I just got back from a Shinto shrine

[RazorbackExpat]

I don't know what your image of Shintoism is, but in today's Japan, it's basically a religion for the here and now. In other words, it's for people who want something good to come into their lives, or to keep bad things out of their lives. There are different kinds of Shinto shrines that specialize in different things, like safe childbirth, traffic safety, finding a good mate, and so on. There are different ways to ask for what you want, such as making a silent prayer at the entrance of a shrine, writing your request on a prayer board and hanging it in a special place at the shrine, or attending a special personalized ritual officiated by a Shinto priest.

The shrine I attended offers rituals for different requests, ranging from safety in the home (家内安全 ) and factory safety (工場安全 ) to elimination of evil things in your life (厄除け ). Technically, there are certain years in your life that are considered to be particularly susceptible to evil things. For men, early 60s are considered to be particularly dangerous, called yakudoshi (厄年 ). My
60s have sucked, so in years past, I went to that shrine to ask for the bad shit to get out of my life. It seems to have worked. However, the last two years I never made such a request, and I had some major health problems both years. So hopefully my health and personal situation will be OK this year. I just hope it will be a good year as well for my family, friends, and everyone here.

[slightlv]

1. I studied Shintoism back

When I became a Seeker. I found it to be a beautiful religion. I'd live one day to be someplace where I could visit a shrine. Im imagining the peacefulness....

[RazorbackExpat]

2. The shrine I went to was great

It's like a regional shrine that attracts people from all around the area. There were a lot of people there when I went, and there were quite a few at the ritual I attended, some of whom also wanted bad stuff to get out of their lives. It was also a festive atmosphere, as it was a national holiday, and there were various vendors selling traditional fares like yakisoba and takoyaki, as well as vendors of various plants like potted orange trees and Japanese herbs. It was a wonderful day.

[slightlv]

3. When my husband was stationed there (AF)

he wanted our daughter to come live with him and his new wife. After a hard time figuring what was selfish of me and what wasn't (a really hard one to figure in this situation), I agreed. I told my daughter to explore everything; that this was a real opportunity that she was being given that so many of us would wish to be in her place. Not exactly a chip off the old block (and being a teenager, to boot) she fell in with the young crowd, but did nothing of what I'd have deemed first on my "list." That includes the shrines, the mountains, Cat Island, and all the beautiful gardens.

I think this is why so many say youth is wasted on the young. You may get these chances when you're younger, but you really don't appreciate all the beauty and serenity until you're older. By then, life has happened and the money has flown every which way but in your pocket. And so you sit... dreaming.

These days I wouldn't wish to be young again... not with what we've got coming at us for the next few years or decade. But it's thinking of the beauty of far off lands that gets me every time.