友人からプレゼントされたロベルト・バッジオの自伝II、夢の続きを読んだ。彼と友人（自伝の出版社社長）とのインタビューをベースに構成されている。
前からバッジオが好きだった。表向きの理由ははプレーが華麗だから、だった。（これは本当にそうだと思う。少し前までプロテニスの世界にステファン・エドバーグというルックスもプレーも「北欧の王子様」という形容がぴったりな選手がいて、しかも世界チャンピオンだった。バッジオはそのサッカー版だ。）ということだったけど、本当は逆境を乗り越えてきた彼の熱血ど根性の「物語」に惹かれてきたのだ。
真実はともかく、この筋書きのストーリーに惹かれている。彼はアメリカ・ワールドカップでの決勝戦でPKを外し、ユベントスでのスターの座をデル・ピエロに奪われ、移籍したACミランで起用されず、３０歳にもなっていないのにイタリア代表を外される。ずうっとスーパースターだったわけではないのだ。一念発起して中堅クラブのボローニャへ移籍し、点をとりまくってフランスワールドカップの代表に召集される。
一度は前途を失ったはずのスポーツ選手が、最後まで希望を捨てずに努力して、復活してみせるというストーリーにとても弱いようだ。先ほどのテニスで言えばゴラン・イワニセビッチのウィンブルドンでの勝利が最近は特に印象に残っている。彼は全盛期でさえ「無冠の帝王」と呼ばれていた。ランキングはいつでもNo.2止まりだし、４大タイトルとも無縁だった。多分精神的に少し弱かったのだろう、大きな舞台では必ず自滅して負けるのだ。彼の最初のウィンブルドン決勝の相手は、アンドレ・アガシだった（もちろん当時はアガシを応援した。イワニセビッチは早いサーブに頼るだけで卑怯だから「悪役」だ、とかなり曇った目で見ていた）。イワニセは第５セットで、先にサーブするというとんでもなく恵まれた条件でも、ダブルフォルトを連発して自滅した。
本を一通り読んで類推するバッジオの人となりを少し類推すると：
「しつこい」（良い意味で）
結局彼は日韓のワールドカップによばれなかったのだが、本の全編にわたって、そのことについての思いが吐露される。１００ページにわたってしつこく掘り返す記者も記者だが、答えるバッジオもとどまることを知らない。彼に限らずイタリア人はしつこい（かつすけべ）、とまた一つ固定観念が形成された。
ここ数年、ワールドカップがなんとなくつまらなくなってきた、という人をちらほら聞く。その傾向が止まることもないだろうとも言う。しかも気まぐれでサッカーを見る人でなく、ヨーロッパや南米のファンや評論家や選手が言うことが多い。理由として、戦術が高度になりすぎて選手の自由度が少ないから「奇跡」を見ることが無くなってきたということと、「国家」に対する思い入れがそもそも減ってきたということを言われる。貧乏で世間を知らないうちは、「世界で活躍する」ことに特別なインセンティブが働くから。
バッジオが本を一冊通して繰り返し、ワールドカップ出場がどれほど彼にとって重要なイベントなのか（所属クラブの選択も、トレーニング方式も、全てそれが基準となっている）を語るのを見ていると、彼のようにワールドカップにこだわる選手がかつてはたくさんいたのだろうということと、彼がそういう世代の最後の人間なのだろうか、という少し寂しい気になってくる。今、絶頂期を迎えている選手のインタビューを読むと、彼らの興味はバロン・ドール（欧州最優秀選手）のような個人タイトルとチャンピオンズ・リーグ優勝のようなクラブ間の競争に重きが置かれている。あまりお金持ちじゃない国の選手はまだ少し違うようだけど。先日バロン・ドールを獲得したチェコのネドベドはインタビューの中で、この受賞がチェコという「国」にとってとても重要なことであることを語っていた。（リンク先はチェコのサイトなので「愛国」にバイアスがかかっているのだろうけど、CNNのインタビューでも同様なことを語っていた）
あとは、
「ストイック」
普通、彼ほど成功した男性が「妻を愛している」と言うときは大抵「妻を」と「愛している」の間に「結局は一番」というキーワードが隠されているものだが（ラテン男ならなおさらそうかな）、バッジオの場合それがなさそうだ。それどころか「妻としかmake loveしたことがない」と言っても信じてしまいそうだ。そっち方面も含めて、全ての情熱が家族とサッカーに注がれているような気がする。
I cannot wait to see the examples, I will let you know later.
Yes, now I find some people find my articles interesting and enjoy them as much as I do. I feel so great and thankful and yet obligated…during posting my latest article, I felt the tendency of writing what I think others would like to read. I hope I know enough not to fall into that dangerous pit. When I don’t enjoy my writing without the apparent presence of the readers, then it’s time to take some break.
I don’t know if it would be useful to you at all, but if you are interested in seeing examples of different ways I use photographs in documents, let me know. I will e-mail some to you.
I am so pleased to see all the wonderful reactions you are beginning to get on your blog! With your sensitivity, sense of humour, willingness to share your feelings and emotions, all backed with SE’s logical mind, you just have to be a hit in the blog community. I am greatful for your sincere words of thanks, but really, you always had it. I didn’t do anything, except to have fun reading your blog and to immensely enjoy our virtual conversation.
I was wondering if I can apply photo(graphic)+comment style of presentation or document into my job, and you gave me this comment at the perfect timing. In the technical support world, a lot of times simpler diagram do a better job than the real view, specially when we want to track down a problem. But a diagram, no matter how elaborated it is, cannot beat the picture on one thing. The impact it gives on the partner. It is very easy for us to forget we are after all, working to make our life better, not to improve the technology.
The picture pulls back our mind to the real world (down to earth) and at the same time helps us to look into the real excitement(fly again), when we are too much in the mad scientist mode.
For the diversion of my voice between the Japanese entry and the English entry, I also noticed something is changing, not exactly the same in the way you described. When I look into the other writings, I can see what I want to read and what I don’t want to, and in either case I am more aware why. And I am getting more confident that once I find the first sentence or topic, I can continue writing on that subject. It is so liberating, isn’t it?
You are right I never kept a journal. I tried a few times but writing sentences that don’t to anywhere outside my note never felt enjoyable, and the words were full of victimization and justification. In this sense, my writing represented the true me ;-(
I don’t know how to say thank you, Fujiko san. Without these conversation on the blog with you, it would have taken longer time for me to realize the joy and learning the writings bring to me, or it might have gone a different way than I am probably going to follow from now.
I am happy to have Zoolander! One of the reasons I love this film is, that I can tell the director and the actor (the same Ben Stiller) truly love the charactors and the film. I realized I was always been a fan of Ben Stiller, though I didn’t notice clearly, and now I am a HUGE fan of him.
What you say about pictures and short comments are what I think is the modern day method for expression. Journalism uses that method thoroughly nowadays. Abused use is prevalent in advertisement and many of the magazines (and some of so called newspapers).
I will be letting out my trade secret: I use the exact same method in my consulting work. To show people how they use the space, this is the most effective tool. By doing workplace observation and taking notes through photographs and adding comments, the document I create become a very powerful communication tool. Through interview, people will tell you what they think they do. As the network guru Karen Stephenson says, what they say they do and what they do are two different things. I wonder if there’s any way to apply this method to some parts of SE’s work?
Recently, I am noticing less diversion between how your Japanese and English entries feel. Maybe you haven’t been keeping a private journal, or diary? One of the reasons I have kept a journal is that when I was around 26, I noticed that when I write, my thoughts become clear, and when thoughts become clear I become un-stuck. When I am un-stuck, I am free to grow in whatever direction I wanted. Maybe this is happening to you right now.
Yes, 2,500 yen for a DVD. It’s a bargain price for me. Why? Because for 2,500 yen my entire family of 6 can enjoy the movie. English or Japanese, we can choose. Each of us can watch it at saparate times. Preferably, I would like to rent it from Tsutaya before purchasing one, but I trusted you on this one. If we don’t like it, perhaps you would like to buy it at a bargain price? Who knows, if you would start choosing your movie with different values, not the magnificence most men fall for, then you might not lose interest so quickly? :p
Taking pictures and posting them on my blog originally started out of necessity, rather than interest. Sometimes I find out there is nothing to write about, or I am too (exhausted/dull/restless/angry/sad) to write long sentences. Putting small comments on the photo won’t take time and energy, and will be (a bit) more pleasing to watch. But now, I am enourmously enjoying putting the pictures as well as the short comments. The image helps me verbalize what went through my mind then and to pull out other related thoughts that were drifting in my head, aimless.
I have been writing blog for about four months, and the more I write, the more I feel I can become true to myself. And the less I feel being ashamed of, or being too proud of myself (these two elements always come together). Good, I will keep writing and will be off-the-hook gradually so that I can post comment or send email without caring what they think of me, rather caring what I felt by reading the entry and what I want to tell the author.
Ah, the dubbed movies..these days I never give any attention to dubbed version. When I hear them, I immediately switch to another channel or turn of the TV or turn on the sub-channel. It is a real nuisance when you watch The Simpsons. Dubbing takes off every good piece from that great cartoon…but I must confess, I enjoyed the dubbed version as much as the captioned version when I was a kid… Pondering about the importance of imagination and creativity in this anti-creativity, over-production, hyper-specific society stimulates me. I will continue to follow up this issue.
DVD at 2,500? I only have one purchased so far, it is Being John Malcovich. Since then, I watched it once. It seems once I own it, very quickly I lose interest in that previously magnificent movie. Surely my married friends will agree with this comment…;-)
The Rock is the only movie I have seen that you list here. (Right, I haven’t seen Titanic.) And I don’t remember Danny Nucchi at all! But then I’ve only seen that movie once. Rented a video long time ago.
I will be VERY selective about my comments today, because if I commented on all the stuff I wanted to, it will take a looong time. And although I don’t make comments on your photo album entry like yesterday’s, they are the ones I enjoy most in your blog. The photos by themselves means nothing, but with your one line description they often become hilarious or thoughtful or both.
Following your recommendation, I bought “Zoolander” from Amazon.co.jp, used for 2,500 yen + shipping. Not bad, eh?
Continuing on with the subject of movie, I wholeheartedly agree with you about the biggest assets of Pixar or any production company are characters and storylines. Technology itself can never attract people. That’s the same in business, relationship, life. As a family, we’ve watched our Monstors Inc. DVD 20 times or more. Crazy? We are a crazy family…. Nemo had a wonderful plot, great characters, satisfying dialogues. Any good story can be categorized simply, and Nemo was about man (fish!) versus nature. And maybe only someone who has lost a true love in their life by a disaster can appreciate the story fully. I went to see the dubbed version since my kids don’t understand English, but it was great in Japanese! Noritake Kinashi morphs into Marlin. To me, this movie was about Marlin, not Nemo. It’s about story of learning to love without fear, and finding courage to live life fully. Noritake Kinashi’s Marlin and Masatoshi Hamada’s Shrek are my favorites.
You mentioned previously that posting a comment was never an easy task for you, worried about having any info to offer or just trying to get attention. We all get into “I” mode, but seems Japanese have it harder than Americans. Shame is a big thing here. It is by-product of honor, maybe. Japanese are raised with awareness of strong sense of shame. And when a person is raised among siblings, older child is supposed to be a role model. Being an only child and being very lazy and being raised partly in US (dangerous combination), I honestly don’t think about what the others might think of me until it’s too late, and by then, I just don’t care what they may think. I had such a revelation during one coaching practice session. It was my turn to talked about how I felt about certain subject, and after my talk, my partner was to tell me what he thought of my talk. He said he thought of what causes me to be that way, what the others might think of me being that way. My immediate thought was, Geez! I never thought about that!! Followed with, why should I care? When I tell my story, I want sincere reaction. When I hear someone’s story, I do the best to give honest reaction. So I try to turn my fault of insensitivity into effective tool.
And after 9 blissfulldays with only occasional anxiety about lack of progress in homework I assigned myself, I will be back to work, 8 hours from now… (gave up trying to find ways not to go back to work) Wishing you the best for the Worklife 2004!