SeniorcitizensworkasvolunteersattheShanghaiCooperationOrganizationSummitheldinQingdao,eastChina’sShandongProvinceJIANGKEHONGOnlyfivemonthsinChina,andIhavenotedwithadmirationtheunrelentingspiritamongtheChinesepeople,especiallytheelderly.Seniors’activeinvolvementindifferentfacetsoflifeandtheeconomyofthecountryruncountertothefamiliarattitudeinsomeAfricancountriesofrelegatingtheelderlytotheruralareas.Whetherit’sbydesignorbydefault,manypeopleuponreachingretirementageinAfricafindthemselvesretracingtheirstepstoruralareas.Therearenoplanslaidouttoabsorbthemintothesystemsothattheycontinuetomakeacontributiontothesocioeconomicdevelopmentofthecountry.ButinmyexperiencethisisnotsoinChineseculture.
Ihavehadnumerousoccasionstowitnesshowtheelderlyinthissocietycontinuetobeactivecontributorstothedevelopmentoftheircountry.Anditwaswhenanunrelentingmiddle-agedChinesewomanpersuadedmetoplaytabletennisforthefirsttimeinmylifethatIrealizedthisisnotbymerecoincidence.ThereisabeliefingrainedinChinesepeoplethattranscendsphysicalappearanceandplaces:valueinone’sabilitycanmakeadifference.
IwastryingtocatchmybreathduringabreakfrommyroutinemorningjogwhichnormallytakesmethroughthestreetsofcentralBeijing.Butonthatfatefulday,Itookaturnintoalovelyparksituatedintheembassyareajust1kmfromwhereIlive.Withmyheadphonesonlisteningtoamorninginspirationalmessage,IjoinedtheenergeticChinesepeoplewhohadwonthedailybattleagainstlazinesswhichconspireswiththebodytostayinbed.
AsItookabreather,Iwalkedtotheoutdoortabletenniscourttowatchtheseniorsswingthesmallracquetwithanequallytinyball.Howtheymanagedtocontrolthatballremainedamystery.Soon,mostoftheelderlymenwerebeckoningmetojoininthegame.Isaid,“Wobuhui(Ican’tplay),”theonlywordsIcouldutterinChinesetoregistermyinabilitytoparticipate.
However,unrelentingly,onemiddle-agedwomandressedlikeatabletennisplayershovedthesmallracquetintomylefthand,figurativelystatingthatthegamewason.Forabout30minutes,shepatientlyguidedmeonhowtohandlethesmallracquet,controlmyenergyonthesmallballandpositionmyselfaroundthetable.Andshedidsousingherbodymovements.Allthewhilethelanguagebarrierfailedtodeterournewfoundrelationship.
Well,astheysaytherestishistory.Now,IcanconfidentlywalkuptoatabletenniscourtandplaythankstoaChinesewoman’sunrelentingspirit.However,thisspiritisnotlimitedtokeepingaconsistentactivesportingregimen.Ihaveseentheelderlyinvolvedinvarioussectorsincludingtourism,entertainmentandotherdevelopmentalactivities.IhavevisitedHainan,HubeiandGuangdongprovincesandhavebeenafirst-handwitnesstohowtheelderlystillcontributetothedevelopmentofChina.InvillagesinsouthChina’sHainanProvince,theelderlyarepartoftheculturalkaleidoscopewhichincludestraditionaldisplays,artandhandiworksuchasweavingandmolding.
AttheGreatWallofChina,ForbiddenCityandNationalMuseumofChina,Ihavewatchedtheelderlytakingpartintouristexhibitionsorvisitingtouristattractions.AttheBeijingFolk-CustomPerformance,Ialsonotedaseniorparticipantmesmerizingtheaudiencewithhishandiwork,whileincentralChina’sHubeiProvince,manyelderlypeopletakepartinproductiveagriculturalactivities.ThisunrelentingspiritcontinuesevenintomanualworklikecleaningandsweepingpavementsorpassagewayswhereChineseseniorscontinuetobeactiveparticipants.
It’sadeliberateactionandisbestsummarizedbyaquoteinChinesePresidentXiJinping’sbooktitledXiJinping:TheGovernanceofChina(II).
Itstates,“Whenthepeoplearefirmintheirconvictions,thecountrywillprosperandthenationwillgrowstronger.”
**ThewriterisaZimbabweanjournalistinChina
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