[One Thousand Characters a Day] Living Without Incident Even If Not Brilliant <5>

Editor's NoteEven when experiencing similar situations, some people laugh, some cry, and others get angry. No matter how hard, difficult, or frustrating life may be, if you can gain even one lesson from the process, if you can brush it off as if nothing happened, or sometimes pass by with a slight smile, our tightly wound daily lives will become smoother, like a drop of oil on the gears. The author of ＜Even Without Brilliance, I Live Without Incident＞ embraced unwanted and avoidable things with their own reflections and philosophy. The perspective of viewing one's life positively is not something that arises naturally but a prescription found and created by oneself. Word count: 747.

I realized that it was my mistake to have mistaken the differences in my partner as advantages. He was originally that kind of person, and he never promised to change after marriage.

Looking back, I was foolish in my youth and full of arrogance, believing I could adapt to anyone. I thought my innate genes would bend and change like taffy to fit my partner’s needs, which was truly a proud mindset.

Moreover, since I was accustomed to praise from people during my childhood, I thought pleasing my partner wouldn’t be that difficult. The people around me were friendly to the young me.

At that time, it was a period before venturing into the sea of life, when I was merely tidying the nets or preparing the boat, admiring the distant sea with my eyes.

But marriage was a real voyage that required facing fierce storms. Marriage, the real sea and real life, was very different from the time spent tidying nets or preparing the boat.

He and his in-laws, who came from different environments and cultures, were not friendly to me. The ripples began, and I sensed the rough waves ahead.

Through life, I realized how difficult it is for me to adjust to my partner or for my partner to adjust to me?no, it’s almost impossible. The thought that came to me was the somewhat despairing yet somewhat relieving conclusion that “people do not change.”

Because people do not change, I understood that the idea of transforming myself to fit into my partner was forced and arrogant. It was fortunate that I couldn’t forcibly change myself. The despairing part was that my partner wouldn’t change either.

- Oh Hyun, ＜Even Without Brilliance, I Live Without Incident＞, Munhak Gonggam, 13,500 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.