同窓会
今週日月と１泊２日のゴルフを楽しんだ。「三十八会ゴルフコンペ」と称し、
中学の同級生で４２歳の厄年から始まった楽しい集まりである。年に２回春秋と開催しており、今回が３４回。
４０代の時はかなり集まりが良かったが徐々に体調不良などで欠席者が増え、最近は２組がやっとという寂しさである。
私は幸せまことに１度も休む事無く出席しており、健康と環境に深く感謝しているところである。
ゴルフは勿論であるが中学時代の全く気のおけない仲間であり、夜の宴会がより以上に楽しい。所が、よる年波には勝てぬと云うか、
ついつい話題が健康とか定年後の余生の過ごし方などになる。先般も２人の悪ガキが頭をつき合わせて話し込んでいる。
何やら可也深刻そうな感じ、その内にお互い胸ポケットから薬物を出し比較検討をはじめたではないか・・。
それを横目でながめていた東京在住のマドンナが一言、「ん・・、もう止めてよ。歳なんだから・・」、シュンとなる２人を見て一同大笑い。
ところが、その後２人は老後の年金問題で大激論。一人は厚生労働省の職員、今ひとりは大手企業の元労働組合委員長、
私などの知識とはレベルが違う・・。興味半分で耳をそばだてていると、かの元組合委員長が面白い事を云いだした。
「最近２０代、３０代の若者は年金に可也不満を持っているようだ。今の６０代、７０代の人は非常に年金では恵まれている。
自分らは負担ばかり大きく、受給は覚束ないと・・。」、
実は私もそう思っていた。ところが、彼曰く、「今の６０代、７０代の人は、学校を出て就職するや給料の半分は親元に送金をして、
自分は一杯いぱいの生活で遣り繰りしたものだ。当時は今のように年金などは充実してなく、親の面倒は子が見るものと決まっており、
何の疑問も思わず親元に仕送りをしていたではないか。今の若者は就職しても未だ親の脛を齧っている。
年金制度の充実で今の親は子供に仕送りを強制する事は無いのだから、年金ぐらい確り負担しろ・・」というのである。目からうろこ、
なるほど一理ある。それにしてもこの組合委員長、会社との団交でどんな話をしていたのだろう・・・。もしかしたら分かりが良すぎたかも。
翌日のゴルフは真夏を思わせる晴天の中、スコアーはともかく、和気藹々と楽しいものであった事はいうまでもない。
I enjoyed one night and two days of golf this week, Sunday and Monday. It is called “The 38th Annual Golf Competition”.
It’s a fun gathering that started when I was a junior high school classmate and was 42 years old. The event has been held twice a year, in spring and autumn, and this year was the 34th.
When I was in my 40’s, it was a good gathering, but the number of absentees gradually increased due to poor health and other reasons, and nowadays there are only two groups.
I have been fortunate enough to attend without a break and am deeply grateful for my health and environment.
Golf, of course, but we were completely uncomfortable friends in junior high school, and the evening banquet was even more fun. But it’s hard to beat the new year, or so it seems.
The topic of conversation becomes health and how to spend the rest of your life after retirement. The other day, two bad boys were talking head to head.
It seems to be quite serious, and before long, both of them may have taken drugs out of their breast pockets and started comparing them…
Madonna, who lives in Tokyo, who was looking at it from the side, said, “Hmmm…stop it. We all laughed when we saw them shouting at each other, “You’re old…
Afterwards, however, they had a heated argument over the issue of pensions. One is an employee of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and the other is a former labor union president of a major corporation.
It’s a different level of knowledge than mine… As I listened with interest, the former union chairman said something interesting to me.
These days, young people in their 20s and 30s seem to be quite dissatisfied with their pensions. People now in their 60s and 70s are very well off on their pensions.
They say we’re too much of a burden, and we’re not going to get any money… and
Actually, I thought so too. However, he said, “Nowadays, people in their 60s and 70s, after finishing school and getting a job, send half of their salaries to their parents, and then they don’t have any money.
I used to live to the brim. In those days, pensions were not as good as they are now, and parents were expected to take care of their children.
He would have sent money to his parents without any question. Today’s young people are still gnawing at their parents’ shins even after getting a job.
Because of the enhancement of the pension system, parents are not forced to send their children money, so they should at least bear the pension… The scales from the eyes.
You have a point. By the way, I wonder what the union chairman was talking about at the meeting with the company…. Maybe I’m being too easy to understand.
Needless to say, the next day’s golf was a pleasant and harmonious affair in sunny skies reminiscent of midsummer, regardless of the score.
