Eyes
“Why do you glare at me” I asked. But then I realized, that wasn’t a glare that I glimpsed, it’s just the way you are.
“That’s just the way it is.” These words can be used as words of comfort or in a more unfortunate sense, they can be justification for doing nothing. The truth is, we can change the way it is. We can change ourselves and they way we fit into the “it.”
In Korea, I find many foreigners whispering under their breath… “this is Korea.” If someone gets in line before them, or the rampant smell of kimchi sizzles their senses, or the Ajuma on the train blatantly stares them down or the 5 year old takes snap shot after snap shot of them with no regard, as if they were the paparazzi, what we say in these situations is “that’s just the way it is.” But…if you don’t like it, change yourself, because that’s the only person you can control. Instead of being annoyed by toothless smiling men trying to rip you into buying fake Gucci sunglasses for $45, bow slightly … they’ll bow back. Instead of trying to be an American in Korea, try to speak their native tongue and, oddly enough they’ll try to speak yours - but, most likely all you’ll be able to say is hello; I suppose it’s a proper beginning. But at least a beginning to understanding one another instead of disregarding it and filing the situation away into the bin labeled “that’s just the way it is.” Those words, although it may true, should not be used as a crutch or a reason to do nothing.
I glared back at the boy that “glared” at me and I’d like to imagine he said “she’s not glaring at me, its just her eyes, that’s just the way it is.”
