高校の頃の友人と4人で飲み会をした。その中の2人とは同窓会など大勢が集まった時に会ったことはあったが、昨日のようにじっくりと話をしたのは本当に高校を卒業して以来くらいかもしれない。ということは少なくとも35年は経っているということだ。ありきたりな表現だが、そんなに年月が経ったことが本当に信じられず、つい先日の事のように高校時代の記憶がリアルに蘇ってきた。

　頭の中がかき乱されるというか、話している内にドンドン昔のことが思い出されてきて、頭の回転が早まったような、ちょっと若返った気分になった。人の名前が思い出せなかったり、何年生の時に何組だったか忘れたり、そういう加齢による残念なメモリーロスがあるにはあった。しかし場面ごとでのイメージが私にははっきり残っていて、我ながら良く憶えているな～と感心した。私は友人が忘れて欲しいような細かいことまで憶えているところがあって、友達にしてみればちょっと面倒臭いタイプかもしれない。

　アメリカ大リーグの大谷翔平選手は日本ハムファイターズに所属していた時代には、試合後に先輩から飲み会に誘われても、決して参加しなかったそうだ。食事会には行っても、飲み会には行かなかった。彼は仲間と飲むことよりもトレーニングをする方が好きで、それによって試合で活躍できた方が良いと考えていた。きっと今も同じ考え方なんだと思う。
　「飲み会」自体を完全否定。彼にとっては酒を飲みながらバカ話をするような時間は無駄なのだろう。世界中が注目するような活躍ができる理由の一つが垣間見られたような気がした。周りの人間たちはそれを尊重するべきだと思う。

　私は飲み会を開く機会は昔に比べると激減した。かつては毎晩のように飲みに出歩いていたけれど、いつしか回数が減っていった。お酒の量をたくさん飲めなくなってきたことがあるし、大谷選手のように飲み会自体を無駄な事のように思えることも出てきた。今ではお酒自体を滅多に口にしなくなっている。
　ただ昨晩のように、たまにああして古い友達と会うのはいいなと思った。昔話だけでなく、同い年だから“定年後の不安”みたいな話も共有できるし、大体が性格もバレているので、カッコつける必要がない。カッコつけてもどうせ見透かされるから、最初からそんなつもりがない。昨日集まったメンバーに限ってのことかもしれないが、皆変わっていないから、仲が良かった頃のように心が安心していたような気がした。皆、忙しくて大変だけれど、また会いたいなと思える良い時間だった。

　やっぱりお酒は、ちょっと必要

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Trusted Friend

　I had a drinking party with four of my friends from high school. I had met two of them at reunions and other gatherings, but it was probably the first time since I graduated from high school that we had really talked at length, as we did yesterday. That means at least 35 years have passed. It is a cliché to say, but it is hard to believe that so many years have passed, and memories of our high school days come back to me as if they happened only a few days ago.

　My mind was being stirred up, or rather, as we talked, things from the past came flooding back to me, and I felt a little young again, as if my mind had spun faster. There were some unfortunate memory losses due to aging, such as not being able to remember people’s names or forgetting what class I was in when I was in the same grade. However, the images of each scene remained clear to me, and I was impressed with how well I remembered them. I remember details that my friends would rather I forget, and I may be a bit of a pain in the ass to them.

　When Shohei Ohtani, an American Major League Baseball player, was a member of the Nippon Ham Fighters, he never joined a drinking party after a game, even if he was invited by his seniors. He went to dinner parties, but never went to drinking parties. He preferred to train rather than drink with his buddies and thought it would be better for him to be able to play an active role in the games. I am sure he still thinks the same way.
　He completely rejects “drinking sessions” themselves. To him, time spent drinking and talking foolishly is probably a waste of time. I thought I caught a glimpse of one of the reasons why he is able to play such an active role that the whole world pays attention to him. I think people around him should respect that.

　My opportunities to host drinking parties have decreased drastically compared to the past. I used to go out for a drink every night, but the number of times I went out for a drink somehow decreased. I can’t drink as much anymore, and like Otani, I sometimes feel that drinking itself is a waste of time. I rarely drink alcohol anymore.
　However, like last night, I thought it would be nice to meet up with old friends once in a while. Not only do we talk about the old days, but since we are the same age, we can share stories about “post-retirement worries,” and since we know each other’s personalities, there is no need to act cool. I don’t have to be cool because they can see right through me anyway, so I have no intention of being cool from the beginning. It may have been limited to the members who gathered yesterday, but I felt as if my heart was at ease as it was when we were close friends because everyone had not changed. It was a good time for me to see them again, even though they are all very busy.

　After all, alcohol is a little bit necessary!