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AUTOBIOGRAPHIC ESSAY
Bridging Heaven and Earth| Chapter 5
Love evolution, part 3: Ideal or real?
Our family has been on television several times. We used to accept every offer in the spirit of “All visitors are welcome,” but now we turn down requests more often than we accept them. Why do so many people want to put us on TV? What makes us any more special than the average Taro or Hanako next door? I once asked a director who has documented our family multiple times about this. Originally, he said, the inspiration to interview us was our self-sufficient lifestyle. So I told him, “I know a family much more self-sufficient than we are. Shall I introduce them to you?” He answered honestly, saying “To tell the truth, we get more viewers, you being an American.” I thought so.
Behind the Screen
Media interest in our countryside lifestyle could be considered evidence that the times are changing. People are starting to re-acknowledge traditional Japanese culture and values. That makes me happy. However, it makes me sad to think that the media comes to us to get coverage of “an American wife working hard in the Japanese countryside.” My husband is the one who is working hard, not me. His daily routine is still difficult for me to follow, and I often feel like I am holding him back more than helping.
