Differences in Walking Aids Seen in the Dining Hall, and What It Means to Be Helped— 2026/7/4 (Sat), Reiwa 8

Today, while spending time in the right-side dining hall area, I found myself paying attention to the tools people were using and the way the system there works.

The right-side seating area is not a place where people carry their own meals. Instead, staff bring the meals and handle clearing the trays afterward. In other words, it is a space where assistance is already built into daily living activities.

I am currently sitting in this area because I have a fractured arm. I do not have difficulty walking, and in terms of age I am relatively young compared to others around me. However, being there means that I am, without exception, in the position of being helped.

At first, I felt a slight sense of discomfort. It felt as if I was somehow in a different position from everyone else. But after repeating meals in that space, I gradually came to realize, in a more concrete way, that I am indeed someone who is being helped right now.

Carrying a tray turned out to be much heavier than I had imagined. Even when the meal is finished and the tray becomes lighter, I still cannot carry it properly. Through that experience, I was able to understand in a very real way what it means to receive help from others.

At the same time, I also felt the importance of accepting that help. Feelings such as embarrassment or apology naturally arise, but if I hold on to them too strongly, it becomes difficult to accept my current condition. I felt that unless I accept myself as I am now, it may be difficult to enter into the system of care and assistance properly.

I came to feel that being helped is not something special, but rather a natural relationship that changes depending on one’s condition at the time.

At the same time, I also noticed that various tools such as walking aids and wheelchairs are used in the dining hall, and each of them has a clear role in supporting daily life.

For now, I am still in the process of observing and organizing my understanding of all of this.

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