Reason to be Glad

“Doc, I broke my arm in three places.”

“Well stay out of them places.”

Hee Haw

I remember the old adage — and maybe this goes in some way to relativism — that a constant beating of one’s head against a wall will yield relief when one stops. The deeper meaning is that the stopping of that which is foolish and futile is not necessarily cause for celebration. Of course it’s not going to hurt anymore once you stop the action that brings you pain. But you shouldn’t have been beating your head against the wall in the first place.

And yet here I am, feeling pretty good because USFK is finally going to do what I said they should have been doing all along…well, a least partly. They’re going to let their people follow Korean guidance in regards to COVID. In other words, I get to go to my favorite restaurants to eat again — something of which I was entirely capable in a responsible way for the last month or so, but which I was prevented from doing because USFK had to do something to show Korea they were serious about the virus.

I’m sure in the end it didn’t help at all, but it was good enough for lip service. And so here I am celebrating the end of the head pounding. And I can without being a fool, because it wasn’t me knocking my head against the wall in the first place.

So it’s entirely my intention tomorrow (I’m taking a day off) to walk down the street at noon (the time they lift the restrictions), go into one of my favorite restaurants, order Kimchi Jjigae for two with extra meat and a bottle of Makgeoli, and let out a huge sigh of satisfaction as I sit down to eat.

I was just telling Micha last night, before the release from restrictions was even announced, that that was my intention. We were walking near the restaurant at the time (it was market day) and she mistook my comments for a desire to eat Kimchi Jjigae right then (to go), but I said, “No. I need the atmosphere. I need people sitting around me drinking soju and having their animated conversations. I need the smells and the sounds and the refills on side dishes. I need the whole package.”

It’s true. It’s part of the Korean restaurant experience — the chatter and the bustle and the people yelling out for another bottle. I get hungry just thinking about it.

And so tomorrow at noon, I have reason to be glad.