My apartment is getting older and older. It has been about 25 years since I moved in. The building has never had any serious problems and I am lucky to live there peacefully. But as time goes by, I come to see the residents getting older and older, just like me. The greying is hardly surprising as most of the residents have been in the flat for about 25 years like me. When the apartment was built 25 years ago, they bought it and moved in. I do not know why, but it makes me feel a little lonely. In the days of old, I used to see or hear a lot of children playing in the flat. But they have already grown into an adult, and most of them, like my daughter, have got married and moved out. They only come back there with their children to celebrate the New Year with their parents.
While I have seen almost no children playing in the apartment, I have come to see a lot of old men’s residents moving around there in the daytime. In the days of old, they used to get up early and go to the office, but no longer. Most of them seem to have retired and stayed in their flats. Some of them have become frail and go shopping with a walking frame. But the others are still in good shape and some of them play tennis once or twice a week.
I do not know them well but always say hello to them when I see them. While I am greeting them, I always imagine how they live the long day. Probably, they must imagine the same as I do.

　ボクが住んでいるマンションも高齢化が進んでいます。約25年前に新築で買って、それ以来、ずっと住んでいます。建物自体は、いまだに大きな問題もなく、平穏に暮らせています。でも、住人は高齢の方が目立つようになりました。新築で買って入居した人がほとんどで、住人が高齢化するのは当然といえば当然なのですが、一抹の寂しさを感じます。昔は、子供たちがマンション内で遊んでいる姿や彼らの声をよく聞こえたものです。でも、その彼らも大人になり、ボクの娘のように結婚してマンションを出ていく人もいます。そして、新年に、子供を連れて里帰りしています。
　子供の声が少なくなった代わりに、大人の男性が日中にマンション内を動き回る姿をよく見るようになりました。昔は、早起きをして会社に通っていた方ですが、定年を迎え家にいるようです。体が弱ってしまい、シルバーカーで買い物に行く方もいます。でも、大半の方は元気で、週に数回、テニスをしている方もいます。彼らのことはよく知りませんが、出くわすと、あいさつを交わします。
　その時に、長い一日をどのように過ごしていらっしゃるのかと想像してしまいます。きっと、ボクもそう思われていると思います。