My Grandfather’s Story

Written By Han Saebyeol

I live with my grandparents. My father decided to live with his parents and my mother agreed, and I was born into that big family. I love both of my grandparents, but my grandfather is a very special person to me. When I was a little kid, I often had nightmares. My grandpa would come and comfort me, helping me fall back asleep. He was also my mental shield against all the things I struggled with. Whenever I had troubles in my life, I went to my grandpa, and my grandpa calmed me down. Now, I want to tell my grandfather’s life story.

My grandfather was born in Hwasun 77 years ago in 1938. He was the first child among seven siblings. He used to hang out with his brothers and sisters when he was a child, and he remembers it was a really fun time. But his father pushed him so hard to study to become a politician or a lawyer that some of his childhood memories are depressing. While he was studying politics in Chonnam National University, he met his soul mate: my grandma. She was from another village, and soon they were married.

At that time my grandpa was involved in a protest against the military coup of president Park Chung-hee. My grandpa left his house and went to my grandma’s house to avoid interrogation by the police. When he and my grandma ran away from the dictator’s agents, my grandma got pregnant with my father. My grandpa said it was the greatest moment in his life when he heard my grandmother was carrying his first son. A few months later he decided to join the military because it was the only way to get away from the police. He served as a soldier for one and a half years. When he came back from the military, he kept studying at Chonnam National University. But his misery was about to begin.

Right after my grandpa graduated from university, he was banished by his father. My great grandfather thought my grandpa failed him by not becoming a lawyer or a politician. When my grandpa left the house, he decided to be a teacher. But first he had to work to support his family. He had to work in a mine. This was the most depressing time for my grandpa. He said he was traumatized when he heard so much rough language and so many insults from the other workers. My grandpa was too timid and shy to get along with those tough guys, but he persistently kept doing the mine work that mentally and physically harmed him until he got a new job.

Finally, he passed the exam to be a teacher and got out of the mine. He became a middle school math teacher, and it became his lifelong career. He made many mistakes at first, but he was getting used to being a teacher and soon became one of the most respected teachers at his school. He worked in many public schools and taught a lot of students, until he retired at the age of 60. After his retirement, he became depressed and a little bit violent, but he managed to control himself a few years later. Now he is resting and enjoying his hobbies like collecting stones.

My grandpa was not a perfect man. He made a lot of mistakes in his life, and some of them were really serious. But it was not my grandpa himself who did the wrong things. I think he made mistakes because he was struggling to survive in a society that was unfair and filled with lots of corruption. My grandpa went through many obstacles when he had to become independent. Those difficulties gave my grandpa huge challenges, but he overcame them and succeeded to have a nice job and good family. I am so proud that my grandpa has become the person who he is now even after experiencing so many troubles in his life.