Human GPS

                                   by Hyun Sook Lee Senteno

After 25 years of living in the States, I finally take a trip back home. I’m inside the subway line 1. Passengers across from me warm my heart as if I met them before. I turn my head and everywhere I look, people speak in a familiar language and they have familiar facial features. This makes me feel at ease. The dense high-rise apartment buildings are not familiar, but this is the motherland that I had missed so dearly. Even the air that I breathe is sweet in my motherland. Every time I visit different places, one of my family members has to drive me there and then wait for me while I ran errands, so I feel bad. After traveling around, I realized that downtown Seoul was prone to horrible traffic jams, and due to lack of space, finding a parking spot was practically impossible. Taking public transportation would be wise in this case. I insisted that I wanted to take the subway, therefore my family provides me a subway map.

Today, I visited Deoksugung Palace with my husband, Joe. My brother-in-law drove us to the palace, but I told him I would take the subway back home. I reassure my brother-in-law that I knew how to speak the language. My nephew had written down detailed directions for me right before I had left. I had kept it safely in my bag as if it was a precious piece of gold to bolster my confidence.

I brag in front of my husband, telling him that he can count on me, but I feel lost as soon as I stand before the ticketing machine. A couple passing by spots us fumbling and teaches us how to buy the tickets. They even walk us to the turnstiles. While we wait for the train, and I ask a woman who is reading the newspaper whether the train will take us to our transfer station. She mention that she too is going towards the same direction and tells me not to worry. I tell her we are visiting from the States, and she says that the Seoul Silver Grass Festival at Haneul Park in Nanji-do and the guard changing ceremony in Gwanghwamun are both worth checking out. Because the subway train isn’t too full, passengers are seated sporadically. We cannot find two empty seats next to each other, so I sit while my husband stands, holding on to the grab handle. A middle-aged woman sitting next to me takes a glance at my husband and at me. She then nudges me by my side with her elbow. “Have him sit here.” After these sudden words, she moves across the train to another empty seat. I explain to my husband that she emptied the seat for him. We bow our heads to show our appreciation. “Thank you”, we say politely. I am proud to show my husband a positive aspect of his wife’s country, thanks to all the kind-hearted people we met. My husband grins pleasantly, and tells me that we wouldn’t get lost since we will encounter ‘human GPS’ wherever we go.

While in Seoul, I had a chance to ride in many of my family members’ cars. Most of them used GPS devices. When the driver entered the starting point and the destination, the machine gave detailed directions. A friendly female voice guided them where they would drive to before they needed to turn right, whether there was a speed bump ahead, and even took care of the them by warning them to beware at accident-prone areas. When the vehicle deviated from the set course, it immediately adjusted the route and redirected them.

The drivers would use their GPS devices even though they already knew the directions. I asked whether that was necessary. The machine informs the users of traffic enforcement sites or speed cameras, so they can avoid ending up with traffic tickets. Also, the device can help prevent drowsiness during lengthy drives. The device also reduces confusion by providing updated road information for routes that the drivers don’t frequently take. For inexperienced drivers or for those traveling to a place for the first time, it works as a good navigator. The device would be essential for people with poor sense of direction. Now, this voice I automatically hear inside a car has become familiar to me. The device is a navigator that guides us to the correct destination and a center of our daily lives. We do not use a GPS device back home, but utilizing this modern convenience adequately would be a wise decision.

Looking back, my life was not a very smooth drive. Someone else’s path always looked more spacious and secure in comparison, so I would follow them, only to return back to my own path after a long detour wasting much precious time. I often had to stop due to exhaustion from climbing uphill. I fell into swamps, struggling to escape. I was stuck at dead ends and faced challenges. I embraced my legs shuddering with fright before cliffs. This must be life. It was never easy.

I have no regrets. Only after much trial and error, I could appreciate the joys of calm and tranquil life. Even though I took wrong turns here and there, it was fun discovering fresh new places, too. There were days I encountered a spring or a shade under a tree where I could pause for a much needed break. When the road was filled with too much traffic, I learned patience, and I could organize my thoughts alone in my own space.

Life was not too desolate as new relationships were made during my brief detours. Today, the people I met on the road make me feel fulfilled. People that shared wisdom they learned from their life’s experiences. The kernels of wisdom wrapped in compassion warmed up my heart. How great is sharing information and making new companions, providing an escape from boredom? If my meager effort can make others happy, that is living a life worthwhile. As people helped me today, I, too, should help others.

We finally arrive at Wangsimni Station where we have to transfer to another line. We may need someone else to guide us again before we can reach our destination. I wonder what kind of new relations we will make, and I look forward to it. Inside my husband’s hands is the subway line map.

Because it is his first subway ride, my worried husband keeps staring intently into the subway line map. He pays close attention to the Korean and English announcements. I point out every single station we pass and let him know where we are. Then I realize. We too must become human GPS devices, guiding each other as we live out our lives. My husband and I are companions for life, and we must discuss and decide where to go using a map like we did today. It is wise to lean on my reliable husband and to take care of him as his spouse. This is the way to live wisely.