In agriculture, as long as you have the heart for it, age is not a problem.
In the process of being with the community, what can we do for it? Not much, perhaps, but we can be a good listener. Throughout the process the community may feel embarrassed about us, yet in our eyes the greatest gain is always ours. Why? Because in the eyes of these elders we see their sincerity and down-to-earth attitude toward the land and the environment.
Today we came to Baozhuang Community in Douliu City and saw several community elders working under the blazing sun, step by step putting the community's dream into practice, presenting the community's flower-drum feature through different forms of expression. So they found the community's woodworking master. The old master said that usually he only returns to Douliu on holidays; this time he came back specially for the community, leaving his work elsewhere on hold, because, he said, if he did not come back it might delay the community's affairs, so he made a point of returning to work hard together with his community partners. In this back-and-forth of words, what the master's eyes spread is a kind of truth. Meanwhile the grandma beside him also came over and joined in making this display board. Although there is not much funding, she sees it all and it can echo her vegetable garden. At this point, joking with the chairman of the association, I said: if some basil could be planted here, then in the future it could be picked. At this moment, the grandma came over and said: you want basil? Her field has a lot of it, and she can supply it endlessly!
At this point I had no choice but to say to the grandma: then, grandma, shall we plant it together? The grandma readily said: no problem.
Although this process of doing the work is just a small action, it can let a community, or even a single person's value, be seen and valued. The chairman of the association and the old master told us that the person sitting under the tree is the captain of their volunteer team. Although he is already advanced in years and very much wants to come down and join in the work, for safety reasons he cannot be allowed to lend a hand. But at this point the old master said: although the grandpa cannot do this heavy work, he told Captain Grandpa: please, Captain Grandpa, just sit under the tree and keep an eye on things for us, and sometimes help us brew some tea. Captain Grandpa also smiled and, just as asked, sat under the tree, quietly watching the several community partners on site. So within the community we constantly see stories, we see moving moments; a small process, yet so many stories and emotions are being born on this land, which truly makes us younger generations feel immensely honored. When we were about to leave, the old master rose and told us: come again when you have time and drink the tea he brews! but only on holidays
In the operation of a community, compared with the way certain government policies today demand so insistently that communities should do this and that, why not come to the site at any time, chat with them, discuss together, rather than giving directive instructions on how things should be done? Or is it that a great deal of resources and space renovation are needed before great value can be seen? I think the answer is no.
Today in Baozhuang Community of Douliu City, although what everyone did was merely a display board for the community's flower-drum formation, an extremely great story is speaking out here, and it also lets us learn how to respect every person in the community, the value of every partner, which lies not in age but in that heart for the local place.