Opening the mailbox, a letter from Lanyu slid out, I was confused, because I didn’t know anyone in Lanyu.
And, as I’d read it, I’d found that it was, a thank-you note, thanking me for giving her a scooter, to help her take the delivery job when she’d become, unemployed, to help her pass the hardships of her, life. And, as she’d stated it, now I, remember it.
Just as my son returned back from overseas, he’d used my name, purchased that scooter, and, due to how later he’d started, going on business trips abroad a whole lot, that scooter became, unused. I’d suggested to him, that rather than letting the scooter go to waste, he should give it to someone who needed it. The following day, he’d mentioned it at the office, and a female coworker told, that her older sister in Lanyu, because she’d needed the money to care for her ailing in-laws, had sold off her own scooter, and the pandemic made her unemployed, and she’d wanted to become a delivery driver, but didn’t have the money to purchase a scooter. She’d asked my son, if he can give the scooter to her? He’d nodded.
helping others, when you see that they’re in need! Photo from online
After he’d given away that scooter, my son told me, that as he’d taken his scooter for the tune-up before giving it away, the mechanic asked, he could’ve sold the scooter for a whole lot, why he was giving it away? My son responded that the money he would receive from the sale, would get spent up quite easily, but, if he’d given the scooter to someone who needed it for the livelihood, then, the individual may feed the entire family.
Many a year ago, the paper my neighbors and I had subscribed were late for days, and everybody started, complaining. And as I’d learned that the delivery boy’s scooter was broken, that he was up north on his own, and couldn’t afford to fix it up, and started delivering the papers on bicycle, I’d immediately told him, that I’m about to switch to a new ride, that he can have my current scooter, even though, it wasn’t, brand new, but it will, help him with the deliveries he needed to make. As he’d heard, his gratitude was like he was about to get down on his knees and thank me, left that deep impression with me.
Or maybe, it’s because when I was younger, I saw how difficult it was to make a living for my parents’ generation, so, when I got older, whenever there’s someone who needed assistance, I’d, lent a helping hand, and yet, this friend from Lanyu, whom I’d never even met, sent me that, thank you note, it was, totally, surprising.
And so, this is how your kindness, had touched the lives of others, because, the assistance you offered to someone, you may think nothing of it, because it’s, too small to mention, but, to the recipient, it may be lifesaving to her/him!
Paying back in kindness, because kindness, is shown, to him too, how the cycles of kindness, still, rolls, from one to the next, off of the Newspapers, translated…
In 2005, the Hsinbei City started the Dreams Foundation, the Department of Education hosted the gratitude banquet, the parent of the students who were given the scholarships, Hong told, that the two sons had been awarded the scholarships long-term, and the eldest tested into the electrical engineering major in N.T.U. last year, the two siblings started a small study center, and offered the tutoring to the children from fragile families, free of charge to them.
The assistant mayor, Liu told, that the Dreams Foundation helped 220 students per year, and to date, there’d been the sums of total of $260,850,000N.T.s, and 3,929 students were the recipients. In 2020, the dreams fund was set up, in 2022, the sports excellence scholarship, using the three types of scholarship, to offer the scholarships to the outstanding scholastic and sports students who were from poverty stricken backgrounds.
The Department of Education held the gathering yesterday, invited three hundred of the recipients and donors, including the tech company Micro Star International Company Ltd., HESS Foundation, the Temple of Taiwan Jingshan, etc., etc., etc.
Of them, the Dreams Foundation in close to ten years’ time, the retired professor from National Education University, Dai who’d donated the accumulated amount of over ten million dollars N.T., was given the certificate of gratitude, his son came to receive it for him. Dai told, that his father gave his life to education, that when he was younger, he’d, received the assistance from others, hoped, that through the scholarship foundation, the money can help those students who are in need.
helping young children learn, the tutors give their time…photo from online
The student who received the award, Hong told, that since his son graduated from Linkou High School, he’d started studying in the EE major of N.T.U.; the younger son is in the second grade of the Linkou High School currently, his two children received the scholarship funding for eight and ten years.
The two brothers, to pass the kindness that had been shown to them, started up a small study center locally five years ago, to tutor the children from the lesser families without any tuitions, and they’d helped more than ten students to get into their ideal high schools or university each and every year.
And so, this is how the cycle of kindness still, keeps on rolling, because someone helped someone, and, the someone who received the help, feels grateful, and is now, giving back too, and, that is how the kindness cycle generates, and regenerates, and we need more of these things that give us hope in the current world.
The gratitude the families have, for these, migrant workers, for taking care of the elders in the, families in this country expressed, translated…
Di who’d come to us, to help us care for my mother-in-law since, over two years ago now, as we first met up, being strangers to one another, not knowing if the relationship is going last, how will our interactions change through, time, it’d, made us all, expectant, and, a bit, scared.
Di is agile and quite intelligent, everything we’d asked her to complete, she’d done then, close to, perfection, and she’d known to trace her steps too, and made everything run smoothly. Sometimes, my mother-in-law would get into a bad mood, and, she’d always been able to sort through the muffed air, and, if she can’t express through verbal communications clearly, then, she’d, used gestures to help her convey, and, if she still can’t make things better for my mother-in-law, then, she’d, come to me to ask for help; several times I’d, helped her sorted through the matters of how things had happened, and, thanks to Google Translate, it’d, helped us communicate better, and I was able to, pick up on some commonly used Indonesian words and phrases with it too.
To quickly get Di and my mother-in-law on the same pages of communication, I carried on in conversation with Di using ALL Taiwanese, and after awhile, she’d become, articulate, more or less.
When the holidays came, we suddenly had a ton of people at home, and, naturally came, the increased amount of housework. To help us out, we’d taught Di to make some traditional Taiwanese dishes for these occasions, and gave her the information on the meanings of these, special, occasions; toward all of the cultural differences, she would always be agile, in her inquiries, asking “what’s this”, and, “why”.
There would be the various family members from all around the country visiting my mother-in-law by the week, and they’d taught Di how to make what my mother-in-law loved to eat, and, she’d cooked the items like the family members had, demonstrated for her to for my mother-in-law. Because of her religion, Di doesn’t consume pork, and so, we’d stopped buying the pork, sometimes, when my mother-in-law told her that she wanted the pork, Di would still head to the marketplaces, to purchase the pork, to make it for my mother-in-law.
Later, we’d found, that she would use the tools to keep her from being in direct contact with the pork, and so, after we’d found this, when there’s the pork needed to be prepared, I’d, taken over. In the many interactions we’d had, the relationship we’d, established, other than employee/employers, we’d become more like, friends, or, even more so like, families, and everybody who knew us told us we were, blessed, to have Di come to work for us, and, other than pure luck, I believe, that it’s how we all worked, to make the amicable interactions that’s, made this relationship run so smoothly.
Recalled back to that very first day as Di arrived, my daughter and I took her around the house to show her everything. And because making the meals for my mother-in-law is our sole purpose of hiring her, we’d, introduced her to the contents of the fridge, the functions of the various layers, the stove, and how to use the assortments of cookware; then, showed her where my mother-in-law sat and lay every day, and how these places needed to be sanitary, completely clean all the time.
Making sure, that we’d covered all the, major basis first, then, we would, start adjusting to the details of things, to even now, we’re still, adapting to each other, learning from, each other.
I’m too grateful that this kind hearted foreign nurse’s aide had been sent to us, with Di, I’m more than certain, that in the days to come, she will, do her best, in helping us take care of my mother-in-law. And, we will, also, work hard, to carry the responsibilities for caring for our elders, while Di became the “heaven sent helper” to our, family.
And so, this is on being blessed, with a wonderful nurse’s aide that you were hiring, and, some families are quite lucky, to find the right people to care for their loved ones, and, in these cases, it’s mostly due to how the families are kind to the hired help, and, the hired help naturally, reciprocated the kindness shown to them, in doing their best to care for who they were hired to look after.
A cycle of offering help to those in need, of kindness, that’s begun in the, parents’ generations, and passed to the offspring’s, and it will, keep on, rolling, and the good things you do, will get, returned to you, in forms of something wonderful too, translated…
Marriage is, the start of, responsibilities, with the afterwards of mortgage, and my husband’s student loans, that almost, buried us both, but thankfully, we worked together, with the goal of love, making a home in mind, worked our hardest, to, reduce the debts to a, minimum, and our lives, slowly, turned, better.
Due to a chance encounter, the Buddhist master, Shin-Yun advocated the three-good movement, “a good heart, doing good deeds, saying good things”, and I’d started contemplating what sort of a good thing I can do, so it can benefit my own children?
illustration from UDN.com
Thought about how I’d, burned on both ends at work and at home, working during the days, and needing to watch my kids complete their assignments at night, I can’t, manage to volunteer too, and so, I’d decided to make the regular donations to the “Seedling Program”, donated twice per year, right before the semesters, begin, so the families that are stressed out over money can’t have the help they needed, to send their young to school.
And I’d, continued this donation means for a whole of over twenty years on end, using that heart of joy to help others, I deeply believed, that this can better the air at my own, home, and my children grew up, healthy, and happy.
As the kids started making their ways, I’d told them, “we’d donated on your behalf for over twenty years to date, you both have stable work now, you must use what you have, to help others, and the good luck, the blessings will all get, returned, back to, you too.” After my son married, he’d started, donating on behalf of his two children too, to get this cycle of kindness, passed, to the, third, generation.
Once my daughter inquired curiously, “does it get us the good fortunes when we help others out?”, I’d told her, “without a doubt, certainly! Think, you have stable work, is married to a husband who loves you, who cherishes you, no need to worry over your meals, if this is not good fortune, then, what is?”, she’d nodded in joy, “mom, you’re, absolutely, right! Good fortunes is how we interpret it!”
My children bought their homes close by to us, and, when I bump into those whom I’m acquainted with, they all commented, “you’re so blessed, with children nearby, you can call them anytime, and they are there, quicker than the, delivery services; unlike us, with our young working out of the city, far, far away, hard for them to return home for a visit!”, yeah, in this day and age, it surely, is, difficult, for an extended family to get, set, up, this is from the good I’d done in a past life, and the good I’m doing in this life, I suppose, to allow our families to get along so very well, and in, harmony.
Sowing down these, seeds of, love, and we all take care of these seedlings, and, they’d, grown up strong, I’m certain, that we will, all be, very blessed in our, lives; and I hope, that you all don’t belittle the abilities of your own goodwill, have the willingness, to give to others, believing, that it is, better to give, than to, receive, we will all get, our separate, bliss that way.
And so, this is the cycle of goodness that got started with the parents’ generations, the woman started giving to the world around her, on behalf of her own young, hoping that it would, bless them, and the younger generations watched the parents give, and they also, learn to, give to the society as well, and that, is how the cycle of lending that helping hand, the cycle of kindness, keeps on, rolling, and, if you show kindness, then, kindness will be, returned, back to you too!
Kindness is, reciprocated here, how this elderly showed the genuine kindness and concern toward someone she bought the items from, and the shop owners also, returned, the “favor”…translated…
My mother and I sat down to order, we’d ordered the meal combo special of this shop, porkchops. My mother pointed to the menu with the single orders of the karaage chicken nuggets.
“I want to give the orders to the owners of those two stands, they’re both, very kind!” looking at my questioning look, she’d explained. Is it necessary? I’d mumbled, we’d already, bought something from them, that should be, enough though.
Before we at, we were shopping at the square in the mall, the red coral jewelry caught my mother’s, attention, she’d walked up to the elderly owner to inquire, he was ever the more patient, brought out every item she was interested in, and explained the pieces, also told my mother, that most of the items, he’d designed the styles, and carved them himself, those few peanut shell carvings you can’t tell they’re from stone, placed next to the real peanuts.
My mother exclaimed at his artistry, he’d chuckled and told, that it was because he wasn’t studious enough, his grandfather sent him to stone carving lessons, so he could, have that, viable, skill to live off of. My mother commended him on how talented he is, that he should NEVER let his skillset become, extinct! In the end, my mother bought a tiny carved owl which the owner told could bring a good life to the one who has it, for me.
“The owner is kind, I’d told him that we bought the red coral carvings from before, that I just wanted to know how much it is now, he’d not minded, and still patiently explained to us”, my mother told me, in a, lowered, voice.
The adjacent booth had the Hokkaido specialty items, the female owner was very courteous, and very enthusiastic, explained to us the various products her company had, produced, and, used her phone, and showed us the videos of how to make the foods, allowed us to sample the pomelo peel soaked in sugary syrup, and let us tried a few sample cups of the specialty alcohol too.
My mother conversed with her in Japanese, and she’d told of how she’d gone to Japan with her father, the female owner listened tentatively, opened her eyes wide, and kept stating, “Amazing! Great!”, and as my mother learned that she could speak Japanese, she’d commended the woman, they had a good time in conversation, and the owner of the stand even started telling my mother of her husband, her kids too, I’d taken a shot of them together.
We bought a huge bag of goods from her, the woman gave my mother an expensive bottle of beer, handed it to my mother, “you told me you loved beer, I want to give you this as a sample, but hope you don’t mind, it’s, close to expiration date.”, my mother told her no, that she wanted to pay for it, but the female owner kept insisting, then, wrapped the cardboard pieces around the bottle, then, stuffed it into our, shopping bags.
After the porkchop meal, my mother carried the bags of chicken nuggets, and, walked to these two stands, handed the owners a bag each, told them that watching the stands must be hard, that this is some snack to chew on. The two owners, because nobody came to shop, looked a bit, down, but, as soon as my mother handed them the bags of foods, their faces brightened like the sunshine.
The female Japanese stand owner picked up another flavored beer, and, stuffed it to us, insisted that we take it. the owner of the mineral stand also, turned and picked up a tiny decoration, put it in our, bags.
The bags are heavier now, but, our hearts, were, lighter.
And so, this is the cycle of kindness, because the mother of the writer’s considerations for the stand owners, that’s why they also, returned the favors, and that, is how interpersonal relations should be, based off of genuine care and concerns for another human being, not expecting anything in return, for the kindness you’d shown to them, and surely enough, those who’d received your kindness will be, more than willing, to return that same sort of kindness back, to you too.
How this woman who operated a stand at the marketplace helped this elderly person, who came to her asking for some loose change, how this is a rare gem that everybody is now, more guarded toward one another, especially in times of the, pandemic, this is what we need more of these days, translated…
A little past two in the early afternoon I was just, collecting up the things from my marketplace stand, ready to go, suddenly came, an elderly man with a four-legged walker, hair all white, asking, “can you give me twenty-five dollars? I’m hungry and wanted to buy a bowl of rice with the meat sauce on top.” I’d responded, surely, then I’d, pulled out a hundred, stuffed it into his pocket. He’d told me, “I don’t need that much, I just need twenty-five.” I’d pressed down the hand that he’d reached into his own pockets to pull out the money, had him go and get some food, before the shop is closed.
As he’d left, the younger owner of the adjacent stand asked, “Sister, aren’t you worry people might cheat you if someone tells you that s/he is hungry and you’d started giving money away?”, I’d shaken my head, told him that my own father told me, that someone who’d asked for help from a stranger must have endured through something hard in life, especially the elderly. Besides, he’d not asked for much, just a bowl of stewed meat sauce over rice, so I’d not questioned it, and am willing to assist. After all, being old, it’s only natural that we all may become, forgetful, to take our wallets with us, and, we aren’t agile enough to make it all the way back to our houses to get it, that was why he’d asked for my help.
what the elderly man asked the writer for…loose change, photo from online
Then, about twenty minutes later, the elderly man came back, pulled out seventy-five dollars in returned change, placed it on the rack of my stand, said to me with glee, “thank you so much! This was, one fulfilling, lunch that I got with your money, this is the change the shop gave back to me,”, I’d told him to keep the change, but he’d smiled and waved no, turned to, leave.
Seeing how he’d, staggered as he left, it looked like my father in his elderly days, and, my nose started, souring up then……….
And so, this, is how much it takes, to help someone out, and, we shouldn’t be guarded, that everybody is trying to cheat us, but, this is too hard, especially with the way this world is going, but gladly, this woman kept her good heart as well as the beliefs of how everybody she met does not have ill intentions, and was still willing to, lend that helping hand as she saw the needs of someone else.
Here’s some, good news, to lighten everything UP, in spite, of how everything ELSE had gone to H-E-L-L here! The kindness, the heart of this woman who’d delivered the meals as she hoped to bring some light into others’ lives, truly amazing! Off of the Newspapers, translated…
Mei who retired from the office of UBus heard that the Chiayi Christian Hospital is recruiting crewmembers to make the meal deliveries, and she’d entered in; in five years she’d been making the meal deliveries, she’d also, recruited her loved ones to join in too. She told, the meals we deliver not just gives the elderly persons a meal, but also, the warmth of our greetings to them.
At age sixty-five, Mei told, that as she’d gone to make the deliveries of the meals to the elderly who were in their homes, and some were bedridden, and with the hardships in their household economics, that’s what drove her to want help.
At first, she’d only made the supper deliveries on Wednesday evenings with a senior volunteer with her, then, she took on the entire chain, the lunches and suppers from Monday through Saturday, fifteen packed lunches, and eighteen suppers. Mei told, some of the elders lives alone, with no children around them, and they don’t live in an environment that’s convenient enough, they truly needed the assistance from the outside world.
the woman, delivering the meal to an elderly woman, photo courtesy of UDN.com
Mei also pulled her friends onboard the volunteer meal deliver crews, to date, she’d gotten five more partners onboard.
she said, a lot of the elders don’t go out, they don’t have many friends either, and they’d looked forward to seeing the volunteers, because the volunteers not just made the meal deliveries, the volunteers would greet them, to chit chat. And there are the elders who are guarded toward outsiders. She’d used her time, her patience, her kindness, to deliver the meals to them, and now, they’re all friends. She said, even though, she’s a nobody, she still hoped to bring some warmth, using her means, giving the world some positive, energies.
And, this is how powerful ONE is! This is only a woman, who’d started in the meal delivery crews, and in her delivering the meals, she’d noted the needs of the elderly who required this service, and she’d reached out to them, pulled her families, friends, relatives onboard the program, spreading the kindness to others in her life, touching not just those whom she’d delivered the meals to, but also, helped those who volunteered alongside her, to know the importance, of giving to others as well.
The lights in the darkness, as we’re, still, not yet, out of, the darkness, but there’s that dawn that’s, coming on, in the, distance, if only we can all, look closely, and treat those whom we encounter with, kindness, as this world, slowly, heals back up…off of the Front Page Sections, translated…
Going to the super convenience shops, the cashier whom I knew well told me, that the elderly woman’s son is dead. The elderly woman is a frequent customer, she’d often shopped there, and sat for an entire afternoon, and she had only her son with him, her life is, lonely. The younger generations of cashiers and workers all loved the kind elderly woman, and when they’re not working, they would carry in conversation with the elderly woman.
The elderly woman had often come to pay for her own son’s traffic fines, and she’d started, ranting, “Told him to drive slow, he didn’t listen, always sped, and gets caught, and disregarded the fine notices, I can’t stand it, so I’d, paid for the fines for him…”, the clerk told her to get hard on her son, to NOT pay for his fines again. And yet, the next time, the elderly woman still came, to pay, and still kept, telling how bad her son is.
Not long ago, the elderly woman came into the shop to print something, she’d looked sad, and, I’d asked her what happened? She’d told me sorrowfully, that her son is, gone, he’d contracted MERS-CoV, and was, getting better too, but, with a progressive conditions, he’d still, died. And so, all of us, tried our best, to offer her console best as we can, as the New Year’s arriving soon, her being alone, it’d, impacted us so very, much.
An elder told me, that she’d seen the news of the pandemic growing worse again in China, and the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict that’s, caused the people to be without their homes, and all those footages she saw on T.V., made her heart break, and so, she’d, stopped, watching the news. But she’d still, carried on in the means of giving to the community on her own just the same, she’d told, that she hoped that 2022 can soon be over, that the pandemic had taken many lives now, plus the impacts of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, causing the hikes in everything we need, a lot of families are, torn apart, so many became, unemployed; there’s no way to make ends meet, in her own means, within her own capabilities, she’d, often donated to the charitable foundations that helped out the lesser in the communities.
In the unsettlement of the times, there are still, many who are, kind and warm in the world, in the waves of the cold fronts coming on, these individuals offered hope, and warmth to the world. A single mother posted on the Group of our local community, that her son in elementary school is saving up the pints of the super convenience stores, he’d wanted the items from the cartoon, but she’s a low-income household, and she also has cancer, she couldn’t, afford to spend so much money, to buy enough to get the stickers for the points she’d begged the neighbors, to donate some points. As soon as the posting came up, everybody started responding, and fulfilled the young child’s wish, and, it’d, helped shown the mother the compassions.
China is currently being HIT by the waves of the pandemic, there’s the cold meds shortages, my older sister who lives in China couldn’t get the meds, and asked if I could mail a couple of packs of cold meds, or the Chinese herbal cure remedies for MERS-CoV. I bought a few boxes of Theraflu, and, there was only, a box of the Chinese herbal cure remedy left, I’d bought it, and thought, I should probably, mail one more does, and as I passed through the traditional Chinese medicinal shop, I’d gone in to inquire if there are the ingredients, and as the owner heard I was mailing them to across the strait, he’d pulled out two bottles from the back, told me that there are only, two bottles remaining, that he won’t sell them, only give them to those who are in need; and told me, this was made from the same ingredients of the Chinese herbal remedies to treat MERS-CoV, that from before when the pandemic was hitting us hard, he’d given away so many bottles, not asking for money for them. I am so appreciative for the shop owner’s compassion, and grateful that he’d held no discrimination toward China, and was willing to help me help my own sister.
In the past year, although, the nine-in-one election had shaken up the communities here, I’m still more than grateful for all the loves, all the wonderful things I’d encountered, I hope, that the new dawn of the new year will light the path of our future, I hope, that the pandemic, wars, and inflations, will all be over, soon.
And so, despite how the world is really bad, overall, there are still, those tiny moments of hope that sparked, that lights people’s heart up, like this woman’s encounter, and that just showed, how kindness still starts small, from individuals, and then, it will hopefully, spread out, and, if we interact, relate to one another in this mean, I’m sure that this will speed the healing process of the planet up too.
The love unspoken, but expressed in all other ways, between this daughter toward her father, translated…
That day, I’d prepared my father’s supper for him, he’d blurted out, “I feel so blessed, to have you as my daughter! My daughter really treats me, wonderfully!” and his demeanor didn’t sound like the joking he’d used many a year on end, nor was it an exaggerated sort of encouragement, it was more like the tip of the ball-point pen, on paper, and the ink just, seeped out, naturally., then, slowly, spreading out.
I’d pretended I’d not heard him, focused on setting the table, and, turned on the fifty-fourth episode of the Ancient Chinese soap, so the old man who’s closing in on seventy can, get into, the Ching Dynasty immediately, and, that was, that.
In the deep on the nights, the words of my father, caused me to toss and turn.
Was this the very first time he’d given me words of praise? Yes, and no. I’d longed for his approval since I was growing up, so I’d worked my best, to be, a perfect child in his eyes, got into N.T.U., applied for my graduate studies abroad, entered into the field of, finance…….and of course, my father gave me the accolades, affirmed my hard work, but for a daughter, those words of praises, were too, superficial, his alternative motive was the core of it all: be a good daughter.
illustration from UDN.com
And yet, in this, historical moment, I’d not taken my father’s hand in mine, or like a three-year-old, rammed into his arms, not even, a smile. Toward his thoughtfulness, his daughter, no responses, instead, I’d, tried to, escape it, I’d recalled the term, “phony syndrome”, was it that in my, subconscious, I’d still felt, not quite deserving of, his praises yet?
After my mother passed, every year I’d taken my father abroad on trips, the U.S., India , New Zealand…….I’d set up the itineraries. I’d even bought him a business class airfare on the trip to the U.S., took him to the N.B.A. draft-pick games; he’d still chimed on to his friends, how Mitchell can really, jump high, but I couldn’t, recall a single name from the players’ group. My father’s photography skills are, way inferior than my mom’s, loving the beautiful photos, I’d given up and, turned all of the photos with me in it on that trip, as accidental gains, and just, focused on taking shots of my father, which became a bragging right for him in his group of elders.
During the time of the outbreak, I’d cooked for my father every single day, not too greasy, clean, and sanitary, and reduced his going outside, to avoid contraction; every time mealtime rolled around, the foods would be served on the table, and I’d, tried encouraging him to wash his hands more often. And whenever we had our differences of opinions, I’d, found that hideout in my room, to try to come up with ways, to break the ice with him, and, asked my husband how my father-in-law’s frames of mind worked to use as a model; in his capableness, I’d set up the electronic devices for him, wrote down the steps to use them, hoping that he could, be comfortable at home, and forget about the inconvenience that the pandemic had, caused in his, life.
The habits formed in fourteen days, and my father, is man too.
I’d not thought about getting any praises from him, because this, is my duty to him as his daughter, but, those behaviors, not for short-term, maybe, it’d spanned across the decades of our, lives, surpassing the few months’ of the pandemic growing.
I’m no imposter, I’m, definitely, his offspring.
I would NOT ask him, the words he’d blurted out that evening, was it intentional, or was it, long-time-coming, nor would I have the courage to apologize, and, that “good daughter”, had used her silence, and the lack of expressions on her face, to respond to the applauses she’d been hoping to get for more than thirty years on end. Even as I penned this article down, my fingers are, tingling from the nerves. Thankfully, I have his blood that flows through me, this is definite, believing, that so long as I have the time to be with him, if he stays healthy, this would be, a perfect love we will have, to share.
And, this is the love of a daughter for her father, and, maybe she may not blurt the word I love you out loud, but, her actions showed how much she’d cared, and loved her father, and I’m more than certain, that her father feels her love too.
The observations, of someone who HAS, that roof, over his head, the interactions with the local homeless populations, off of the Front Page Sections, translated…
The winter sun finally showed its face, I’d gone to the gazebo of my local park to have my picnic, there was a middle aged man lying on the benches, sleeping, peacefully, everything is, serene.
Then suddenly, a police officer barged into the park, first, he’d, started filming the man who was asleep on the bench, then, waken him up using a loud voice. The man woke in shock from his reams, not known, what had, happened? The officer explained, “I’m showing care and concerns for you!”, then, disappeared, in a flash. I didn’t know whether to laugh or to be shocked, this sort of “care”, surely, it’s, awakening all right!
The police may mistaken that he was a member of the homeless in the community, but, from what he had one, and what he took with him, he may be a member of the local communities, just out for a walk at the park, and saw that the weather’s nice, and lay down on the park benches to, sleep a bit. And, this “lying flat down” move of his, caused the officer to mistake him for a homeless man.
This way of showing cares and concerns for the homeless population, no wonder, all the homeless people had escaped out of this, particular, park! There were the female homeless persons who’d, selected to camp out in the public restrooms instead.
This seemingly shiny, glorious society, is actually, a desert for the lesser, they’d relied on the kindness of others to keep themselves alive, they’re all, nomads in the city here. Those with the resources, write out the rules of the game of survival that only benefitted themselves, willing to sacrifice more employees to win, those with the families to provide for, those who want to keep a regular work, sleep schedules……..are most often, the losers, some may become members of the scam artist rings; those who’d fallen, to the bottom of the food chains of this society, might actually be those who refused to sell their souls, those who refused to go against their own, conscience.
Due to the high cost of housing, and the gaps between the rich and the poor widening, now, even those who are just out of colleges wanted to just lay flat, how can we blame the homeless for not working hard enough? Treating the homeless who didn’t know how to fight back, as the damaged goods of the results of the progression of the society; in this crazy world, there are those who appeared bright and shiny, but had been rotten down in the cores, those are the truly, broken.
winters are getting even harder for those without a roof over their, heads!
this is all, that those at the bottom of the society can do, to keep themselve alive, through the cold winters…photo from online
I’d gone to Taichung for a trip from before, went to a local park to get some sun. Before I’d left, I’d gone to use the restrooms, saw an older man at the sink, washing up a heavy coat, that brand new looking faucet, with not enough water coming out of it, the man worked hard, cleaning his clothes, like he was, trying to, wash away his, identity too. I’d gone outside, saw a few of his article of clothing exposed out in the open at the corner of the park, I’d returned back to inquire, “it’s already winter now, the thick coat, without the washing machines to wring it dry, you may need at least, two, three days for it to dry out completely, what’ll happen to you when you get cold at night?”, those who are down and out, had no choice, the man smiled and told me, “I’ll fare just fine! It’ll be, okay!”
I’d served my armed service terms in Taichung from before, and personally experienced the horrifying temperature change from day to night, once I was on shift as a standing guard in the middle of the nights, I’d had my army outfit fully on, with a large coat, it still wasn’t enough, and even after I’d put my raincoat on, I was still, shivering underneath.
I’d asked the man, if he wanted a sleeping bag? He’d nodded. But, I can’t get one for him, and so, I’d, taken my brand new feather filled coat I bought recently that I was wearing to him. These past few years, I’d given out, several of my coats already, if I couldn’t purchase the sleeping bags these homeless in the community needs, that’s what I’d, done for them. The elderly man kept pushing the coat away, but took it because I’d insisted. Without the coat, I was, suddenly attacked by the colder winds, and, fearing the cold, I’d often gotten ill because of it, and I can’t imagine, how these homeless on the streets are, weathering the cold of the days and nights of winter.
From before, there bus station at Jen-Ai Road, the sky bridges had many homeless persons camping out on it, some had kept the dogs too. Most may wonder, when you can even keep yourselves full anymore, why would you want to have a dog? Because dogs don’t discriminate against the homeless, and they’d offered warmth of their bodies to the homeless in the cold, dark nights. And now, the bridge was being, torn down, I’d wondered where would those homeless people, go?
The attitudes toward the homeless in the city of Taipei had changed a lot, but only in the regions where the massive numbers of homeless population gathered, and, those who are alone, are faring way, way worse, and the homeless in the other cities, I can’t even begin to imagine what life would be like for them!
Or maybe, what chilled people to the bones wasn’t the cold winds of winter, but those misunderstandings, misconceived notions we have of the homeless population.
And so, this, is how the bottom half of this society worked very hard, to keep themselves alive, and warm, as best as they possibly can, in the winter seasons, and, there are more living on the streets now than before, because of the bad economy, and, when we, ordinary people can’t even make our own ends meet, how would we have the spare changes, the extra mind, to give and pay to these, people who are actually, the most in need, now that winter’s, getting colder by the days in the world right now?
Mirroring the World 
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