding of medieval spring carnival in Venezia I watched on TV before:
At spring carnival in medieval Venezia, general public were allowed to go on a spree just once a year.
People let loose and unleashed their heart, hiding their true identity by wearing mask.
No need to say at this late date that this must be Halloween for general public in our country.
It's not so hard to imagine that general public in our country under incessant peer pressure wish to go on a spree hiding true identity.
It does not mean riots and obscene acts are tolerated, which sounds like preaching at children.
General public in medieval Venezia might have hunted one-night lovers at spring carnival, though.
At least, why can't they clean up litters by themselves, just like they do at international sports match?
-One of the favorite terms of our nation self-responsibility is for scenes like this.



2. Imagine there are two fictitious neighboring families -large ones.
It's almost impossible to express all the characters with pronouns, so let me give them fictitious names.
The youngest generation of each family -let me name the main characters Kana and Juri. Their age is left to your imagination.Kana and Juri, including siblings and cousins of each, are apparently good friends, and often visit each other's place.
But there have been serious problems between those two families.
In the past -before Juri and Kana and their siblings were born, they were under severe conflicts.
This was Juri's family's fault and responsibility.
But later, Juri's family side compensated legally and made atonement as much as possible.
However, Kana's family seems to be dissatisfied, and while they suggest Juri's side future-oriented relationship, they bring up bygones and pester Juri's family for money and assistance and various service again and again.
Now fortunately, Juri's family contribute to local regional community in various ways and they are doing well in business of their specialty, and have many good friends, so do Juri and siblings.
This also seems to be provoking jealousy of Kana's family.
Juri wanted those two families to be good friends and thought it's possible up to effort by Juri's side.
Juri's family has tried to be honest and sincere and build friendship, and their collaborative relationship worked temporally, but effort of Juri's families' side have ended up in vain again and again.
Since Juri realized that, and found Kana's family spreading abuses to put down Juri's family, she and siblings gradually avoid visiting Kana's place, which is provoking another victim mentality to Kana's side.
Recently, Juri wonders why her family cannot take a firm stand against them.
She is also unable to find what to do with relationship with Kana.
-Sense of guilt? Credulousness? Are they afraid of bad reputation in local community by taking a firm stand? Something else? Maybe there is no explaining the reason simply.
Every time Kana and siblings visit Juri, she is exhausted at their abuses and bad manners showing that they hate everything about Juri's family.
And she is confused, unable to understand what is fact and what is fiction about the past of the two families.
Recently, some of her cousins and siblings are abusing Kana's family at home; Juri is concerned that her family can be tainted under constant hate battles -blow for blow, tit for tat.
To make matters worse, Kana's family has set another demand of repartition to Juri's family for an incident that had already been legally solved and time-barred, and Juri's family has begun to prepare for legal countermeasure.Excuse me for some exaggerating expressions, and so narrow conclusion after long story:
・If you were in shoes of Kana's p(m)atriarch in this story, would you encourage your family members visit Juri's place? Why?
・If you were in shoes of Juri's p(m)atriarch in this story, would you encourage your family members visit Kana's place? Why?

The reason I thought up two fictitious families' story and set main characters as daughters of each family? It's personal and silly.
Today's target for comparison seems to remind me of a disgusting neighboring girl in my childhood.
When I was ten, the girl's family moved into a room in the same building of housing complex we lived in.
Her mother asked me and my sister to be friends with her, and she often visited our place.
　She barged into our place without even saying hello, and ate confectionery in the cupboard without permission.
　　Besides, she had sticky fingers, and our stationery frequently disappeared.
　　　Back then, I had no idea how to persuade my parents to bar her from our place.
　　　　So I wrote my name on all of my belongings as a countermeasure.