A relaxing afternoon by the lake
Two months ago, I made up my mind to start driving again. I had gotten my driver’s license about twenty years ago, but I didn't drive. Thus, it became a "jangnongmyeonheo," directly translated means a closet license. However, as time went by, and as my parents got older, there were occasions when I needed to drive. Of course, I hesitated many times. Is it really necessary to drive at my age? Would I be good at driving in Seoul where traffic jams and road conditions are infamous and with so many reckless drivers? Anyway, finally I decided to drive.
I had to learn to drive on the roads in Seoul again after almost two decades. It was a totally new experience. I had to realize that I am not good at doing many things at the same time, such as maintaining an awareness of my surroundings in an instant and judging quickly when to change lanes. One must be a multi-tasker in order to drive safely. On top of this, I am not a person who knows about road conditions and traffic sign systems. I was terrified several times by my own driving. I narrowly avoided traffic accidents a few times.
As time passed, I got better and better at driving. Now, I am proud of myself and I am pleased that I decided to drive again. The other day I courageously asked one of my friends to go to a lake park together with me driving my car. It was located 25km away from my house. It was a pleasant and exciting journey of around one hour. I learned a lot by driving on the expressway. When we arrived at the park, it was a whole new world of picturesque natural beauty. There were so many green trees that we could walk under in the shade. We wandered through the park for some time.
At the end of the summer, the weather was splendid with much sunlight and a cool breeze. Though the air was a bit humid due to the lake water, it didn’t matter much. We found a good place to sit where we could see the lake in front of us. Long branches and thin leaves provided a cool shade for us.
Out in the fresh air and bright sunshine, we sat on a mat and ate some snacks and drinks. I could see birds like pigeons walking and hopping around on the ground near me. They didn’t seem to be afraid of me. I threw some snacks to them. The pigeons approached the snacks and ate them, I looked around at the green grass sprouting from the dark ground, and red and white flowers in round pots. The sun shone and glittering like white jewels between moving branches and leaves in the wind warmed my face. I could hear birds singing from afar. On the surface of the large lake in front of us were pink lotus flowers as well as many green leaves. I was so excited and astonished to see lotus flowers firsthand. On the water were two small brown ducks. I laid down on the mat for a while, doing nothing at all and enjoying the tranquility.
Some years ago, one politician pledged to help people have more leisure time in the evenings, reducing overtime hours and stress ... I am not sure whether such a life came to be for many people. But what was obvious on that day by the lake was that I was experiencing a gorgeous moment in life. I hope that I can have such a light life continuously. I am very grateful that I can have such a calm life with free time in the afternoon. Everywhere I go, I want to carry my happiness and thanks with me ― like white clouds and pink lotus flowers.
Lee Nan-hee studied English in college and theology at Hanshin University.