Daily Sauntering

(One of requirements of TH 501-01, Drew Theological School on September 15, 1982.)

Very my own story:

Since my family came back to Seoul, Capital of South Kora, again in 1951 from the war exile for 8 months, my father had a chance to work as a mechanical engineer. Then we returned back to the middle class in the Korean society. However, he spent most of his life in a field of factory and the company office to design a machine which makes the acetic acid and to build a production system. Otherwise, he spent most of his time with us, but rather not saying anything. People were obviously depressed by the war. But one of the important reasons why my parents had to live in silence was personality difference.

Secondly, according to Korean marriage customs, the heads of the two families (fathers or grandfathers etc.) decided the marriage for their children who are below 15 years old without hearing their feeling or opinions.

Thirdly I never saw their affection to each other as wife and husband as well as towards us, children. In addition, my father was two years younger than my mother. In the traditional thinking of Korean customs fathers have the authority in their families. However, mother had been the commanding officer at home. As the result, father always away from home and stay in his work by their emotional conflicts.

Therefore, my mother took care of the children and all family affairs. However, they never have lived in separating or divorcing.

In the circumstances of this conflict, the children grew up with lack of affectionate feeling, rather fill the house management duties: each child keeps their duties. mine was to clean the floors and fill the ceramic water container of 100 gallon daily from a well of few miles away. Now, I felt why I am a good hand for others. I had to endure all of hard works, because I had been trained by my mother as a middle son. I sometimes felt sorrow. However, I never heard words of appreciation or compliment for the results of hard work by mother. My other two sisters had carried much harder and important works for management, such as cared the baby brother and cook all meals daily for the family.

This was a gift which God gave me through this journey as endurance as recognizing the importance of family bond that the magnificent base of the society. 

(One of requirements of TH 501-01, Drew Theological School on September 15, 1982.)

About two weeks before my first birthday (July 7, 1950), the Korean War broke. The infant, who was the second son and the third child in his family, was crying and crying on the back of his mother who was trying to escape from the hot zone of active war under the communist military operation in the capital city, Seoul, and push down to South in Korea. Furthermore, my father had to leave my mom, brother(13), sister(11), and a baby boy(11 months old), because he was conscripted by the Korean Army. Therefore, I had to be satisfied with eating the small piece of Indian-millet-bread on the edge of a road for my first birthday party. His mom exchanged her golden wedding ring with. The baby ate it with frozen hand on the back of his mother.

So far, the Korean war has not ended. Time has flown on the parallel lines of 155 miles D.M.Z. between North and South as the armistice conference continues. The war plundered the life, history and love from the land. After the war, my family had, two new members; my sister is now 28 years old and the other is my brother who is 25 years old. My older brother, who is 45 years old now and a medical doctor in Connecticut, made possible for my whole family’s immigration to the States. My mother is 67 years old and my father is 65 years old.

After the Korean War, my mother who had been a shamanist for a long time, converted to a Christian.

Coffe Lover:

Coffee lover:
fragrance
long before waking up
fill the world of mine
in the morning
has been long journey
cross the fields, rooms and ways
now rest into my five senses
then
few minutes passing
dancing in flying
into own celestial space
with sixth sense
for all day long.
Could have a happy day.

Start to fall
when
intense hovering
of its clemency

over
long waiting
to loose

siluette of
violent storm
with
“Either or.”

Let it snow
on Earth,
vigilant Peace!

Shameful
to call it evil
Yet, create the wall
for horror.

Let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow

Far better than
disappointing
the black ice
with sleet.

Start to fall
of heaven
on the ground.