I’VE MET HIM a handful of times, but for him, each encounter is the first…
There are places I love to walk. Even knowing an area pretty well, there is always newness that strikes me. There are peculiarities of buildings I’ve not before noticed. There are gardens and yards whose beauty I’d previously overlooked. Nowadays, I’ve been winding and wandering the neighborhood with the added enjoyment of roses that are blooming everywhere in pink, red, & yellow. They even climb the fences that line the highways that traverse this gorgeous island of farms.
[roses in the neighborhood]
Since living in Jeju City, a particular nearby hill, Sara-bong, has been a favorite. At least twice, and sometimes five times a week, I ascend her west side stairs, take in the summit view of Jeju City’s north coast, and descend the switchback path on the east side. Being a regular, there are other regulars that I recognize. There’s a man I’ve seen about a half dozen times, always walking the opposite direction. Once, at the base of the hill, he was riding a bike. Every time we meet, it’s the same conversation. I’ve met him a handful of times, but for him, each encounter is the first. As we approach each other, he slows down with a smile. We greet each other with Good Morning or Good Afternoon. Standing quite close now, he always says, “Can I ask you a question?” Knowing what the question will be, I smile with, “Of course.” It’s always, “Where are you from?” After I tell him, he enquires about my stay in Jeju: how long I’ve been here, and what I’m doing for work. I’ve learned that he’s a retired elementary school teacher. He seems to be quite healthy, possibly in his sixties, but probably in his seventies with nice aging.
[flowers @ Sara-bong]
My 84 years-young grandmother’s mind isn’t the sharpest. She remembers who we are, and sometimes where we are, but couldn’t tell you what she just ate for lunch. If she’s continuously asking what I’ve been up to, it’s a nice time to jog my own memory. She might not notice me repeating myself, but I try to fish for something different, some experience I’ve not yet shared with her.
[looking West from Sunrise Peak, Jeju-do]
For Grandma and the retired schoolteacher, every moment is new. Keeping that in mind, we can rid ourselves of unnecessary emotional baggage. We can move on from people, places, and experiences. We all have our stories, but they don’t have to dictate the present. We can choose to listen to our hearts, to live here now, and to do anything we dream. To stop comparing the present to the past, to take each moment as a new experience… is to live more fully, to be more aware of the beauty of this present life. It never tires me to run into the retired schoolteacher, who greets the new moment with a new, genuine smile.
