Life in Perth

 

Many friends and family often asked me how I was doing in Perth and how I would  normally spend my time. These days, as I got older, I often took the free buses and wander around aimlessly. In Perth, people aged 65 and over could ride public transport, including trains and buses, for free.

Sometimes I would hitch a ride into town, sat on the street mall, and watched the crowds passing by, everyone busy with their own things. 

I saw a little kid eating ice cream at a corner. Out of concern, a passerby casually said, "It's such a cold day; you'll get sick eating that!"

The kid replied, "My grandma lived to be 103."

The passerby asked, "From eating ice cream?"

He said, "No, because she never meddled in other people's business!"

How profound! I finally understood why I was aging so fast! . We must learn to let go. Letting go was not weakness. It was grace—the grace of the river that flowed forward, not resisting the rocks, but dancing around them.

 Perhaps it was karma, perhaps it was fate that brought people together. Like my neighbor at the end of the road, who saw me walking towards the bus stop and wanted to give me her used clothes. I asked her why, and she said we were destined to meet and become  friends in a foreign land far away from home.

As I sat alone in the street mall , a cool breeze brushing over my face. Memories flooded back, especially those who helped me during my most difficult years. I sincerely wished them all the best and hoped they lived even more fulfilling lives than I had.

Three coins in the fountain 

 許多朋友和家人經常問我在珀斯過得怎麼樣，以及我通常會如何消磨時間。這些日子，隨著年紀漸長，我常常會搭乘免費巴士漫無目的地閒逛。在珀斯，65歲以上的老人可以免費搭乘大眾運輸工具，包括火車和巴士。

有時我會搭車去城裡，坐在購物中心的街道上，看著來來往往的人群，每個人都忙著自己的事.

 我看到一個小孩在街角吃冰淇淋。一個過路人出於關心，隨口說道：“這麼冷的天氣，你吃這個會生病的！”

小孩回答說：“我奶奶活到了103歲。”

 過路人問：“是因為吃冰淇淋活到103歲嗎？”

他說：“不是，因為她從不干涉別人的事！”

多麼深刻的道理！我終於明白為什麼我老得這麼快！我們必須學會放手。放手並非軟弱，而是一種優雅──如同奔流不息的河流，不與礁石抗衡，而是繞著它們翩翩起舞。

也許是因果報應，也許是命運的安排，讓我們相遇。就像住在路盡頭的鄰居，她看到我走向公車站，就想把她穿過的衣服送給我。我問她為什麼，她說我們注定要在遠離家鄉的異國相遇並成為朋友。 

我獨自坐在街邊商場裡，涼爽的微風拂過臉龐，往事歷歷在目，尤其是那些在我最艱難的歲月裡幫助過我的人。我衷心祝福他們一切安好，希望他們能比我活得更精彩。

只要你活得比我好!