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우리들의 노년을 맞이하고 보내면서...

 

올해는 끝도 없이 저에게는 소중한 사람들이 떠나 가네요.

Please forgive me, I can write in English much faster, though not good in any means.

This year, there were multiple sorrowful events occurred to me.

 

This April, I lost one of my close friends with pancreatic cancer.

He was my roommate in the year 1966-67 in Bronx, NY.

 

Then, in this past August, My close classmate (Dr. Tae-Hae Kwon) passed away. He had a non-small cell lung cancer. Both of them intimately shared their and their families' lives with us for many decades.

 

Unexpectedly, last week, my brother passed away, collapsed in front of his place waiting for an ambulance. He was 89-year-old. He was a very humble person but had worked hard all his life for the peace in the Korean peninsula. He thought that the process or negotiations for peace in the Korean Peninsula should not be weighed and directed by big powers, the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia.

He was an ardent nationalist, believing that we should try to solve our problems by ourselves, diluting out as much as possible, the interferences and interests of other foreign powers. He has been my big brother since I was a little kid.

 

I just got back to NY and had a long undisturbed sleep.

Acutely, fresh again, I realize who I am, and where I am going.

Rest of my life left, I will try to connect our lives, mine and others close to me,

and celebrate our lives.

 

Here, a story goes.

 

When I moved from NY to Chicago in 1980, 구경회 was leading an organization helping the Korean seniors in Chicago Area (노인 복지회).  김길중 was helping him in this endeavor and I joined them a few years later. By the time I left Chicago, this organization had grown with its annual budget exceeding several million dollars. It has had various programs for the seniors, English class, paintings and calligraphy, securing their health insurances, medical care, applying for their U.S. citizenship, various social supports, a daily lunch program at the site or at home.

 

The latter program, chore services at home have included cleaning, cooking, getting groceries, accompanying seniors to clinics, and so on, helping the elders in their daily lives where they live.

 

In the late 1990s, I thought we could write a grant for documenting the lives of our Korean seniors born in the 1910s to 1930s. They migrated to Chicago area, mostly following their sons and daughters. Some were supported by their children.

But some were abandoned by them. Personal stories of these seniors could possibly extend to the late 19th century in Korea since they might have many memories or stories of their parents. 

 

I thought it would be a big loss to see them passing away without documenting their lives. Well, the need for immediate care for them made this project sort of a fancy one and not practical. We did not pursue any further.

 

Now, we are in their ages, almost near to the age of 80. 임현재 says, “We are blessed more than any other previous Korean generations. We were born and lived in a turbulent time in Korea, the liberation of Korea in 1945, establishing a government in South in 1948, Korean War, 1950-1953, and military coup d’états in 1961. We survived and came to the U.S.  Most of us in the U.S. have done pretty well as 임현재 said.

Our classmates in Korea have done as good or better. Our lives are closely interwoven with the historic stage of social and economic transition.

 

After retirement, 구경회 felt, and I felt likewise; “Is this the end of my life, becoming less productive, less meaningful to others, and waiting for my last breath? What could we do?” By the way, 구경회 is still active, involving himself in many worthy activities.

 

As for me, I began to write a brief note on my birth, my parents, my early life, and so on. For my kids and grandkids, they may find it helpful for understanding their identity and heritage. 

Could we extend this idea among ourselves and share them among us?

 

One may prepare and share one's story in a few pages or many more. I am the one anxious for knowing you better, thus to understand my life better. If you are willing, we can archive the result of this effort in our group website, accessible to any classmates, to our kids and to grandkids.

 

Or if any one of us willing (e.g., 오세윤, 심웅석, 김성수, 이한중, any more of us), one can edit and produce a little book. Could we have this book sooner before many of us may pass away? At worst for our 60th reunion in 2025 for those still around?

 

Some of us may feel that it may be a bad idea invading the privacy of individuals, poking into their lives. But it would be a history of us, some in Korea and some in the U.S. over almost a century. Hopefully more than few may like to participate in.

Thank you for reading this rambling story.

 

by 이광선 - October 14, 2018

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