All you need is love, or I'm not in love

All you need is love, or I'm not in love ©

By Michael Casey      

 I was looking through all the newspapers online, as I always do,  I stumbled over this piece in The Guardian. It was all about Japan, their low birth rate  and how in the future their population could drop by 30%. From 120m to 80m. So what you may ask?  In terms of economic affects you could lose your position in World Trade. Then who will look after the old in future, they’ll be no money in the kitty to pay for the top heavy demographic, nor enough carers to go around.

The problem in Japan and it is a problem is that the youth, and I mean the under 40s, they don’t want to be troubled by sex, love and relationships. Being single has too many benefits, such as career and fun. In Japan the norm was stay at home mum once the baby arrived, and now nobody can afford that life. Two wages are needed to have a good life, so marriage is a bad deal over there.

What is worse though is the fact people don’t want to kiss and cuddle and more anymore. Manga games, having fun, going out with the girls, or with the boys has so few complications. So the desire to hold hands in the rain, to make babies or even just practice making babies is dying out, as is population growth.

In Ireland they call it “the urge” and it gets you in the end, and you start your family, in my own case when I got past 40. My relatives too were over 40 when “the urge” caught up with them, by which time we all had enough money saved so we could all afford to start a family.

Jump to Japan, and I don’t wanna hold your hand, I’m not in love, big boys don’t cry, and why? The Guardian piece mentioned how lack of a religious aspect meant people did not have any “pressure” to make happy families. So freedom to do their own thing leads to a single life for me, as happy as can be.

I can understand this especially from a female viewpoint, now in Japan females can be as free as a bird, but for men and women this can lead to crash landings. Yes you can have a sex takeaway, dial a sex, or whatever you want or need, but in the end this is always so empty and worthless. In the article in the Guardian the reporter even met people who said holding hands almost sickened them. I don’t wanna hold your hand.

Intimacy has been taken off the menu, replaced by technology, when I fall in love with you it will be forever, replaced by forever alone. Stand by your man, replaced by Annie get your gun, he’s a low down bum. Love is all you need, love conquers all, Cinderella loses her shoe at the ball, only nobody is interested in picking it up.

This really does sadden me, the human spirit has been replaced by nothing, nothing, a vacuum. In space nobody can hear you scream, not even noticing the smile, the curves of a woman, the laughter in her voice. Not noticing a man and how badly he shaves, not interested in even talking to him, he is worthless.

Japan needs to finds its soul again, perhaps they need to read my rubbish. Love is a home, listening to each other, laughing together, leaning close together, conspiring together. Two becoming one, and then maybe three or four.

Perhaps we should bring the Rose of Trallee to Tokyo or line dancing. Dancing frees the spirit  and brings us all to life.  Perhaps they need some wild Irish music and Stella Artois. I’ve never been to Toyko but I’d love the chance to teach them Irish dancing, which will lead to romancing.