The Young and the Old

Someone said to a man, "Travel and see the world." He answered, "Why should I? People are the same everywhere. They are born. They are babies. They are children. They are adults. They grow old. They die. When they are alive, they have the same emotions. They feel love and hate, happiness and sadness, security and fear, pride and shame, comfort and discomfort. That is why I do not want to travel. I can learn everything here. I'm going to stay home."

The man was right. He was also wrong. People are the same, but people are also different. They all have the same pattern of life - birth, youth, old age, death. But these stages of life have different values in different cultures. Also, while all people have the same emotions, the causes of these emotions are different. A situation that may bring happiness in one place may not bring happiness in another place.

For example, in many countries old age is a happy time. Young people in these countries show their respect to the old people. Young people listen when old people speak because they believe that an old person is a wise person. In that kind of society old people receive honor, privilege and satisfaction. In Korea, old people are honored and respected. When they are too old to live alone, they live with a son, daughter, or other relatives. When they become sixty-one years old, it is a very happy and important event. There is a big party with many guests. They receive many gifts. This birthday even has a special name. All other birthdays are called sing il. The sixty-one birthday is called huan gup. The sixty-one birthday has a special name because when people reach this time in life, the attitudes of their family and their community change toward them. They younger people call them "grandfather" or "grandmother", even if they are not related to them. Their position in life is good because they receive honors and respect. Everyone looks forward to this time.

• sing il: 出生之日
• huan gup: 新生命的开始

In the United States, it is quite different for old people. Most old people do not live with their children or relatives. If they have enough money, they buy houses or apartments in places where other old people live. If they are not healthy and strong enough to live alone, they live in special homes for old people. There, strangers take care of them. For many North Americans, old age is not a happy time. Most North Americans want to stay young. They try to stay thin and they act like young people as long as possible. They even try to speak the language of the young. They do not like to grow old because they will not get honor or respect or attention. Also, businesses do not want old people to work for them. So old people usually live alone and they do not have many things to do. Old age can be a sad and lonely time for them.

So we can see that the man who stayed home was wrong. People are different in their customs and their values. There are young people and there are old people in Korea and in North America, but it may be better to be young in North America and old in Korea.