Due to the epidemic, the stadium has not been opened in the first half of this year, and the stadium has been very quiet and nobody. The stadium, which was only opened in June, was closed again because of an outbreak in the new land. The stadium was lively for a few days, and then it was quiet.
It was not until the end of July that the emergency epidemic in Beijing was lifted that the stadium reopened and suddenly became a paradise for fitness enthusiasts and children.
Especially in the morning and after dusk, there are many children in the stadium (in recent years, with the implementation of the two-child policy, it seems that many children suddenly ran out around). Every evening, when the light comes on, the artificial lawn of the stadium is crowded with children running and playing, surrounded by parents who are standing, squatting or sitting (parents who take care of children, parents with children, and grandparents). Look at the children in the stadium, shouting friends, running and playing wildly, in full swing, having a good time. There are relatively few children coming in the morning, and all the children are accompanied by the elderly.
Because of its safety, the gymnasium has become a natural playground for children. The ground here is flat, there are no cars, and the ground is soft. It is not afraid of falling and bumping, attracting children and parents around it.
Go to the sports equipment department of the stadium to exercise every morning, and you can always meet children and old people. When I was exercising, I gradually figured out the origin of these old people chatting in dialects with different accents. Only then did I know that these old people came from all directions of the motherland to look after their children. There seems to be a fashionable new term to call this kind of old people "old drifters".
Yes, that's the word-old drifter.
Old drifters are a special group of old people. They don't want to make a living or develop their personal career. They are trying to help their children leave home, come to the children who work in big cities and take care of their third generation-to see their grandchildren. Some of these old people come from cities and some from rural areas. Among them are workers, farmers, freelancers and intellectuals. Some old couples came, and some were alone.
Old drifters are the product of social development. Nowadays, with the popularization of higher education, the prosperity and opportunities provided by big cities, more and more young people choose to travel and settle in big cities.
When these young people get married and have children, they find that their energy and financial resources are limited, and the dual pressures of work and survival follow. So there are old drifters-old people leave their hometown to take care of their children and the next generation in order to support their children's careers.
Our Third Institute of Aerospace is a high-tech research institute. Many excellent students are recruited from famous universities all over the country every year. These outstanding graduates from all corners of the country come here with great enthusiasm for serving the country and are ready to start their careers. Naturally, they also settled here.
Every day when I was exercising, I overheard the conversation of old people (some are old, some are young, the old are in their seventies, and the young are only in their fifties), which is very touching.
Let me sum up, the dialogue between the old people mainly involves several aspects:
One is the contradiction with the son, daughter-in-law or daughter-in-law, such as the education of food and clothing for the baby and housework;
Second, the loneliness of the elderly. Many elderly people come to their children's homes alone to take care of the third generation, separated from their wives and lonely, while the other half are in their hometown, or have something to do or have to take care of the next generation of another child;
The third is medical care for the elderly, because not all elderly people have medical insurance, and spending money to see a doctor has become a problem;
The fourth is to worry about their own pension and the future of their children. These old people from different cities and villages, while taking care of the third generation, also found that their only children were too busy to protect themselves. How can their children have time and energy to take care of them when they are sick or unable to move?
Fifth, things that the elderly care about, such as salary, fitness, cooking and education. ...
Let me summarize some classic representative words of the elderly.
First of all, about loneliness
"My son and daughter-in-law are both graduate students of famous universities. My son and daughter-in-law work in this institute. They are usually very busy, often work overtime, and sometimes go home at midnight. Taking care of my grandson has become my own business, as if it has nothing to do with their husband and wife. I have been here for 8 years and I am exhausted. " An old lady with a northeast accent said.
It seems that she is a veteran drifter. She said that her grandson has just entered the second grade of primary school. One working day before the epidemic, she was responsible for sending her grandson to school, buying food and cooking. Besides, she has to watch her grandson do his homework. Since the epidemic, children have stopped going to school, and watching it at home all day is even more exhausting.
"Usually a busy day has passed, and I don't often go out for a walk. This city is unfamiliar to me. Being busy and tired is on the one hand, and I feel particularly lonely in my life. "
She told the old man next to her that there are many relatives and friends in her hometown who live very close and often walk around each other. After coming to Beijing, I felt lonely because the generation gap didn't talk much with my son and daughter-in-law. I didn't know anyone when I left home, and I was a nodding acquaintance with my neighbors, so I really hope to return to my hometown as soon as possible. But the reason why she went to anxious to return is that her wife is still alone in her hometown. My wife has an elderly father to take care of, so she can't come to Beijing with me. My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter don't often go home for the New Year because of their busy work. In these eight years, the old lady can only go back to reunite with her wife during the Spring Festival. When she got old, her heart was not very good, which worried her.
Second, the generation gap and contradiction related to parenting.
Because of the different concepts and ways of parenting, there are also contradictions between the elderly and their daughters and sons-in-law.
An old lady said.
The hot milk for the children is too hot. Don't dress the children so much in hot weather ... My daughter often blames me for similar things. At the most intense time, we quarreled and helped bring up the children and became enemies.
My granddaughter always cries in the middle of the night because she loves her daughter and her son-in-law. I sleep with my children at night. I am hard of hearing, and sometimes I can't hear the crying of the child immediately, so I will be blamed for it.
Facing the contradiction with her daughter and son-in-law, the old lady said that she was once depressed and returned to her hometown the year before last.
But when his wife died last year, the old lady returned to Beijing to look after the children for her daughter and son-in-law.
Thirdly, I feel tired and stressed.
An old man who looks a little vicissitudes of life said that he has two grandchildren to take care of now. A few years ago, I came to Beijing from my hometown to take care of my granddaughter because I was worried about my son. The wife showed her grandson in her hometown, and the two old people took care of the third generation separately. She finally waited until her granddaughter went to primary school, thinking that she could get rid of her family and reunite with her wife. I didn't expect the country to let go of two children. The son and daughter-in-law responded to the call and gave birth to another son. Only by attaching importance to rural boys can we carry on the family line. The old lady who wants to have grandchildren is very happy. She can't leave this time, and she doesn't want to.
She began to see her grandson again. Because of the epidemic, my granddaughter didn't go to school this year, and the two children took care of her together. Now she is under more pressure than before. I have little time for myself now. I am either looking after the children, buying food and cooking, and sometimes doing housework. I am exhausted every day. But that's all. People often complain that my cooking is too much, salty and not delicious.
The old lady has grievances in her heart. Although he is his own son and daughter-in-law, he always feels that he has not received enough attention and respect. Although they are all relatives, sometimes they feel like an outsider. Grandson grows up and still wants to go back to his hometown.
Fourth, I am in poor health and worried about medical care.
In addition, there are elderly people who have a headache because of medical problems.
An old man who defected from his hometown in Beijing to his son was very worried about seeking medical treatment in different places.
"I also have a daughter, married to the south, which does not meet the requirements of moving into the household registration with her children. Hukou can't move into Beijing, and you can't get medical insurance. I have to buy it myself. " An old man said.
He suffers from high blood pressure and severe coronary heart disease. I have been hospitalized many times in my hometown and have to take medicine every day. "I usually take those medicines, which are quite expensive. If you can't use medical insurance, it must be a relatively large expenditure, so every time I finish using medicine, I will ask my relatives in my hometown to buy more and mail them. Fortunately, I have been in Beijing for a year, and I have never been sick, but once I get sick, it will be very troublesome and it will be a big expense, which is what I am most worried about now. "
………
The old people's conversation is unrestrained, trivial and broken, and the topic changes quickly. I also listened to it for many days, and the more I listened, the more sad I became.
It used to be said that raising children to prevent old age, but what about these old people? They have raised their children and trained them into talents, but these only children are hard to protect themselves. Old people have to give up the comfort of just retiring to help their children take care of the third generation.
What is the happiness of the old people?
Who will solve their worries?
What if these old people can't move in the future?
Well, I'm just worried. Everything will work out eventually. Maybe with the development of society, everything will be fine, right?