Andy learns a lesson

G’day. Of all the young adults I have ever met, this Japanese boy, Assami (but he calls himself Andrew), left his mark big-time. Andrew was a Japanese student who left home at the age of sixteen after suffering severe depression and a nervous breakdown. Andrew wanted to get as far away from his past as possible and make a new start so he came to Australia, determined to be a different person. He worked hard, walked, exercised, learned to play golf, bought a motorbike and was one of the most popular Japanese students the school had ever had. Although the black dog disappeared, Andrew lived with this enormous fear that when he went back to Japan after completing the HSC, the black dog would bite again.

Fortunately Andrew was billeted out with the best host family anyone would ever want. They loved Andrew like a son and their own 13 year old son, Luke, absolutely adored him. Then fate played its hand. Just a couple of months later, young Luke was shot in the stomach by ferrel teenagers out for a bit of shooting practice in the local park where Luke was playing with Andrew and another mate. It was only an air gun pellet but that pellet was delicately wedged in his stomach and his condition was serious. The family were naturally very angry and distressed and this proved to be the trigger to bring Andrew undone again. Back came the tight tummies and depression.

The day Luke came out of hospital, Andrew’s pain lifted overnight and has not returned. Andrew stayed on to complete his exams then was heading back to Japan with a very proud dad who came over to thank us all and to take him home. Andrew brought his dad in to meet me before he left and I must admit to being very choked up as I said my good-byes and warned him that he must look deeply inside himself to prevent such a catastrophic recurrence.

He just grinned broadly, “ah, but Dr John, I finally have. You see” he said, “it took Luke’s injury to show me what I was doing wrong. I was wearing other people’s pain. I was climbing their mountains for them. Back in Japan when my mother or father was stressed I would wear it and that’s not good because I cannot solve their problems for them. If I just climb my own mountain, then I know in my heart that I can be strong when people need me. I am ready to go back home now. I have finally found my answer”.

So home headed the proud pair, back to a new life, but not empty headed or handed. Not only did he learn a good lesson, he taught us all a few on the way. Sayonara, Assami.