この時期になると思い出す・・・ What should be remembered.

以前に加州のフリマでみた大昔の蓄音機。1800年代後半にエジソンがこのような蝋管タイプの媒体で録再できるモノを発明したが、録音できる時間が短いのが欠点だった。改良を心見るが、蝋管タイプにエジソンが固執している間に、ベルリナーが円盤形のレコード盤を発明し、結果的に長時間録音が可能になり、音質も向上した。そして今日ではそのレコードもビニールからCDに変わり、配信が主流になり消えようとしている。　

ウン十年も前の今頃　就職して入社式の時に　社長が訓示でこの事例を挙げ「常に何事に対しても成功例に固執せず 常に柔軟な姿勢を以てあたりなさい」といったのをいつも思い出す。この言葉、いつも肝に銘じているが簡単そうで　実はなかなか難しいことだ。

This is an old phonograph system I saw in an antique flea market in California. Late1800 Thomas Edison invented the phonograph on the shot. It was capable of both recording and reproducing sound. He used wax cylinder as the medium but recording time was short on the minus side. Edison cut and tried for getting longer time with it. While Edison sticked resolutely to wax cylinder, the disc records were developed by Emile Berliner. After that disc records have been improved and get more recording time and better quality the cylinder couldn’t make.

A long long time ago when I attended the initiation ceremony for new employees, the company president told us the story above as a typical case and he said,  “Be flexible about everything and don’t stick to successful examples you made. “  

Nowadays those recording disks changed to later digital disks and such mediums are dying with the advent of online music downloading service. 　

Every spring when companies all over Japan hold ceremonies to welcome their new employees, I always recall the speech the president gave us.

Though I know what he told should be remembered t is easier said than done.