Seven Years “Lost” – February 2025

By Isaiah Winters

For seven years, I’ve truly enjoyed stewarding this column across a broad spectrum of Gwangju- and Honam-centric topics. Over time, the “Lost” appellation has proven apt in more ways than one; for instance, I’d have been lost these last seven years without my love of writing. Scribbling a monthly column has given this introvert a lasting voice of ink and pixels. Sure, my niche has principally been decaying structures and their minutiae, but it’s a niche, nonetheless. What I appreciate most about writing is how the thousands of hours invested have given me the confidence that comes with having an actual skill. At the risk of being overly self-indulgent, here are just seven articles in my arsenal worth reading:

• Hak-dong redevelopment collapse (issue #233)
• Hwajeong I-Park apartment collapse (issue #240)
• Sewol ferry accident’s tenth anniversary (issue #267)
• Namgwang Hospital’s abandoned organ jars (issue #215)
• Solitary confinement messages inside Gwangju Prison (issue #245)
• Abuse of students with disabilities at Gwangju Inhwa School (issue #222)
• Seojin Hospital’s link to corruption, MeToo, and student mistreatment (issue #200)

Now with that little victory lap out of the way, I regret to say that this article marks not only the end of my seventh year but also the end of my final year writing “Lost” articles for the Gwangju News. Ending at seven has been my plan for quite some time now, and as corny as it may sound, lucky number seven has recently made me think deeply about my life’s trajectory, so please forgive the numerical navel-gazing rounding out this farewell.

Seven is rife with symbolism. In Genesis, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream as a portent of seven years’ abundance followed by seven years of famine. In academia, professors are sometimes allowed to go on sabbatical, typically after seven years of employment. Then there’s the tale of Odysseus, who survives the final leg of his journey back to Ithaca and cleans house following seven years in Calypso’s carnal capture. The “seven” references could go on and on.

My current situation draws from each of the above references to varying degrees. Biblically, I’ve spent 14 years abroad, with seven of those years being good and seven bad, but fortunately no famine. Academically, I’ve recently ended my tenure teaching at a Korean university and plan to study for about a year, though unfortunately without pay. And then epically, there’s the great odyssey home, which I’ve just recently completed, sans my beloved Penelope. (Zeus has yet to grant her a marriage visa for Ithaca.)

Whither yours truly? Well, by the time this goes to print, I’ll be finishing up ground school as a student pilot back in the U.S. If all goes to plan, I’ll be an airline pilot by the time I’m 40. Who knows? Maybe I’ll take up writing about aviation in the future. Anyway, thank you all for reading and supporting the Gwangju News, which provides a voice for anyone with something to say. 안녕!