It could be me

I walk Riverside Park to Columbia University and down Broadway. I want to feel the youthful exuberance of college students. They look tired from the rigors of school, but they're fresh. 

"Dad, there are too many young people here, let's go somewhere else."

When I said my father who like to hang out where young people gather, he said,  

"You need to be among young people to get some fresh energy. Let's go in, have a cup of tea, sit for a while, and then come out."

My father also enjoyed the secluded courtyards of Biwon, but he was reluctant to go to places where there were many older people. For the same reason, I feel younger when I walk through the university district.

As I walked past Columbia University toward downtown, I noticed that there are more and more empty stores. This has increased dramatically since the pandemic spurred online shopping. As I count the number of empty stores, I move my tired legs with a bitter feeling that it's no one else's business. In front of an empty storefront, a homeless man sits on a dirty corner begging for money. Nowadays, with credit cards, they don't have as much income as they used to. My pocket also has no cash and it's been a long time since I touched a coin.

I remembered a Korean woman I'd met on a trip who said, "It could be me." She was so kind to the servers on the cruise, tipping them generously and said. 

"If I hadn't come to America, I might be getting beaten up by my husband right now, because my family was poor and I didn't have much education, so it was hard for me to marry the right guy, but I'm so grateful that I came to America, the land of opportunity, and went through all the hardships and met my current husband, so I can travel and enjoy life like this. Otherwise, I'd probably be doing some kind of hard job somewhere right now. When I see people working hard, I can't help but be kind because it's my job, not someone else's

On my husband's frustration with traffic while driving down the highway.

he said

" Why does he bring a poop car out instead of staying home."

He starts to say something long, then stops and looks at me with a guilty look. 

"We didn't even have a car like that. Do you forget that we were surprised to see the wheels fall off and roll while riding in a rattling car  we could barely afford. We're lucky we didn't get in a car accident. It's no one else's business, and there's no guarantee we won't be in that situation."

Layoffs are common these days, even at leading companies. I don't have any money saved up, and my paycheck has stopped coming in every month. If I play at home, I have more money to go out. It doesn't take long to become homeless. It happens quickly. You can't help but notice empty stores and homeless people. With each passing day, the number of empty shops and homeless people becomes more and more noticeable. I don't feel it yet, but they're not alone, and as the phenomenon spreads, it's bound to affect me. There is no guarantee that I won't become one of them. I look up at the black sky, where the rain threatens to pour, and mutter, "It could be me."