Blissful / 幸福的

五月時對於自己的作品有些不確定，我想來想去，覺得自己需要一雙有經驗、超然的眼睛，我想到鄭明進老師，兩年前的確聽過老師的演講，也記得老師很歡迎大家和交換信件，只可惜我當時沒有留下老師的地址。我在網路上搜尋老師的資料，很幸運地找到他在今年初出版的一本書，叫做「鄭明進與20個插畫家的秘密通訊」，買來之後發現裡面插畫家寄給老師的信件上，便可以找到老師的地址，我對自己說，一定要寫信給老師才行。

I wasn’t so sure about my works back in May, so it occurred to me that maybe I need a pair of experienced and objective eyes. Mr. Cheng Ming Chin’s name popped into my mind. I did attend one speech held by him two years ago, and I remember that he welcomed the audience to exchange mail with him. It is a pity that I didn’t ask for his address then. Thus, I searched for his information online and came across a book he had published earlier this year entitled Mr. Cheng Ming Chin’s Secret Mail with Twenty Illustrators. I was lucky enough to find Mr. Cheng’s address on the mail sent by his illustrator friends to him in the book. It was then that I vowed to write to him as soon as possible.

拖到了七月旅行回來，終於寄出給老師的明信片，但是我心裡想，如果老師沒有回信也是很正常的，這麼一想就到了八月底。星期天傍晚回家時，目光突然被一封躺在管理員桌上、看起來很不尋常的信件吸引，信封底貼著一張小圖，呼籲大家愛用台灣水果，出於好奇心，我把信封翻過來，收件人就是我！

I put off this important task until the end of July after I returned from my summer trip. Though I did send out a hand-drawn postcard, in the meanwhile, I told myself that it would be understandable if I did not hear from Mr. Cheng. Then one month passed. When I came home last Sunday evening, I was attracted by a very special-looking envelope lying randomly on the desk of the concierge. On the back was glued a small picture advocating the consumption of Taiwanese fruits. My curiosity tempted me to turn the envelope, and surprisingly, I was the addressee!

我開心地搭上電梯，到家不自主地大聲嚷嚷起來，老爸老媽也不得不問是怎麼回事，我說了老師的名字，他們倆也附和：鄭老師很有名啊，我們都認識。原來老師在收到明信片的當週就回信了，只是把我們家的樓層數少寫了1，還好我善心的鄰居在一個月後把信丟出來，又讓我在覺得有點落寞的星期天巧遇了這封信，我不禁想，上帝對我挺好的。

I took the elevator with a heart full of glee. I couldn’t help making a lot of noise about the mail when arriving home. Dad and Mom asked me what it was all about. When I uttered Mr. Cheng’s name, they two both exclaimed: Oh he is famous! We have heard his name. (Mr. Cheng is like the father of illustration in Taiwan.) I learned that Mr. Cheng had replied during the same week I sent out the postcard. However, he missed the number 1 when it came to the floor I live on. Fortunately, my kind-hearted neighbor threw out the mail one month later so that I could accidentally find it on a kind-of-sentimental Sunday. Isn’t God pretty nice to me, I thought…

老師快要八十歲了，卻如此充滿熱情，這令我很感動。老師的信件中除了提醒我之前我也想過的問題，還說：我們不拘束地、自由自在地畫畫好嗎？恰巧最近小雪也是這麼和我說的，也許我在無形中就給自己套上框架，幸好有這些很溫暖的人不斷提醒我，讓我可以在喜歡的事情裏用我的步伐前進，我真是幸福的一個人！

Mr. Cheng is almost 80 years old, but he is so full of passion and warmth. That really moves me. In Mr. Cheng’s mail, he reminded me of something I had thought about before. He also said, let’s draw freely without any restrictions, shall we? Eileen happened to have made similar remarks to me last week. I figure that sometimes I lock myself in the box without being aware of it. I am so blessed to have these warm people to constantly lift me up so that I can make progress at my own pace in doing the thing I love the most in the world.