My fishing teacher 2019/Carlos Pueblo
Ming Chia,
my fishing teacher and alma mater of Taiwan Normal, has
been serious
sick ever since May, 2018. He had had a minor stroke before
two falls
which cause his loosing blood and unconsciousness. He is in a
rehabilitation
at home with his wife care and a help short time from his
insurance
coverage. It takes 3 hours for him to recognize me and murmurs
my first
name. He is about my age and also in diabetes and I believe that
the illness
is related to that disease. I ask Mrs. Chen to keep him warm to
pass the
severe winter coldness in Houston where I have seen many casualty.
He
immigrated to this country in late 70’s with his family of 5, wife and 3
young children
with unlimited dream. At the start, he lost his saving from
Taiwan as a high school teacher, then converted to a handy
man business
to fix houses. He has made it as a career and helps his three
children to
complete colleges and become professionals. We met at the
alumni
association and became good friends. He was also from the rural
area of the
south of Taiwan with a lot of experience of life which I adored
in my childhood, such as gathering small milk
fish at the beach and sold
them to the
whole seller for cash. The whole seller would transfer the tiny
fish to a
fish farm to grow the fish. Milk fish is one of the protein source in
Taiwan.
He has taught
me how to fish at Freeport, Texas that I have had a very good
memory. I
once thinking of taking him to the American West to fish trout on
the stream,
such as Yellow Stone, Colorado, and California, etc. and now that
becomes a
subject to get his attention. We all promise him to get better and
I shall make
that fishing trip happen.
In Buddhism,
age and illness are two of our major suffering in life. I have met
many healthy
elders on board of cruise ships to enjoy retirement and also
seen many
friends get sick at old age. We all like to live in a meaningful way
of life and
we all like to help the other to have a good life. After that, we also
desire that
we can leave something after our death, money or name recognition.
After
visiting him, I feel that the short of my life and I can’t worry too much of
what is
going to happen in my remaining life.
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