Preparing Home-made meals as ordinary, but for this Christmas Eve, I made almost unlimited numbers of Sushi Rolls. Played a bit of Card-Game Together. Watched a comedy show while Leona playing Minecraft on Tablet & me stitching. 99% of the Stories here are about Sashiko & myself in Japan. I have another 99% of the ordinary here that I appreciate so much. I sometimes feel bad that I cannot take my family on a “vacation”. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s bread (thanks to my spouse), yet spending nights in Hotels & doing winter activities easily unbalances the ordinary. I am not complaining as it can get a lot worse – and I have been through… Holidays are an important time to appreciate the family, yet time to see neighbors’ greener grass.
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That being said, it is not my plan to hand “this” to my daughter. She sees me stitching all the time, yet I never force her to stitch. If she asks me to teach her, I gladly will. If she decides to pursue Sashiko as a career, I will oppose it first, then set one condition – to be somewhat proficient in Japanese, yet I will continue to question her if it is really what she wants.
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As a parent, I do not want her to go through the same difficulties I go/went through. It is so sad to realize that the life-long practice cannot support one’s life. I cannot even make my end meet by just doing “Sashiko”. I know the time people made a living by doing Sashiko. In decades of change, I blamed myself for not working hard enough. My father did the same. We thought we lost because of lack of hard-work. After learning Sashiko in English, I realize it isn’t true. I learn that there is a case where one works so hard in important work, yet is “unknown” because of lack of “acknowledgement”. Therefore, I focus on “Stories” rather than “technique”. I want her to know the stories of where her upstream is.
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「娘さんには刺し子を継いでほしい？」と聞かれることがあります。答えは残念ながら「NO」で、私と同じ思いをして欲しくないからです。娘の前で刺し子はしているし、聞かれれば教えるけれど、本気で継ぎたいと言い出したら「まずは日本語やれ。んで日本に住め。」という「日本力」が最低ライン。自分の誇りに思う仕事でご飯が食べられなくなることは、本当に苦しいことです。昔は努力が足らないのだと自分を責めました。英語圏に移住した今は違います。「無視」する人の存在は誇りすら壊します。刺し子は残したく、また残るでしょう。ただ、乱暴な文化の塗り替えは心を抉られるキツさがあるのです。
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2023-12-26 04:31:50
Having a wonderful ordinary is something to aspire to! Enjoy yourself and your family. All the best!!!
You learned about lack of acknowledgment, after learning English?
I’ve listened to and read about your passive-aggressive spite, towards English speakers, about as much as I’m going to without saying anything.
People OTHER than English speakers are capable of appropriation.
Just admit that there’s nothing special about your particular form of embroidery-up-cycling, without you adding the importance to it through “Japanese mysticism”. How beneficial it would be, to you, if ONLY Japanese hands could preform Sashiko.
I have NEVER seen Sashiko-styled garments being sold without being labeled as Sashiko (or Boro).
You seem to be upset that people who aren’t Japanese; that learn the needlework and patterns of Sashiko- aren’t putting your name to their efforts. Maybe you’re right but, their ethnicity doesn’t play into it (there are plenty of imitators/appropriators in Asian cultures, concerning craftsmanship).
I grew up destitute. My family came out of an Appalachian holler (That’s a very hard-worn way of life, if you care to research it).
“Quilting” is also used as art/commerce by a variety of people, when it meant so much more to the likes of extremely poor folks in rougher parts of this country. It was a way to stay warm utilizing otherwise unusable scrap material.
I have NEVER heard anyone from the mountains of Appalachia, complaining about foreigners quilting…
I enjoyed your teachings and your courses but I no longer feel welcome to participate or pursue the craft.
Every time you mention “English speakers” (and you do so quite often), it reeks of prejudice undertones.
Enjoy your holiday- from an English speaker.
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Having my family around at Christmas is important to me too, sharing meals and not having to rush is so good. If your daughter does decide to learn your skills, she will have a brilliant mentor. Enjoy your family time.
Time spent with family showing tgem love and understanding is far more important than fancy hotels or holidays. You can give your children do much more by taking the time to show them love, you don’t need to buy it it with material things. Sadly today many people have lost sight of the fact that you can’t buy love and spend all their time working to pay for all the things they want and lose sight of that simple truth.
Please do not let the negative comments of others bring you down. As an American, I appreciate that you share the cultural significance and importance of your craft. I know that my needlework is not Sashiko, but Sahiko-inspired, and that is how I describe it. Whenever I do work that is inspired by another culture, I attempt to do my best to honor the culture.
Handicrafts are devalued in today’s society for faster and cheaper. It is unfortunate.