[제 2회 드림에세이 수상작] Chung-Mok Lee - 'Watermelon'

Grade: 11th / High School: Alexander Hamilton High School

When I was a six years old boy, my uncle and his family from America visited my house. Uncle didn’t forget to buy gifts for me and my brother. I still remember playing with the Play-Doh that uncle bought from America. Uncle’s visit opened my eyes to a new world; Korea was not the whole world, but just the part of a bigger world. Uncle talked many incredible things about America. Among them all, the most interesting fact was that the American Watermelon had an oval shape. I first didn’t believe this; for a little boy who only has eaten “normal” watermelons, the existence of such a fruit seemed unthinkable. After uncle’s visit, I resolved to go to America someday to check if the oval shaped watermelon is really there.

Time flew by and my childish dream came true when my parents decided to live in America. One day, dad called my brother and me to his room and told us that we are going to America. The reason was to provide us with better opportunities for education in the bigger world. He said that even though we must work hard to adapt to the new American culture, we shouldn’t forget our Korean heritage at the same time.

When we first came to America, we traveled around the western part of the United States. It was an astonishing experience. Looking at seemingly endless plain, I realized that I was really in the new world that was so much bigger than my old world. I saw new things and ate new things, including the oval shaped watermelon that I longed to see and eat. It tasted just like the circular shaped watermelon.

After ten days of dreamy traveling, our lives in America began. My brother and I had to start school and learn English. Since my brother was old enough to go to the high school, I had to go to the middle school by myself. The night before the first day of the school, I couldn’t go to sleep because of both excitement and fear. The sun rose again and it was the D-day. When I entered the main entrance of the school, I went to the first adult that I saw and showed him my information paper from the school district, saying “newcomer”. This kind old man told me to go to the library. Two days later, I realized that he was my PE teacher. When I came back from the school, I went straight to the bed. The first day in American school was too tiring; I didn’t want to think about the next day.

The first year in America was my “fit in” period. It was like the time that is needed for an organism to adapt to a new ecosystem. I can’t say that this period was meaningless. But I don’t remember doing anything special during this time. I was just too busy from going to school and doing homework. This period helped me to realize that America was more than just the oval shaped watermelon.

Now it was the time for me to set a higher goal for my life. I struggled to find my role in America; I was part of the minority group and I couldn’t speak nor read as well as my native English speaker friends. I was too different from everybody to play any significant role in American society.

In the depth of confusion and frustration, I remembered my childish dream, a dream that was too quickly accomplished. I changed my old dream a little and made a new dream; instead of eating oval shaped watermelon, I decided to become the watermelon seed in the watermelon called America. Just like the black seed in watermelon that is different from red skin, I wanted to be different but essential part of American society with my unique Korean heritage; after all, I could understand why dad told me and my brothers to never forget who we are.

Today, I am just merely writing an essay, dream yet unfulfilled. But I know. I know that the dream comes true when you believe in it and work toward it. One day, one elderly Korean American man will be thinking about his old dream, a dream of becoming the seed that renews the freshness of America and moves America forward.