2019年末に流行り始めたCOVID-19は、それから2023年まで猛威を奮い、その間、全世界の多くの人の生活様式に多大な変化をもたらした。仕事の在り方も変化し、多くの中高年齢者がICTの活用に馴染まず、戦線離脱も目立ち始めた
The COVID-19 epidemic began at the end of 2019 and raged from then until 2023, during which time it brought about tremendous changes in the way of life for many people around the world. The nature of work has also changed, and many middle-aged and older workers are no longer comfortable with the use of ICT and some of them are beginning to resign from their companies.
丸三年間のコロナ期に友達と外で会う機会が減り、中には鬱になっている人もいて、彼らはコロナ警戒が解除されても、外出が億劫になっている。なんという変化だろう
After three full years of the COVID-19, they had fewer opportunities to see their friends outside, some of them are depressed, and they are still reluctant to go out, even after the corona alert is lifted. What a change!
私の仕事もコロナ期は全くなく、政府給付金がなかったら、おそらく自己破産していたと思う。ようやく、コロナ期が収束を向かえ、仕事が舞い戻り始め思った。「俺はBlack Listに載っていて、仕事が来なくなっていたんじゃないか」との邪推は杞憂だった事がはっきり分かった。そりゃそうです、人は仕事がないと、あれこれ悪い事ばかり考えるんです
I had few jobs during the corona period, and without the government support funds, I probably would have gone bankrupt. Finally, as the corona period came to an end, work began to come back. I realized that my misgivings about being on the "Black List" and being out of work were unfounded. Of course, when one is out of work, one thinks of all the bad things that could happen.
昨日、久しぶりに米国人の友人に電話を掛けた。とっても喜んでいて、近いうちに会って飲みましょう、という話になった。米国人と英語で話していると、私の心は解放される。これは私が10代の頃から慣れ親しんだ米国文化に私の精神が大きく影響を受けているからだ。米海軍基地がある佐世保に生まれ育ち、学生時代に米軍基地で働きつつ、多くの米兵達と仲良くなり、すぐに私は、彼らの文化を我が身に取り込んでいる。多分生来の気質が合ったのだろとしか思えない
Yesterday, I called an American friend of mine for the first time in a while. He was very happy and we talked about meeting up soon for a drink. Talking to an American in English liberates my mind. This is because my spirit is greatly influenced by the American culture that I have been familiar with since I was a teenager. I was born and raised in Sasebo, where there is a U.S. naval base, and while working at the base as a student, I became friends with many U.S. sailors, and soon adopted their culture into my own. I can only think that perhaps my innate temperament was a good fit.
しかし、コロナの影響は強かった。人生観や仕事のやり方が180度転換しているのを感じている
The impact of Corona was strong indeed. I'm feeling a 180-degree turn in the view of life and the way I work.