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Is money that important for your life?!
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Chapter 4 - Is money that important for your life?!
My mother’s will to get us into education was great. Even though we had nothing, she was willing to get into debt to get us into high school. But in order for us to have a stable finance she sent us to a technical high school. So she sent me and my brother to a middle school that was attached to a technical high school. I didn’t have much of a future plan in middle school. But I was concerned about being admitted into the technical high school. But nonetheless I submitted a form for architecture department. When I got the test number it was 464. Some of my neighbors and my family thought I wasn’t going to make it because there were two 4s (In this time 4 was associated with the number of death.)
I didn’t really care if I was going to make it or not, I wrote out some of the questions from the exam place and tested while my older brother waited outside. But I had a lot of mistakes. After having twister bread from Ahyun Marketplace that my brother bought, I went back and took the finishing test. On the day of the results were out, no one in the family wanted to go and look at the results. I went but didn’t have the guts look at the results expecting I would pass. But without getting discouraged I closed my eyes once and started to look down while squeezing past people to look for my number. While I was going down and passing 400 I thought I was going to faint. There were several people who had 400s that had passed the test, including number 464! I could not believe my eyes. I rubbed my eyes and check again. 464 were there! I shouted with joy like a mad person saying “I passed! I passed!” While on my way home, skeptical of my passing of the exam I checked and even asked those around me to see if I made it or not, then ran back home. Funny for someone who never did well in school to pass an exam like this was a miracle.
During the freshmen year of the school I was in a workshop to fixing up school walls or painting of the school as well as free haircuts! So I went into the woodshop and during school year, summer school, and winter school, stayed in school to earn money. During that time I was well fed because school provided us meals to eat, and also I was helped with the school’s tuition fee. School’s policy was one can graduate early and start working right away, despite being lacking in studies; I wasn’t really into general education (such as English learning or mathematical), but was always into the architectural sketches and building. So towards the end of my sophomore year I was working already. Rather instead of having me continue my studies, they let me graduate instead.
The place I went to work was owned by a professor of HongIk College architecture division called ‘JungInGook Architecture Firm’. Despite being a ‘workplace’ it was more of a resident working student. My work in that place was to sharpen all the pencils of the draftsman, bring out the paper for drafting. During cold winter days, while traveling to Blueprint Shop, I had to blow my hand warm because of the coldness. Other duties were cleaning the office, keeping the heater warm, and picking up phone messages. At that time when I was working I learned that to survive this world was difficult. After a long time working as a resident student the professor finally let me start drawing some of the architecture drafts. I was also able to make architecture models despite all the dusts. Professor InGook Jung was someone who liked to be able to have trust and accountability with someone when working. Even with someone who has minimum skills like I was he was able to let me do some of the technical things.
After coming of the age, I went into the military as it was required by law. During the vacation times I went and visited the professor and I would get requests like “Mr.Lee, if you have time can you do this architecture drafts?” or not and let me do some of the works. During vacation I was going to be able to make some money. After coming back from service, I called my old high school English teacher, Mr. SeungWu Lee while I was on a work break in the architecture firm office in MuGyo-Dong. He was very intelligent and supportive with questions and answers and very kind.
“Teacher, this is HeungGu Lee! Working while I am back from the military service and thought about you.”Was what I said. But his response was “Where on earth are you? Come and meet me in school. Are you going to be a workhorse all this time for just money?” That was extremely pressuring words so I got on a bus and went to the school and saw him in-front of his desk.
“It is not too late to start studying again HeungGu! You have to go higher into education no matter what!” was what he told me.
Because of the encouragement, I went to go to college. All the classes were during morning time so I was naturally in school daytime and working night time, but Professor InGook Jung took note of that and stared working on the architecture drafts alone and told me which parts to correct. Whenever I visited his place, his wife was always kind to me. Both the teachers are no longer in this world, but with all the encouragements and love made me able to work and get a greater future and I always thank them all days.
(January2011)
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Rise HeungGu! 
Is money that important for your life?!