Ju Hye Choi_Ch 4 Second Draft_Tues 3 4

                                           The Field

 

     We all have those moments where we wish it would last forever. Growing up I had to move from one place to another having to adjust in a new environment all the time. I realized nothing lasted forever. However, as a child the soccer field has always been a place I could be myself. Wherever I was, wherever my family moved to, as long as I was in the field I did not feel the need to adjust to anything. Coming to Korea for university was another transition in my life. I did not quite picture myself playing in Korea. However, it was different when I first saw the school field myself.

     It was late February when I first entered the main gate of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. To my right was a field which reminded me of a desert. The weather was not as scorching as one, it was rather cool and windy. I felt that a sudden gust of wind could easily form a sand storm and contaminate the area. It looked rather dull looking at it. It was as if the trees that surrounded the field took away all the colors. However, despite the field which resembled so much of a sand paper up close, young children and adults seemed to have no problem with the field. They somewhat looked extremely hooked on the game yelling and kicking balls at each other. They made the field seem quite alive.

     Standing on the side of the field near the main gate, I saw school buildings standing behind the cold concrete steps on the other side of the field. And to the right, there was a basketball court where busy buses and cars passed by right next to it. People were scattered everywhere and I could hear the sound of the vehicles passing by, children laughing, and people passing balls to each other all at once. The field was lively and before I knew it I found myself mesmerized by what I was seeing. Later did I taste the salty flavor and smell of the sand from the wind. It started to stuff my nose a little the more I stood there but it did not stop me from getting excited.

     I was excited to play soccer even though I knew I would be alone. I remember I would come out late at night and play by myself while there were people jogging and playing basketball in the dim light. It was the start of the many memories I shared with the field. There were days of playing soccer with little boys, days when I had friends join me in the spur of the moment and days when I got to join people playing soccer from different countries. Being in the field allowed me to meet people from all walks of life especially my dear friend whom I have spent most of the time together in the field. It became a very meaningful place to me already.

     Almost three years have passed by since then. Now I am sitting here on the cold concrete steps lost in memory as I see people jogging and playing basketball under the dark sky. Unlike the first day I saw the field, it is rather empty and chilly. But I am grateful I have a place to go to whenever I feel lost and older; a place to remind me of the days when I was young and lively. And I am grateful to have the memories here to keep me warm.