[That person] "Men, now tell your own story"

1. I came to Jeju Island 7 years ago. From the beginning, he did not think that this island at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula would become his last stronghold. I just came here to rest for a while with my tired body and mind. After a few months, I wanted to live leaning against the blue sea and sky of Jeju and Mt. Halla. I was traveling around the country to find a place to live with my second child, but I thought I could live in Jeju. On land, it was difficult to find a place for a child with developmental disabilities to live.

To give up was to give up boldly. Now I know that I can't turn all the injustices and absurdities in the world into my enemies. It is said that this is the wisdom of age. However, this does not mean that he has stopped fighting the stereotypes and prejudices of this world that he has been fighting for his whole life. Rather, they are engaged in a more intense battle than ever, but quietly, based on Jeju. For this person, it is a battle for the past 63 years of life and for the rest of his life. I resist by walking the Olle trail and climbing the oreum with like-minded people. They fight by drawing, writing, and dancing together. As we persevere in this way, we hope that one day, one week, one month, one year, and ten years will pass. I believe that the world will change if we persist. I learned from the history of the women's movement that it takes time for justice to become a reality, no matter how true it is. It is also because we now believe that human history has flowed not according to the will of man, but according to the great will of God, who wants all people to be respected and happy.

A few years ago, I wrote Oh Han Sook-hee by adding one letter to her mother's surname to her original name, Oh Sook-hee. There were always three or four months' worth of lectures, and at one time, there were only a handful of days where I wrote 4 fixed columns a week and didn't broadcast. He toured the country and gave over 3,500 lectures. There were also many schedules such as taking a flight from Seoul to Busan, giving a lecture, returning to Gimpo Airport that day, and going straight to Gwangju to give a lecture. Literally flashing in the east, flashing in the west. Through 13 books, she is like an icon of the era who spread the somewhat unfamiliar word to the public about women's studies in the 1990s and early 2000s. There is also a legend-like anecdote that there was a time when he spoke a lot and wore a temporomandibular joint protector.

From some point on, the appearance of this person has not been seen well on TV and on paper. The word that they moved to Jeju Island sounded like a rumor. When I searched for the name on the Internet, it appeared that he was giving lectures from time to time, but there was not much activity. There was no sign of SNS activity and I called 'Anyone of the Incorporated Association', who said that this person was the chairman, but no one answered, and an interview request letter sent to the e-mail address posted on the website came back. There was no response to texts sent to the cell phone. I wanted to cut off my ties to the world and live. I was about to give up on the interview, but I sent a text message with the intention of confirming one more time, and only then did I get a reply.

At a cafe in Seogwipo, where you can see the blue sea to the south and Mt. Halla with white clouds to the north, I sat facing this person, perhaps because of the bright sunlight, and the viewer's eyes got cold.

There was a slight frost on his head, his face a little thin, but his voice was familiar.

It was a person I had never met before, but it was not unfamiliar.

Combat is supposed to be like a veteran who has experienced all battles, but he met the person with a face that made it difficult to tell whether he was passionate about life or gave up.

2. My father, who went to study in Japan, was a displaced person from North Korea.

He met his mother, who was also a displaced person, and set up a nest in Incheon.

He was a poor father who had never had a house with a nameplate on it in his life, but he was a father who respected his daughter's thoughts.

The private high school that was assigned by lottery was a school in which a former military president ruled as a tyrant.

Within one month of admission, the English teacher changed three times, experienced school violence by a teacher with questionable qualifications and qualifications, and was frequently mobilized for ministry.

When he said that he could no longer attend such a school, his father respected his daughter's opinion.

Perhaps it was because of such an experience, she was a girl who did not hesitate to speak, and she also learned the power of words early.

It was a natural talent to express one's thoughts in a wild and coherent manner.

When my father passed away suddenly when I was in high school, the wealthy tax was even worse.

At the age of 46, a single mother had to take responsibility for her livelihood, so the bitter water of poverty pooled in her mouth every day.

The two older sisters went to Yeosang in consideration of their family circumstances. This person was not in a position to go to college, and even the people around her secretly wanted to follow the path of her sisters, but she did not give up her desire to learn. Since I entered Ewha Womans University in 1977, I haven't had a part-time job that I haven't done. Although he was interested in the student movement, he did not step in because it was urgent to earn a living and earn a living right away. At that time, he said that he had been doing social movements all his life because of the debt of his heart. After graduating from college, he entered the PR office of a medium-sized company. One year of working life was a time of discrimination for the first time in my life for this person who graduated from female middle school, girls' high school, and women's college. I decided to study women's studies with the desire to find out the root of this discrimination. Through the encounter with the Department of Women's Studies, I gained a new perspective on the world.

With the fall of socialism in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s, the era of grand discourse ended. In the vacant place, discourses focused on individual life and daily life blossomed like a stubble. Until the 1980s, the demand for women's studies, which had been treated as marginalized, exploded, and programs were produced in the media to include women's voices. A representative program was KBS <Live Broadcasting Woman>. In December 1990, this 31-year-old part-time lecturer without a doctorate was selected to host the program. It was literally a blowout. The bright-eyed production team, made up of women, saw the potential of this person who was 'a person with no background, no beauty, and no special specifications', but appeared as a panelist on another program three or four times.

“The era was created because of a need for such a program, and I was instrumental in it.So I considered myself a public good."

<Live Broadcasting Woman> was the Korean version of The Oprah Winfrey Show. It was a program for Oh Sook-hee by Oh Sook-hee, where the host's colors were deeply embedded. When I came to see a two-hour movie, my talent for retelling the story into a four-part series to my friends was in full bloom on the air. He was excellent at speaking so that the listeners did not feel rejected. Not only did he speak softly, but he was also outstanding in his ability to point out and organize the key points. With only one's talent and passion, he quickly became a broadcaster's star. He said that he still meets people who recognize him when he goes to the airport or terminal restaurant. At that time, they say thank you for telling their story so coolly.

“I have the impression of a grumpy neighborhood aunt, that is, it is an unfamiliar character that I had never seen on TV before, but it was very friendly to people. I think you felt cool when you talked like you were scratching an itchy

place.

" I

left the program on my own after two years of love and passion so much that I didn't let go of the microphone until 9 months pregnant. They divorced in 1992 because of the thought that their family affairs would cause trouble to the program.

"My personal problem is that this program is denigrated and damaged. 'Look, when a woman steps forward and talks about progressive things, the family is broken,' so I thought that it would not be positive for me to take on this program. The atmosphere was strong.”

3. I was excited if I just spoke, and if I couldn't speak, I got sick. He said that he was born to speak for himself, and that he was a horse shaman who stood in the 'modern version of the Good Madang' of women's studies and the women's movement. I looked for this person from all over the country, and he did not refuse a seat. He was a good talker, but he was a person who liked to talk, so how excited he was. In addition to the 'high-profit lecture', which receives the highest lecture fee, he did not decline the 'movement rights lecture' by women workers' groups, women's farmers' associations, civic groups, women's groups, and students. At such a meeting, he emphasized the necessity of women's studies and the women's movement. The word feminism was transmitted to the public through this person, and the women's movement expanded its scope through this person's mouth.

"I didn't say it so softly. I was very radical and passionate, so I bumped into men a lot." The

analysis of recent feminism was sharp and the solution was clear. Experts thought otherwise. Instead of saying that women are noisy, women make social issues with trivial things, or that women are too bubbling, men should also create their own issues.

“Women talk about their problems and get together with people who sympathize with them, and they live a communal life by creating an agenda. In comparison, men are too individualized. I think Korean men are too patient. Men say, ‘You Even though we say that we were subjected to such a thing, we are subjected to another type of oppression, harassment, and insult. That is society.'

'm

"

Instead of solving their difficulties by men attacking women, let's say that if women have these problems, men also have these difficulties. He said that Korean society should now have a male and male movement.

“Our society needs to know what kind of difficulties and struggles and grievances men have in life. Korean society tells men not to talk. Just be patient. Men shouldn’t talk too much. You’ve also planted a lot of boss complexes.

”

He said that if there were a hundred women, there would be a hundred feminisms and that was true. He also said that now the difference between the generations seems to be bigger than the difference between men and women. Instead of saying, "You have to accept this, this and this and this and this, I'm right and you are wrong", he said, "It's not much different from us, yes, I understand that," he said. These words sounded like advice to younger female activists who are advocating feminism these days. When I was young, I used to believe that if there was an obstacle, I had to smash it with a chisel or lift it up with a poklein. When I said that a person named Oh Han Sook-hee seemed to have become more docile, he said that it was a gift from age.

4. He said that he made a lot of money from broadcast appearance fees and lecture profits until his mid-40s. Since the book became a bestseller for the family, the income would not have been small. He built a fairly large house in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do with the money he earned at that time, but he doesn't seem to have a lot of money now. It was far from financial.

“I didn’t have insurance, I didn’t make any money by buying and selling houses, I didn’t make any money, and I didn’t do any stocks. I didn’t do anything called financial technology. I owe half the house in Gimpo. I’m living with that house as collateral. This is it. I think it would be perfect if I didn't have a home when I died and I didn't have a big fortune to leave behind."

The most important thing to this person who has been making money since the age of 18 is financial independence. I also wrote a book titled <To be honest, I like money>, but I didn't do anything for money. I declined any offer to advertise for drugs or insurance. It was that he couldn't tell someone a story he had not experienced himself. He also refused to appear on a home shopping channel that offered a large sum of money for the same reason.

“I don’t think of myself as a person who sells images. Because I am a person who sympathizes with this era and lives together, I told people what I experienced, and people sympathized with it and in the meantime, they remember each other. I thought I was not going to make money selling my image.”

When he said that he must have money when he thinks of a child with a disability, he said it was not the case.

"I have a different opinion on that. I don't think money should be passed on, but people should be passed on. A lot of parents of children with disabilities think they need money. I think we need to leave money because we have to solve the problem of living and solve the housing problem. Basically, I believe that people need a community to live. (…) When climbing a mountain, you carry your backpack and go on your own feet, but if you walk alone, you cannot complete it. When several people walk together, it is very rich and satisfying to walk. I want to create such a community for my child as well.”

I have received several recruitment offers from politicians. He was very interested in politics and urged the public, especially women, to pay attention to politics whenever he had a chance. In 2011, Moon Jae-in, Cho Kuk, and Moon Seong-geun attended an innovation and integration meeting. However, he did not enter politics because he thought he would not be good at politics.

He was a person who would always be with the audience's enthusiasm and cheers, but looking at his lectures in recent years, it is rare to see such a reaction. The number of people looking for it has decreased, and the number of views of this person's lecture video fell short of expectations. When I asked him carefully if he thought that his prime was over, he said that the era of needing him is long gone. He said that he wanted to walk the path of an activist intellectual who suggested a path to people while breathing the times rather than a broadcaster. That is why he did not think of extending his life as a broadcaster. Still, broadcasting is like a drug. It is not easy to forget the flashy lights that were pouring on you.

"In that sense, I'm not addicted at all. People recognize me on the street and it's not whoever is on TV going there, but rather, 'I heard that story very well back then. Because we are like comrades we got to know through the medium of broadcasting, not people who are objectified as celebrities and consume images. I don't think that life is meaningless or that it's not fun because you don't recognize me."

I think this person's wit would work well on popular entertainment programs these days, but I don't want to see him struggling to survive in editing. He seems like a good person to do YouTube, but he doesn't do YouTube either. I don't know that I can go on TV so that books can be sold and I can eat and live with my children. Still, he said he wouldn't do anything he didn't want to do. He said there are good aspects of being alone. After leaving the social work, a blank space is created, and the blank space is filled by looking at what kind of person you are. Of course, there is anxiety, depression, and worry. I said that if I didn't broadcast and the number of requests for lectures decreased, I would call it a spider's web in my mouth. Having lived in poverty, he calmly said that he was not afraid of living in poverty. It's not the same as it used to be, but there are still places and people looking for this person. He gave lectures at such places and watched society, and he said that he was earning enough money to pay interest in the bank.

5. The second daughter, Heena, has a developmental disorder called autism. I'm over 30 and I still need to help brush my teeth and have someone by my side all the time. A few years ago, I decided to believe in the world saying that children with disabilities get better when their mothers go all-in. Before coming to Jeju Island, we stayed alone for 6 months with our children. A life alone for the two of them was a complete defeat for this man. In the spring of 2014, I was completely nauseous from fatigue. I couldn't even lift a needle. Being alone with the child meant that this person had no room to breathe. I couldn't sleep without taking sleeping pills, and I suffered from depression and helplessness. When he couldn't do the things he loved to talk and write, he suffered from mental illness as well as physical illness. Everything came to a stop like a marathon runner who had been running well had lost pace. It was around this time that I came down to Jeju Island. You cannot freely go out and compete in the city with a child with a disability. They cannot and cannot stand on the conveyor belt of the competition.

"There is nothing to do in the city with a child with a disability. There was a mountain behind my house in Gimpo, but there was a road. So I can't go with a child with a disability. . I have no desire to go back to land again."

When I said that Han Sook-hee Oh was pushed and pushed and came to the very southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, he said that it was also true.

“(Me and my family) settled in the city and didn’t have any fun. So, it’s true that they were driven to the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. If I could live on land, I would have come here.”

If you look at what your child is doing, who lacks empathy and social skills with others, there is nothing in the world that is not understood. The way you see the world and other people is bound to become more generous. He said he was a minority from birth. He said he's never been a major. My parents were displaced people with no roots in South Korea, and they lived in three rooms and were neither the eldest nor the youngest. Being a woman, a divorced woman, and the mother of a child with a disability, she fully meets the conditions for minority.

"I'll minority was samin just that I live without illusion, vanity, false consciousness now that the major, gonna good when I'm doing things that are sympathetic to other people in that life'll better create people to go with.

”

Seeing the world through the eyes of a minority, there were no non-minorities in the world, and the possibilities of minorities were newly seen. The reason I decided to settle on Jeju Island was not just because of Jeju's Olle Trail, Oreum, and the blue sky and sea. This is because, after coming to Jeju, she realized that her second daughter is not a 'child trapped within herself' but that she can communicate with others, interact with nature, and express herself through art in the community, though slow. Possibility of creating a community where people with 'unique personalities' like their own daughters, married migrant women who are still unfamiliar with Korean language and culture, and seniors who have difficulty moving their bodies can help each other and live together in the beautiful nature of Jeju because I saw

In 2018, he created 'Anyone Incorporated'. The purpose of this organization is to help the elderly, developmentally disabled, and married immigrant women communicate and express themselves through art. These people also thought that there might be something that could make their life interesting and meaningful. He borrowed as much money as he could borrow with his own credit, built an office, and rented a place where he could paint and write. After operating for two years, the office was moved to the house due to Corona, and the work space was temporarily closed. As activity decreases, external support will inevitably decrease. I wish I could be nervous in my heart, but I can't.

"In the past, I had a plan for several years, upgraded to this level in the first year, and grew this much in the second year and made that plan, but now I have nothing like that, and I keep doing it for 10 years anyway. We are doing metallurgical metallurgy with the thought of not losing our strength and going for a long time instead. Rather than announcing that we are doing this on social media, we are just waiting for the right moment while being a little silent. I have a bold belief that no.”

He raised the flag, but said he had no intention of making this community bigger. He said that he didn't even try to get support by gathering people to raise this and letting them know that we're doing this. All you need is to come, and to those who are willing to help, only help as much as you can please.

6. A person who has consistently experimented with various forms of community. He tried to raise children together by forming a community with friends and acquaintances, as well as family members such as sisters and nephews. It is an old belief that insisting on a community composed only of blood and family is an anachronism.

"I don't think it's a matter of success or failure. It just goes on steadily. 'I'm going to create a community' So I tried to create it and it didn't work, or it was done and then quickly broke

than experimenting with community, life itself cannot be

alone, so I constantly roll with a communal orientation. That's it."

The 'everyone as a corporation', which is currently being conducted, is another community experiment. If there is one thing that has changed from before, this person's gaze is looking farther away. Understanding the difficulties and sufferings of others through one's own difficulties and trying to be with them has not changed. It is clear that this man's fight will not be a battle that will end in a few years, but will be a long-term war that spans generations and will be a battle for all the minorities in this land.

“When our generation leaves, the younger generation will come and take care of us, and when that generation leaves, another generation will come... If you make an or plate, you live together in a circle and go one world.”

This person's article, titled <The Earthworm That No One Hated>, was also published in a middle school textbook. It is a story about being afraid and hating earthworms, and then overcoming the fear and hatred after learning about them. This article points out the harmful effects of judging before even trying to know, stereotypes about unfamiliar things, and preconceived notions. The story of the second daughter continued again.

"People who see me from the outside are like, 'How could I live in the same house with a child like that 365 days a year. That too for over 30 years.' All my friends feel pity for me. The never-ending childcare, childrearing that you can't feel relieved even if you close your eyes when you die. is left homework for you. That's true, but that's not all. People in the world say that if a child has a disability, he can't do anything. But when you meet mothers with disabilities, they tell the world not to be deceived."

Others call it a disability, but for this person, autism is a personality. It's not that the child isn't adapting to the world, it's that society isn't ready to accept them. Children with communication disabilities have a unique and time-consuming method of conveying their thoughts, but communication is not impossible. This society simply does not recognize the unique individuality of children. When I meet mothers in a similar situation, I always say this.

"We shouldn't be fooled by what people say and say so easily. We tell mothers not to be fooled. Don't be fooled by what the doctor says. 'Don't fall into self-pity, that's a loss."

Because of the second, I learned a lot and felt not one or two things. Sometimes I ask myself

“It is not simply a matter of self-hypnosis where you should think that the present moment is good. It is difficult to objectively weigh, but it can never be said that it was an easy life. listen."

7. It was not just about courage, hope, and positivity. He spoke calmly about his pain and difficulties. It's been a while since my sleep sensor broke, and I'm not sleepy and I'm always nervous. He also said that he suffered from depression, fatigue and fear on a regular basis. As a mother of a child with a disability, the social restrictions that she has to endure are not formidable. A book called <Life is really good> written by this person in 2016 was read in my eyes as <Life was very difficult>. Still, he said he was happy now.

“I think the happiness I thought about in my 30s and 40s is different from the happiness I think I am in my 60s. I was happy then, but I think I am happy now. I am so lacking and weak, but because there are people like this around me, I am grateful for those around me.”

In the past, he said that he wanted to live as one of the many noodles, a soup that melts and becomes a base, if it used to be the last egg on top of naengmyeon or a garnish for food. At the end of the story, if there was something I really wanted to say, but I didn't ask, I asked for it, and there was no such thing.

"I don't have any intentions anymore. When I was broadcasting in the past, I couldn't sleep after the broadcast because I wished that there were more things or things like this. Looking back now, I think it was all greed. It just flows naturally. I I think it comes out as much as you are prepared as much as you have lived.”

Where else can you find someone who can speak as well as this person?

He spoke a mixture of what he wanted to say and what the other person wanted to hear, and he was a person who knew well where to increase and decrease what to say.

These were words that came from the heart, not from the head.

At one time, chatter was the best weapon, and he advocated for the restoration of chatter's honor.

I couldn't find such a thing.

The thought of this person, who had given up many things and gave up many things, seemed to be somewhere in the middle between optimism and resignation.

I didn't feel like I was holding on to reality.

It wasn't a place full of laughter or excitement, and sometimes I thought the topic was heavy, but about three hours passed in an instant.

While we were talking, this man's hand kept coming into my eyes.

The sun-scorched hand looked like that of a laborer.

I thought I might have done some field work under the sun, so I decided to touch it.

It wasn't the hand holding the hoe and the sickle.

It turned out that whenever my second child couldn't sleep well, he massaged his back and feet with oil.

How much did you do to get oil on your hands like that?

The oily hands of my mother were beautiful.