Jumping Twins – I

作者 朱耀源

前言

這是為孫子作的story photo book的第三本。近年來為每一個孫子製作這種書幾乎成為我後半生的宿命。一旦陷下去就很難自拨。這與男女的戀愛関係一樣，心肝情願、樂在其中。只是要作完六本，是與剩下的生命，和製作的長期能耐競爭，對這點沒自信。作一本算一本，人生不就是如此嗎？

這一本又與前兩本不一様。第一本是對Kenbo的瘋狂，第二本是對Reason的關心與祈福，都有其投入的基本理由。

我們與Casey(書賢)，Lucas(展賢)住得較遠。加州Walnut Creek離我們居住地400 miles，開車加塞車七小時再加30到60分的lunch hour，這不是每星期可以去的。

再說坐飛機也不方便，因此我們的頻率是每兩三個月一次開車過去，平均住十天。因此與他們的接觸，觀察與了解是跳躍的。這雖然可能缺少整體性和連續性，但有美好的跳躍性，更能引發深刻的思念，想像與驚喜。這是另一種的享受。

基於這些條件，我們對他們實際生活真實面的了解可能比Kenbo和Reason差一點。因此也只好不太負責任的說一句“如與眞實有差異，概不負責”，這只是 Akon與Apo看到的一面而已。在此也盡量避免替他們定調定論。

他們是雙胞胎，是在我身邊發生的第一次，有新鮮感。但顯然的他們應該是異卵生雙胞胎，只是兩兄弟在幾分鐘內相繼出生而已。我一生作花卉，也知道不管是同種，同株，只要是兩朵花，總有不同的地方。我刻意在這本書裏穿插了一些兩朵花照片。

在2000年代，日本「SMAP」歌唱團所唱的的名歌，「世界上只有一朵花」，提醒每一個人都有其獨特性，不可妄自非薄，也讓我感觸頗深。雙胞胎不是一個，也不一様，他們的少年有相似的成長環境，中年經過不同的奮鬥過程，老年將有不同的命運結果，我們祝福他們。

Foreword

This is the third story photo book for my grandchildren. Creating these books has become the focus of my retirement because it’s like falling in love with somebody – when it comes from the bottom of your heart, just keep enjoying it without any reservations. The question, however, is whether or not I can finish all six books, which definitely will be a challenge. In any case, I’ll continue working on them one by one until they’re all finished, since I’ve used this same approach for all other things throughout my life.

However, this book is different from the two previous books. The first one was based on the simple craziness of Kenbo while the second reflects care and wishes for Reason. There are good justifications for both of these topics.

For this book, I must point out that 400 miles separate Laguna Woods, where we live, and Walnut Creek, where the twins live. Air flights are not very convenient so we usually drive, meaning the trip is at least seven hours plus a lunch break. Typically, we visit them every 2 to 3 months and stay for 10 to 14 days.

With this kind of rhythm, our in-person contact with the twins lacks continuity and is confined to short periods of time. Although this leads to observations that are incomplete and provide only a partial understanding of their lives, it also increases the level of surprise and imagination in how we see new developments as they grow up. This is a different kind of enjoyment that we also love very much.

So the story in this book may be a different kind of truth compared to the previous books, because it reflects more of the dreams and imagination from Akon and Apo’s perspective. I hope the twins sense this when reading this book when they are older.

 

Twins are new to us in our family and they give all of us a new way of looking at grandchildren, sons, and siblings. They are two brothers who came to this world separated by a single minute. But as a botanist, I know that no two flowers in the world are exactly the same, no matter if they come from the same variety, same plant, or even the same branch. In the year 2000, there was a very popular Japanese song, “Only One Flower in the World” by the group SMAP. This song encourages and emphasizes the individuality of people and I love it very much. The twins will have similar lives while they are young, but they will grow up individually through their own efforts, choices, and desires.

Eventually, they will grow into different adulthoods and future lives based on their destinies. We bless them to have wonderful lives, both together and apart from each other.

Published in 08/2013

Donated by Dr. I. Chu 06/2018

Posted in 07/2018