The festival has come to a close. The Jincheon Lifelong Learning Festival, held alongside the Saenggeojincheon Culture Festival which marked its 46th year, has also come to an end. 

Unlike other years, the event was extended by one day and stretched out for four days. I am not sure if this was beneficial for the local residents enjoying the festivities, but I could see the officials preparing for it running around, completely exhausted.

Behind every splendid fanfare, like the graceful footwork of a swan floating on a lake, there was always someone's swift movement. Whether or not they were aware of the sleepless nights and days of hard work. 

The majority of residents are overwhelmingly interested in which singer will be performing on which day, to the point where it overshadows other events. 

Then and now, there is bound to be much talk and trouble after the feast is over; amidst this, I had the opportunity to observe the Lifelong Learning Festival proceeding quietly and steadily. The slogan,

"Learning with a smile! Sharing with a beaming grin!" embodies the meaning that smiles bloom like flowers through lifelong learning. 

In the Baekgokcheon area, various experience booths were operated, while study club presentations and diverse exhibitions were held, providing things to see and enjoy. 

Among them, the 'Silver Jjang! Literacy Golden Bell' event, in which over 100 people participated simultaneously, heated up the Jincheon Comprehensive Social Welfare Center. These are students from Geulsaem School, composed of seniors aged 60 to 90.

Geulsaem School is attended by senior literacy learners from village senior centers, as well as adult students studying for elementary and middle school equivalency certification courses. 

Middle-aged and elderly students sling backpacks over their shoulders as they go in and out of library classrooms, burning with the determination to earn their diplomas at all costs.

Out of about 200 students, around 100 have thrown down the gauntlet at this lifelong learning festival, leaning on canes and shouting, "Silver Champion! Golden Bell!" 

It is a scene often seen on television, in the format of a high school student wearing a hat tilted to the side and solving Golden Bell questions. 

The eyes of the elderly, eager to get even one more right, sparkle as if they have returned to their teenage days. 

If they get it wrong, they return to the back of the elimination seats with a sigh, but in the loser's bracket, they return alive amidst cheers, looking triumphant. When a tricky question comes up, they subtly glance toward the teacher in charge. 

The way he glances sideways, wondering if he might get even a hint, is exactly like the face of a young child. He is innocent and naive. 

It is as if it were nothing, yet it has the moods of these elders, who have weathered countless storms... It feels

like the atmosphere of a "Golden Bell" competition for seniors learning to read and write. There are sponsors who have stepped forward to support these elders. They are Nongkyung Co., Ltd. and the local wedding business, Hanul. The intention behind their generous donations lies not merely in the monetary amount, but in a message of encouragement intended to boost the elders' morale and make life worth living.

It is a poignant sight to see the winner wearing the royal inspector's robe, as well as those standing on stage together—licking their lips in disappointment as they receive the second, third, and third place awards, along with the Wisdom and Intellect awards—waving their certificates and envelopes as light as feathers. 

Who are those people smiling broadly at the box of cup noodles given to every participant? Aren't they our mothers and grandmothers? 

We place our lives upon solid rock and, at an age when our memories are fading, pick up a pencil to study. We are late-blooming students, a mixture of a burning desire for learning and shyness.

“Where are you going?” asks the neighbor. “Hey, I’m going somewhere.” The next day, as I shoulder my backpack to school, she asks again. “Where are you going today?” “Just over there.” “Can’t I go with you?” From the very next day, the two become friends and attend school together.



This is the current reality of the students at Geulsaem School. In a corner of the splendid festival grounds, overflowing with beer foam and rippling laughter, the traces of the lives of those who have lived like shadows lay shyly in the form of poems and postcards.

It is the month of October. It is a month of abundant harvest. The long Chuseok holiday has ended, and we have all returned to our daily lives. However, this autumn, I miss even more the leisure to look back on, cheer on, and embrace the lives our parents have lived. 

I hope that the sense of community regarding my hometown, our village, and our society will ring out a song of bountiful harvest.

Source: Joongbu Maeil - Chungcheong Region's Leading News Platform ( https://www.jbnews.com)