A Sunday Walk in Bukchon
Last Sunday, I met Bin Park for the first time in ages. The last time we saw each other was probably around the year before last, when we had dinner in Nonhyeon. Since then, a lot has happened for each of us, and we've also experienced many similar things. We met at Thanks Oat in Anguk, then walked along the route of the Jongno 02 bus (which used to run during our Asan Frontier Youth training) all the way up to the top of Gahoe-dong. We passed Korea Cyber University, went through Jungang Middle and High School, and walked through Changdeokgung Palace. After walking around Changdeokgung for a while, we walked to Gwanghwamun and said goodbye to catch our respective buses. During our two-hour stroll, we walked over ten thousand steps and had many conversations. Binbak and I did Asan Frontier Youth together during college. After working at a social enterprise, we now work at large corporations in the IT field. We also handle similar cloud services, so we have plenty to share professionally, but honestly, we talked about the same thing the whole time. Maybe we're just destined to be misfits in this organization? Is the pain we endure on this path we chose simply something we have to bear? Yet, it felt unfair. "We're not asking for much. We just wish our work had a little more meaning!" I just wish we could eat tastier, healthier food at company dinners instead of just focusing on meat. Things that felt natural when we took the Jongno 02 bus to training at the top of Gahoe-dong 6-7 years ago don't feel that way now. And the fact that we, and no one else, made that choice felt bitter.
> Always delicious Thanks Oat
We also talked about what we truly hope to be like in 10 or 20 years. The moment we mentioned things like success within an organization or reaching the top of the industry, we both let out hollow laughs. What good would any of that do? What we desire is to live closer to nature. To eat healthier food and live healthier lives. We talked about how we should weave the stories I tell into compelling content and share them. That's what it should be, right? As we each approach five years working in our organizations, worries are starting to creep in—that I might become too dull or too rough. But we also held onto a bit of optimism: maybe we're the same people we were five years ago, and we'll still be the same people five years from now. We also shared the thought that perhaps the survivors are the strong ones. We wondered if there might be friends like us, misfits, among our juniors, and suggested that for their sake, we should try to endure well. The stability of the organization we hold now, the salary and benefits, the reasonable colleagues – these aren't easily obtained. Having experienced other environments, we know this all too well. So it's not just about enduring or persevering; it's about protecting ourselves and surviving. Filling the latter half of last year with driving and my hobbies gave me a little strength, and I'm planning to make good use of my 10-day seniority leave this year. Binbak also has a chance to take a break when spring comes, so I'm just waiting for spring to arrive. Both of us, building strength right now, so that twenty years from now, we can live warmly and safely in our own world. When April comes, I've decided to go to Binbak's house in Yangpyeong and get some delicious food. In the fall, I have to invite them to the Seocheon house too. It was a grateful Sunday stroll, having a friend walking the same path, even if from afar.
