contents - Gallatin School of Individualized Study - New York ...

young rye leebyoung rye lee Gaining Perspective122The Real Memore than before, interest in myself is growing in my mind. I still donot know the real me. I am thinking about who I am. I am a motherof two human beings, raised them the old-fashioned way and think of themproudly. However, I do not think I have fulfilled my responsibilities untilthey get married.Who am I? I am the wife of a man who is getting old and wants anxiouslyto keep his home with me. Now, in a lonely country, we are becoming friends,instead of husband and wife, and we often miss each other due to his longbusiness trips. So I often discuss my new issues with my son.Who am I? I am an older daughter in a family of four children andhave a great mother who knows how to smile my tears away. She thinks shecan still help her children and wanders around even if it bothers us. I aminfluenced by her, the most sacrificial daughter for her family when she wasvery young, so I feel like taking good care of her while she is staying with me.Who am I? I am a citizen who wants to try to do even small thingsright here because I do not want to break American rules. Also, I am a Koreanwoman who still cannot speak English fluently, even though I have livedlonger in New York than other friends have. I often make long distance callsso as not to be alone. I speak more Korean thanEnglish and eat Korean food every day, so as not . . . I still doto be alone in this country. I have memories ofNOT knowchildhood and want to be within the memoryabout theof the living, just like seeing my old pictures.Already, I know my mother will no longer be real me.with me someday.