Brief summary, reflection, and lessons learned from "The Mad Man on the Roof"

 THE MAD MAN ON THE ROOF

BRIEF SUMMARY

    Gisuke, a parent, was worried about his 24-year-old son, Yoshitaro, who climbs on the roof to watch the sunset. Gisuke attempted to persuade his son to climb down from the roof one day. But no matter how hard Gisuke tries, his son will not come down. As a result, he directed Kichiji, their servant, to get Yoshitaro onto the roof. Kichiji stepped outside to retrieve a ladder. Tosaku, their neighbor, entered the house and noticed what was going on. And realized it was Yoshitaro on the roof again. Then Tosaku suggested a Holy woman who could heal Yoshitaro.

    When the Holy Woman arrived at the residence, she stated that an evil spirit had possessed Yoshitaro. Suejiro entered and saved his brother Yoshitaro as they were doing Yoshitaro's mending treatment. Suejiro defended and explained his brother's situation to their parents. Informing them, that Yoshitaro was not possessed by an evil spirit, but rather suffered from a serious illness. The truth about their oldest son, Yoshitaro, is finally understood and accepted by their parents. In the end, brotherly love triumphed, causing the family to heal and reconcile.

 

REFLECTION AND LESSONS LEARNED

    Our family is someone who understands us when we are facing difficulties in life. When our mental health is being affected, we can have trouble expressing our emotions. We have different strategies in how to cope with our worries and anxieties, just like Yoshitaro, his coping strategy is climbing on the roof, watching the sunset. However, our parents may misunderstand our gestures especially if they are not aware of our struggles. For such reason, it is necessary to share our sentiments with the people who are close to us so that we can garner a support system.

    Our parents are the most concerned people we can meet in our life; we need to consider that if we are hurting, they can feel us too. We must cooperate with them so that we cannot be a burden. But if we wanted to take a little space before telling them what is wrong, we still need to inform them that we need space. With this, they can understand the importance of personal space and wait for the right time for us to talk. Even me, I also have the attitude that I do not tell my parents directly what I am going through. However, if I am ready to let my worries out, I share my worries with them. Most importantly, when we have a problem, it is better to enjoy a time alone than to physically harm ourselves.

Overall, here are the lessons I have learned from the story:

• Do not let your family worry you a lot.
• Be thankful for the people who love you.
• Do not mind other’s businesses.
• Protect your mental health.
• Change your negative perception in life.