三代情深，智慧同行 | Three Generations, One Deep Bond, Walking with Wisdom

林榮峰 | Emily Lee

中文 | English

三代情深，智慧同行

李家的第三代——沛，帶著她的舅舅，也就是李家的第二代，來紐約探訪我們這對叔公、嬸婆，一共待了十天。我們真是倒屣相迎，夢想中的這一刻終於來臨！

看著這位姪孫女年紀輕輕就這麼成熟、事業有成，還能在競爭激烈的台灣新竹買下自己的公寓，真是欣慰。這趟來紐約，她一定想為新居挑選一些特別的東西。最讓人感動的是，她第一眼就看中了一個簡簡單單的相框，上面寫著：「愛——上帝白白的賞賜（以弗所3:19）」。這正顯出她內心深處對上帝的仰望！

在我的客廳畫廊裡，她還看上了一幅我早期畫的作品：美國東北角海邊的《黃昏之船》。她立刻問 AI：「這幅畫可以掛在我的客廳嗎？」AI 很快就生成了一張充滿美感的模擬圖，呈現出她客廳的樣子。你能相信嗎？你會這樣做嗎？

雖然不住在紐約，她卻用 Google Maps 帶著舅舅遊遍自由女神、百老匯《Aladdin》、中央公園、華爾街、High Line、Chelsea Market……不論坐地鐵還是購物，全都靠手機操作。

有一天，我們決定也跟著他們走走逛逛。我心想：「雖然我們是老紐約人，但這些年紐約變化太快，尤其經歷了疫情之後，已經不是我們熟悉的樣子了。還是得小心些。」於是鼓起勇氣，跟著三代同遊，由從事室內設計的 外姪女Jessica 當導遊，帶我們去了布魯克林綠點附近，一家由日本禪師經營的餐廳。從碗具到手工蕎麥麵，樣樣精緻美妙，彷彿置身日本而不必遠行。附近還有許多日式商店，賣的東西都很特別。

接著我們又搭乘小船到布魯克林橋頭廣場，最後登上屋頂觀賞曼哈頓橋與布魯克林橋橫跨夜色中曼哈頓的壯麗景色。實在太美了！結束了這一天精彩又難忘的三代之旅，連女婿也特地趕來參與，最後還叫了 Uber 把我們送回家。

看來，我們這些年長者也該學會年輕人那樣，善用 AI、Apple Pay、Uber——一機在手，走遍天下的智慧生活！

記得大學時，我選過一門「家政推廣」課。老師總是強調：「生活的智慧最重要。」她常說，家庭主婦若沒有智慧去接受新事物，比如紙尿布，就只能繼續忍受手洗尿布的痛苦。

七、八年前回台灣，拜訪一位同學，她向我介紹兩樣「神器」，讓她能常常輕鬆應酬。回紐約後，我立刻也買了一台 iRobot-Roomba，解決了掃地的苦差事；又買了一個飯菜自動煮鍋，生活立刻輕鬆許多。

如今又到了「手機掌控一切」的時代，尤其 AI 時代已經到來，我們更該跟上腳步。趁著兩位聰明的年輕人要離開前，趕緊學會設置 Face ID、使用手機付款、叫 Uber……希望有一天，我們也能像年輕人一樣，隨時隨地行走自如。

活到老，學到老。這就是這次三代同堂之旅給我的啟發。只盼腦子還靈光著，哈！

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中文 | English

Three Generations, One Deep Bond, Walking with Wisdom

The third generation of the Lee family — Pei — brought her uncle, the second generation of the family, to New York to visit us, the great-uncle and great-aunt, for ten days. We welcomed them with open arms; this long-dreamed-of moment had finally come!

Seeing this young grandniece, already so mature and accomplished, and even managing to buy her own apartment in the highly competitive city of Hsinchu, Taiwan, filled us with joy. I knew she would want to pick out something special for her new home during this trip. What touched me most was that the very first thing she chose was a simple photo frame inscribed with: “you are   LOVED beyond measure (Ephesians 3:19).” It revealed her deep reverence and love for God.

In our living room gallery, she also noticed one of my early paintings — The Ship at Dusk, depicting the northeastern coast of the U.S. She immediately asked AI: “Would this look good in my living room?” Within moments, AI generated a beautifully rendered mock-up showing the painting in her living room. Can you believe that? Would you ever think to do such a thing?

Even though she doesn’t live in New York, she deftly used Google Maps to guide her uncle through the city — visiting the Statue of Liberty, seeing the Broadway musical Aladdin, strolling Central Park, Wall Street, the High Line, Chelsea Market… navigating subway rides and shopping, all through her phone.

One day, we decided to tag along on their explorations. I thought to myself:

“Although we’re longtime New Yorkers, the city has changed so much over the years — especially after the pandemic — it’s no longer the familiar place we once knew. We need to be cautious.”

So we mustered the courage and joined this three-generation outing, with our niece Jessica, an interior designer, as our guide.

She led us to a charming Japanese restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, run by a Zen master. Everything — from the handmade soba noodles to the delicate bowls — was exquisite, as though we’d been transported to Japan without leaving New York. The nearby shops, full of unique Japanese goods, were delightful to browse.

We then took a small boat to the plaza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, and finally climbed to a rooftop to take in the breathtaking view of Manhattan framed by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges at night. Absolutely stunning!

It was a wonderful, unforgettable day of three generations sharing an adventure — even our son-in-law Dean rushed over to join us, and at the end, called an Uber to take us home.

It became clear to me that we elders should also learn from the younger generation — to embrace AI, Apple Pay, Uber — and enjoy the convenience of living smartly with just a phone in hand.

I remember back in college, I took a course called Home Economics Extension. The teacher often emphasized: “Life wisdom is the most important.” She would say that a housewife without the wisdom to embrace new things — such as disposable diapers — would remain trapped in the misery of washing cloth diapers by hand.

Seven or eight years ago, when I visited a classmate in Taiwan, she introduced me to two “miracle” gadgets that made her life much easier and allowed her to go out and socialize more. When I returned to New York, I immediately bought myself an iRobot-Roomba, which relieved me of vacuuming, and an automatic rice and food cooker, which made daily meals much easier.

Now we’ve reached the age of “everything at your fingertips” — especially with the advent of AI — and we need to keep up. Before the two smart young ones left, we hurried to learn how to set up Face ID, pay with our phones, call an Uber…

I hope one day, we too can walk the streets as confidently and freely as the young people do.

Live and learn — that’s the lesson this three-generation journey taught me. I just hope my brain keeps up! Ha!