Helping as a nanny

This picture shows I was like herding a flock of active monkeys; they were actually my nephews and niece, my 3^rd sister’s and 4^th sister’s children. On the camel were A Long, Menghsin and A Bin. I was holding Meiling. The time was on a Sunday morning in the year of 1972. The playing ground was of Wu Chang Primary School about 10 minutes away from our home by walk. We were at that time living near the out skirt of Taipei Songshan Airport. I was studying at the World College of Journalism during this time of helping as a nanny.

In late 60’s or early 70’s, Taiwan was beginning to build up its economic growth. I remembered there was a popular slogan of that era saying “turn the living room into a factory”. The government endeavoured to make Taiwan richer so it encouraged small businesses in any way that produce for the country. Every household in Taiwan sought something to do. Some people were good at cooking, so they set up food stool in the night market, and the living rooms of their homes naturally became small factories preparing the food material. Some were good at making clothes, and their living rooms became their factories rumbling with sewing machines. Some were skilled salesman, and their living rooms were converted into shops displaying all sorts of commodities. The whole country was dynamic in all kinds of business activities. And a few years later, Taiwan was recognized as one of the four golden dragons of Asia due to its double digits GDP for many years in a row.

In this background of the society, my father was naturally also involving in sort of economic activity, setting up a joint business of clothe factory in our living room with my 3^rd sister serving as designer and manufacturing supervisor. My 4^th sister and her husband were in their own business of making knitting garments. Most of the family small businesses worked so hard that they only got one day off every two weeks. Families with small children could only set their kids free in the park or ask other family member to help with child care.

As everyone of our family was working hard for money, I became the of-course candidate of the “nanny” of my two elder sisters’ children. So during week days when I was in school, these energetic children were playing, fighting, laughing or crying while the work force was doing their best to achieve the daily production quota. When I came home from school, I picked up the task of looking after them.

On weekend, my favourite place to go with this team of kids was Wu Chang Primary School. Here they could run around the spacious school field playing seek-and-hide, or play balls, sand or whatever they could have fun from. Sometimes, there were other groups of children. On the far left with Menghsin, A Long and A Bin in the picture was the leader of one of the other groups. I still remembered her name was Xie Shu Min, a then year-4 girl helping her family looking after her siblings. She approached us when I was telling stories to my group and she found it fascinating and joined us.

After a few hours of activities at the school field, I took them home hoping the intensive physical exercise we had should have consumed their excessive energy and they should become more settled at home. Indeed they normally were quieter after the outdoor activity. So I had many weekends spent in that school field with these kids till one day when I noticed that they became bored with going to the same place every time. I could not remember now about how I had dealt with that problem, but somehow it was over because they never will be small forever.

Now A Bin is father of two; A Long is father of two; Menghsin runs two book shops; and as to the then very quiet girl, Meiling, is a busy happy mother now. Looking back, I suddenly realized that all these had occurred 35 years ago. I played the role as a nanny for my family, and for the economic growth of Taiwan. I felt a bit pride in my mind that after all I contributed my part. Though I feel so, it is only a thought that rises and it will fade away into the emptiness.

I would like to conclude this story by quoting a verse from Diamond Sutra:

"All composed things are like a dream,

a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning.

That is how to meditate on them,

that is how to observe them."