[One Thousand Characters a Day] Making a Path and Walking in the Heart's Field <1>

Editor's NoteSim Younghee, Professor Emeritus at Hanyang University (Department of Law), was suddenly diagnosed with 'functional (psychogenic) movement disorder,' a rare disease where some muscles in the body tremble and stiffen involuntarily. Suffering from this rare disease with no proper medication or treatment, she lay in pain, despair, and helplessness. But everything changed when she finally started walking. She gained the belief that she could break free from her suppressed and exhausted mind and return to nature and the world, and she began to dream of tomorrow again. ＜Crossing the Field of the Heart, Making a Path and Walking＞ is a memoir and essay in which Professor Sim calmly shares what she saw and felt while walking. She names the paths that helped heal her body and mind during her walks, talks to flowers and trees she had never paid attention to before, reflects deeply on her life that had been spent rushing forward to the point of illness, and expresses gratitude to her family, friends, and nature who supported and helped her regain health. Today, we introduce the moment when Professor Sim courageously got up and started walking again, and the passage describing the Metasequoia path that first invited her into the world of walking. You can also enjoy a reading video of the essay on the YouTube channel (JoongminSesang, https://www.youtube.com/@joongmin_ibc). Word count: 1049.

"Mom, are you okay? Will you be alright?"

"Honey, let's just walk a little. Don't worry too much."

"Mother, if you feel tired, please come back right away."

"Grandma, fighting!"

On the day I set out to walk, an unexpected crowd of supporters gathered in front of the front door. I had only once said, 'I want to take a walk.' I smiled a little awkwardly, but in truth, I felt sorry, grateful, and at the same time, a mixture of fear.

One, two, three. I struggled down a few steps. Though I entrusted my arms to my husband, I walked. I took the first step by myself.

A child learning to take their first steps must fall countless times. When they fall, they get up and try again. They focus everything on taking just one step. For that miraculous 'movement, motion.'

For months, I had lived lying in bed, struggling and tossing with a body that trembled uncontrollably. Now, I wanted to break free from that life. Like a child who does not cry when falling, I started walking again with pure passion.

The summer from June to August 2019 was a long time of pain. It was still very difficult until September, and even when a caregiver came in October, I still could not do anything alone. But thankfully, thanks to my still strong legs, I was able to start walking around the apartment complex.

At first, just a few steps, then a few meters, a little more, a little more... Gradually increasing the distance, I walked beyond the apartment complex, along the Metasequoia path for hundreds of meters, and followed the Banpo Stream path.

The Metasequoia path is right next to the fence of the apartment where I live. It is a straight path lined on both sides with tall, straight trees. It was not far from home and the total distance was short, making it perfect for me who found it hard to walk long.

Giant Metasequoias lined the path, with maple and other trees scattered here and there, and large and small grasses and flowers beneath them. Especially in summer, the dark green Liriope bloomed in clusters like neighborhood kids running around energetically. In autumn, the Metasequoias turned reddish-brown, creating a somewhat exotic landscape. This fiery path caught the eye even from afar.

- Sim Younghee, ＜Crossing the Field of the Heart, Making a Path and Walking＞, Joongmin Publishing, 15,800 KRW