Youth, Heart’s Passion

Bongcheon social complex center: Happy golden years lecture

At Seoul YWCA Bongcheon social complex center, a program for solitary elderly ‘Enjoying our golden years High Five’ was organized for Bongcheon district elderly hoping for a happy retirement.

The humanities lecture has been underway from September 13 through October 18^th every Friday for the fifth time. Retirement and fraud prevention measures, old age and leisure, valuable way to spend old age, happy retirement life coaching were some of the things that was being taught. By looking at the topic alone, it may seem like wisdom and knowledge from life, but it proved to be a meaningful time learning how to apply the wisdom and a chance to think seriously think about the issues that are inadvertently overlooked. The invited lecturer was also a retired elder that allowed the lecturer to sympathize and to identify better with the elderly who were present.

Gratifying emotional hunger

Despite just having eaten lunch on a drowsy afternoon in the sunshine, the elderly had twinkling eyes and asked many questions and answers. It seemed like they all were model students in their previous years.

Although the lecture starts at noon, everyone is already on their seats thirty minutes before. Not only do they remember all of the content discussed from the previous lectures but they are already curious about the upcoming lecture. Furthermore all twenty elderly are almost always present. These aspects showed me how great it would have been if I had known in advance of their inner longings.

Elderly life gains vitality

A participant Lee Cheol Ho (72) states “I have a deep resentment towards my youth for I have not been able to learn much. It was hard to make a living back then, how could I have gone to school. I learned Hangeul (Korean) late, but it is very worthwhile to come here to the lecture. I am jealous of our lecturer who has learned and can teach others. By coming here, it gives me an opportunity to think about how to live my later years”.

Another participant Lee Jung Hyun (74) showed much delight from learning and stated, “the poem ‘youth’ that we learned during lecture is the poem I remember the most. I was touched by the fact that it mentioned that even when our bodies grow old if one’s heart is filled with passion it is youth. After the lecture is over, I keep remembering the things we’ve learned so I keep looking at the printouts over again”.

 I send my support to those who attended the lecture hoping they can enjoy their golden years physically and mentally and can spend the rest of their lives valuably.