My Mother
My mother and I are the total opposites. We have a different personality, different opinions and argue most of the time. We have ups and downs but just like any other mother and daughter, inside we understand each other. When I first asked if I could interview her, she was surprised. "You want to interview me? You never listen to what I say," she said. However, she kindly accepted to do an interview.
Taking a seat in the living room, I started the conversation. "How are you these days mom?" "Well, I have been busy with your sister and her school. Preparing your sister for university reminds me when you were a senior. Next year, your sister is off to college and you are graduating soon! Time flies, I feel so old now," she answered.
I nodded my head in agreement. I asked her the first question. "What were you like when you were my age?" "Unlike you", she stopped giving me a face and continued. "I enjoyed my college life. I went to the university that I wanted and studied what I loved. I had a great time."
Growing up, she was good at art. She enjoyed drawing and was praised by all her teachers. However, her parents never pressured to study art, but the opposite. She was told by bother her teachers and parents that her younger brother was better in art than she was. However, working hard and following her dream, she entered art school and majored in design.
"Did you have any concerns or struggles?" I asked. "Of Course I had," she replied. Just like you, during my junior and senior year, I was worried about my future. Some of my friends were moving, some were going to graduate school and some of them got a job." "You remember my friend who's a jewelry designer?" she asked. "After graduation, she went to a graduate school in America. I wanted to go to a graduate school too but I couldn't. Not only your grandparents were against it, but we didn't have enough money." Your uncles were going to university and I didn't want to be a burden." Smiling, she added, "That's why I always say to you, 'be grateful!'".
My mother didn't realize she wanted to go graduate school until she was a senior. Looking back, she wished she studied English and saved money for graduate school. Time to time, my mother would say, "I'm jealous of you and your sister". She wished she had parents like her to support her children studying abroad.
"How can I forget mom. You remind me at least once a week," I replied smiling at her. "Then what did you do after graduation?" I asked. "Instead, I got a job as a designer in a company. My salary was high and it wasn't a difficult job. However, I quit after working there for two years." She shook her head. "It was too boring for me. Instead, I became an art teacher."
"You could have moved to a different company, why an art teacher?" I added. She replied slowly. "Well, while I was working I thought about what I enjoyed doing. Then I remembered my time working as a part-time teacher at an art hakwon. I helped high school students who wish to enter Art College. It was fun for me so that's why I became a teacher.
Looking back, I don't think I ever saw my mom complain about her job as an art job. Although it wasn't an easy job, she seemed to enjoy what she was doing. I remember watching my mom as a proud daughter and constantly reminding my friends that my mom is a great art teacher.
I asked her a final question. "If you could say one thing to yourself when you were my age, what would it be?" She took time thinking about her answer. Then, she thoughtfully answered. "Just go for it. Be bold." She took a pause and continued. "I told you that I didn't go to graduate school because of money and my parents, but that's just an excuse. If I was confident and brave enough, I could have just gone to graduate school. If I really wanted to go, I could have earned money and left. However, I wasn't brave enough to do that. I was scared and thought too much about outside factors." Nodding her head she repeated, "Yes, just go for it. Be bold."
"Just go for it. Be Bold". Although she was saying it to herself, it felt like she was saying those words toward me. Going through a similar stage, I couldn't help but relate and felt a comfort through her words.
1. It was an really interesting essay based on a really interesting interview. I liked that the writer interviewed her mom about her life in the writer's age, which could be compared to the writer's life nowadays, or mine.
ReplyDelete2. At the very first part, the writer mentions that her mother and herself have very different characteristics. However, I can't find any examples of that throughout the whole essay. Maybe that part was redundant.
3. I think the main point the writer's making is "Just go for it. Be bold." It felt like the writer's mother was saying that not only to the writer, but also myself.
4. Other than "Just go for it. Be bold.", "That's why I always say to you, 'be grateful!'" was also very impressive.
5. I think the writer used direct quotations very effectively, not too many or not too few.
6. I saw few tiny mistakes, regarding vocabularies or grammar. Also, it seems that the most important part is the last two paragraphs, and it's too short for a part which conveys the main points. It would've been better if she added some more to support the main theses.
Moses Choi