Husband and Wife Who Have Nothing in Common

by Park Jo'ng-hu'i

People usually think that husband and wife have something in common. However, my parents, Myong-su and Myong-hwa, show different styles of words and deed. Considering their language and way of dealing with a problem, Myong-hwa has a positive attitude toward her life while Myong-su has a pessimistic attitude.

Myong-hwa has a positive attitude toward her life. By the way of illustration, she is usually apt to speak positively. When my brother was hesitating as to whether he would go to an academic high school since he had not studied as well as to pass the high school entrance exam, she said to him that he could make it, and encouraged him to do his best as much as he could. As the result of her encouragement, he applied himself with confidence, and he could pass the exam. Her way of coping with a difficult situation also shows us her bright attitude. Once my father, Myong-su, tried to set up a delivery service, but lack of money fell him into the difficulty in buying a delivery van. At that time, instead of accepting the impossibility, Myong-hwa thought that the problem could be literally managed, and then made her mind to pray to God every night in the church in the full assurance and hope that God certainly would give the delivery van. After her five month prayer, Myong-su finally came to get the delivery van. Myong-hwa appears to look on the bright side of her life and speak positively.

While Myong-hwa has a positive attitude toward her life, Myong-su has a pessimistic view of life. A case in point is his pessimistic words. Whereas Myong-hwa inspired my brother to further efforts by her positive words when he was being troubled with the entrance into an academic high school, Myong-su said to him that he could not go on to an academic high school considering his poor grades, and so he'd rather go a technical high school. Besides his pessimistic words, His pessimistic view of life oozes out of the way in which he deals with a problem. When he was confronted with almost insurmountable difficulty that he could not buy the delivery van for himself, he was easily discouraged by his inability, and just gave up buying the delivery van in contrast to Myong-hwa's positive and endurable attitude. Like the remarks mentioned above, Myong-su's words and way of coping with the problem show his gloomy view of life.

Our neighbors often say that Myong-hwa looks younger for her age differently Myong-su who looks older for his age. I think that their different minds toward their lives may get them to have dissimilar appearances. In addition, I hope that my life would be like Myong-hwa's life that is filled with positive words and attitude.