Author: Not Written
I want to introduce the life stories of my grandparents, as well as the story of my father’s friends, a married couple. I think their lives are very busy, yet also very fulfilling. Although the directions their lives have taken are quite different and the activities they participate in are far apart, both couples always arrange their daily schedules very fully.
I will first introduce my grandparents’ story. In the morning, my grandparents drive back to Puxin. After arriving there, they go to the vegetable garden to see which vegetables are ready to be harvested. My grandmother sorts the vegetables and divides them into two categories: one for the family to eat and another to sell to others. My grandfather goes fishing by the pond. When the cats see him walking toward the pond, they follow him, because when he catches small fish, he throws them to the cats to eat. When he catches bigger fish, he brings them back and asks my mother or aunt to cook them. The first time I saw my grandfather feeding the kittens, I was actually quite shocked, because he always appears very serious toward us and can be a little intimidating. Later, I realized that he is simply tough on the outside but soft-hearted on the inside. After finishing fishing, my grandfather feeds the chickens and geese and collects some eggs. After everything is taken care of, they return home, give us the fish and eggs, and then go out to sing karaoke or chat with friends. In the evening, they come back home to eat dinner.
My grandmother goes to get her hair permed and chats with the hairstylist while she’s there. If there is a special festival, she will make traditional foods for that occasion for us to eat. Something rather special is that when someone passes away, my grandparents also join the traditional funeral procession. They beat gongs and drums and even play the suona. Usually, they take part for the whole day. Although their lives are relatively routine and repetitive, they still live happily and in good health.
As for my father’s friends, the husband is still working. On Thursdays, he often comes to my house to chat and drink coffee or tea, and he also eats lunch at our place. When he is off work, he invites friends over to sing karaoke and have meals together. The wife, on the other hand, works as a guide at a disaster prevention centre or teaches handicrafts at a cultural and creative park. She also teaches dance classes, so there was a period when I hardly saw her at all. Sometimes, when the couple has free time on weekends, they set up a heat-transfer T-shirt stall at an old street for leisure and enjoyment.
When I was younger, I often went on tour buses with them to travel. They would invite friends they knew to join, and they were very good at organizing these kinds of activities. Every year, they held more than two such outings. Even though they are very busy now, they still come to have meals with our family.
The daily lives of these two couples may seem simple, yet they are full of happiness. They do not stay at home all the time, but go out to do things. Honestly speaking, their lifestyles are much healthier than mine. Although my grandparents’ life is more repetitive, because they grow vegetables, they get exercise and remain quite healthy. My father’s friends now have many children and grandchildren, and sometimes help take care of them, yet they still maintain a rich social life. No matter which lifestyle it is, it is healthier than mine now, and I should learn from them.
I think people of this generation are exposed to too much internet-related content. Some people become anxious and uncomfortable as soon as they are without mobile phones or internet, and their attention span also declines. When people reach old age and their five senses deteriorate, they may no longer be able to use smartphones and the internet for long periods of time. Their social abilities may also decline, making them afraid to go out and socialize, which is very unfavourable for elderly life.
I cannot imagine what the world I will live in after the age of fifty will look like. But what I can do now is cultivate good habits and develop my own interests, so that my fifty-year-old self will have a healthy body and a fulfilling, enjoyable old age.
我要介紹我的祖父母的生命故事與爸爸朋友夫妻的故事，我認為他們的生活得很忙碌
過的也很充實，而且這兩組夫妻的生活走向很不一樣，所參加的活動也相差地遠，但總
把自己的一天行程安排得滿滿的。
我先來介紹我的祖父母的故事，早上時我祖父母會開車回埔心，到埔心後會去菜園看哪
些菜可以採集了，我祖母會整理好蔬菜後會分成兩類，一類是自家人吃的一類是可以賣
人的，祖父會在水池釣魚，當貓咪看到祖父往水池走時，就會跟者他，因為釣到小魚我
祖父會把魚丟給貓咪吃，釣到大魚我祖父會把魚帶回來，叫我媽媽或伯母煮來吃，其實
我第一次看到我祖父餵小貓食物的時候有嚇到，因為祖父面對我們總是很嚴肅，讓人有
點和怕，後來才發現他只是嘴硬心軟而以，釣好魚祖父會餵雞和鵝，順便撿一些蛋，處
理好以後會回家，把魚和蛋給我們以後再去唱歌、找朋友聊聊天，晚上側會回來吃飯。
祖母會去燙頭髮，順便和燙頭髮的阿姨聊天，如果有特殊節慶祖母會做那個節日的東西
給我們吃。比較特別的事情是如果有人過世時，他們也會去打陣頭，會敲鑼打鼓的還會
吹嗩吶，通常都會去一整天，雖然他們的生活比較一成不變，但還是活的很幸福和健
康。
爸爸朋友夫妻的丈夫還有再工作，星期四的時候丈夫都會來我家聊天喝咖啡或喝茶，也
會在我家吃午餐，丈夫放假時會約朋友來家唱歌和吃飯；至於妻子會到防災館當導覽員
或是文創園區教導他人一些工藝品，也會去教別人跳舞，所以我其實有段時間沒有遇見
她了。有時候假日兩夫妻有空時，會到老街開設轉印衣服的店，消消遣。我小時候常常
和他們搭遊覽車出去玩，它們會邀請認識的朋友一起出去玩，他們非常擅長組織這類的
活動，每年都會有兩次以上的活動，雖然他們現在很忙碌但還是會和我們家一起吃飯。
上述的兩對夫妻的日常生活看似簡單，卻很幸福，他們不會一直待在家哩，而是會出門
做事情，說實在的它們的生活比我健康多了，雖然我祖父母的生活比較一成不變，但因
為有再種菜，所以會運動到身體還滿健康的。爸爸朋友夫妻現在兒孫滿堂，有時會會幫
忙照顧孫子孫女，但還是有維持很多的社交需求。不管是哪種生活方式都比現在的我還
要健康多了，我應該多和他們看齊。我覺得這個世代的人接觸了太多網路上的事情，有
些人只要沒有手機網路就開始會緊張不舒服，注意力也會下降，到了老年期五感退化後
，可能會無法長期使用是手機與網路，而且社交能力也會退化，會讓自己不敢出去社交
，這非常不利於老人生活。我完全無法想像50歲以後的我生活的世界是什麼樣子的，但
現在能做的事情就是培養良好習慣和培養自己的興趣，讓50歲的自己有個好的身體和
老年生活不無聊。