The observations from work, translated…
I live in an agricultural small town, there’s almost NO factories, with limited number of shops, there was, very little work opportunities, a lot of the members of the younger generations had chosen to find work elsewhere leaving their elderly parents. The problems of elderly who lived alone became more and more serious in the more rural areas, in the mornings and early evenings, I’d often, seen them, sitting outside their houses, stared, into space, and the limited still mobile few would meet up at the temples to chit chat.
I’m currently working as a caretaker for the elderly, and I’d offered my services, mostly to the elderly who live alone, all of these elderly had little to no chances to interact with others, and the radio and the television became their only and best friends.
And every time, after I’d parked my motorcycle, the elderly would tell me not to go in, and start sorting through the houses or preparing the meals, and told me, that it would be okay, if I’d not finished what I was supposed to for them that day, that if I can, just sit down, and carry a conversation with them, and the contents of their conversations are all revolved around their children, who will be returning for a visit on the holidays, or how their grandkids are coming to visit.
Seeing how satisfied they are as they’d talked, I’d often started singing playfully, “Setting Sail Happy” or “I Wish You All the Happiness”, as the music to them, telling their stories to me, it’d made them laugh. And, I’d also, followed the ways of a man who was known to entertain his elderly parents, dressed up as a marathoner, and, run really hard, in front of an elderly man whom I visited regularly, to bring him some entertainment.
He was, a severely handicapped person, one day, he saw me in running clothes, and asked me who it was from? I’d told him, that it was, a consolation prize from a running event I was in, he’d asked with doubt, “Can you, really run? Run for me!”, I’d not known whether to cry or to laugh, I’d dropped everything I was doing, and started, running hard, in front of him, over a dozen times, I’d started, panting like a dog, and this time, I’d heard the elderly man laugh, and I’d felt, that any amount of sweat was more than worth it.
Because the elderly people don’t need that much, and, in my ability, I would usually, comply with what they’d asked of me, for instance, they’d wanted the garlic with pork, or sweet and sour fish, I’d helped them make it; and, if they’d wanted to rearrange their living space, I’d given them my take, and help them move their furniture around; and on the special holiday occasions, I’d prepared for them, the offerings, and as they’d bought new appliances, I’d, helped them learn how to use.
All of these things are small matters to us, but, for all of these, elderly who lived alone, each and every one of them is major events in their lives. And, what they’d mostly wanted is, the love and concerns from their families, instead of us, who’d come to their places, a few hours each and every week, to look after them.
Yeah, but hey, the younger generations are all too busy, trying to make their own ends meet, how the HELL are they going to be able to make the time, to stay by the sides of their aging elderly parents, and this opened up that HUGE market for the work of these personal household assistants.
Life, the Obstacle Course 