I got lower back pain.

On Friday evening, I felt a small pain in my lower stomach. After that, my lower back slowly started to hurt. By Monday, the pain was so strong that I could only walk slowly.

I did not know the cause, so I went to a pain clinic. I got an injection in my back, but it did not help at all. I told the doctor that I also had stomach pain and had not had my period for two months. He said, “You should go to a gynecologist.”

The next day, the pain became very strong, even when I was lying down. So I went to the gynecologist. But the doctor said, “There is no problem. You should go to an orthopedic clinic.” I went there right away.

At the orthopedic clinic, the doctor said, “There is no problem. But you have a lot of gas. You should go to a gastroenterologist.” I felt worried about the cost of going to another hospital. Still, I went to the gastroenterologist two days later. I received herbal medicine and gas medicine for two weeks.

In the end, the cause of my back pain is still unknown. I am taking painkillers and herbal medicine and watching my condition.

I finished reading Maison Mikamo Dining Hall by Mizunao Omi.

Because my body did not move well for several days, the scenes about caring for the body through food touched my heart. I thought, “If I could live in a house with a dining hall like this, I would be so happy.”

Our bodies are made from what we eat. I usually try to eat well, but this story reminded me that “healthy food is delicious.”

The warm feeling of the dining hall comes from eating safe food in a safe place.

But the story also shows how hard it is to live in a big city.

Cities have many people, and most of them are strangers. When anonymity becomes strong, fear also grows. We do not know what other people might do.

• When someone calls my name on the street, I feel nervous.
• I am afraid to leave drinks or food where others can touch them.
• Riding an elevator with a man can reveal my home address.
• I must be careful when throwing away letters because they show my address.

I live in the countryside, so these things surprised me. But this kind of self-protection is probably normal in cities. Many people carry this tension without noticing it.

Feeling afraid of people is not weakness. It is a sharp sense that protects our daily life.

There is a theory that detective stories were born because cities were born. The anonymity of cities naturally creates situations where “we do not know who the criminal is.”

• We are surrounded by strangers
• Some people act badly when they think no one is watching
• Crime increases, and society needs stories that solve mysteries

The fear of cities and the birth of detective fiction are deeply connected.

Living in a city is convenient, but it also forces us to stay alert. That is why safe places and food that makes the body happy feel so important.

Tension and relaxation. We continue our days in the balance between them.