You must have a lot of hardship

A few days ago, I met a reader who read my article in the newspaper at the opening of an artist's exhibition.

The artist of the exhibition and the reader of my writing are friends. The artist told the reader, "You can meet Soo Im Lee when you come to the opening."

"How much hardship you have." As soon as the reader saw me, "You've had a lot of suffering setting up a studio, haven't you? "Studio? What studio?" I didn't understand what was she talking about so I just said, "Yes, yes..."

She said again, "You have many hardships, don't you?" and looked at me with caring eyes like my own sister. What I'm supposed to hear is 'you've had many hardships.' I wrote about the old days of my life in the newspaper. Because I'm living well now."

I had a hard time living with my husband. But now I'm better. Well, how well we live is hard to explain, but better than my sister-in-law, who has a doctor as her husband. Of course, he's a doctor who doesn't make much money. "As I live, our son, who is an artist, lives better than my son-in-law," mother-in-law said.

If a rich man goes bankrupt, it will last three years, but it will take another 30 years for the poor to live well and to relax. So, as the reader said, "You must have a lot of hardships," is right. Although my economy situation has improved, it still does not break the habit. Even if I try to spend a lot of money, I hesitate to be timid when I think of the past.

A long time ago, when I was living a hard life, a friend came from Seoul. He asked me to go to Coney Island the next day. Of course there are no credit cards. The balance at the bank was only about ten dollars. I was up all night thinking about how to treat this friend. I can't go to Coney Island after buying bread, eggs and milk to serve him.

I woke up at dawn, went to the bank to withdraw the ten dollars, but I locked the car door with my keys in the car. I walked home a long way to get an extra key. In case the friend would wake up, I carefully found my keys and walked back to the bank. The days of hard life are not erased from my head. So, I can't say that I live well.

 Poverty has made me grow up, but it still follows me like a water ghost. But one side of the heart is warm. Because I was poor, I could write this and meet readers who read my articles and comforted me.