Biography, Text
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| Biography |
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The Early Years
1958 was the Year of the Dog, according to the lunar calendar.
I was born in the month of August in Seoul, South Korea - five years after the Korean War came to a "Truce." Unfortunately, the impact of settling for political expediency - instead of finishing the war against General Douglas MacArthur's better advice - is still felt to this day via Kim Jong-Il and the North Korean nuclear menace (and let us not forget the USS Pubelo incident, the killing of U.S military personnel stationed along the DMZ for sake of killing by the Communist state soldiers, selling of arms to terrorist organizations world-wide, counterfeiting US currencies to use for illicit purposes and the list will go on into the future).
I've often wondered how different and better Asia would be today had the U.S leadership listened to General MacArthur instead of removing him as the U.N Supreme Commander. Policies - wise and unwise - have lasting impact affecting millions of lives of people. I know; I am one.
1958 was only thirteen years after the thirty-five years of brutal Japanese occupation of Korea had ended when the Allies won the Second World War. The post-war Seoul faced a number of difficulties: economic, political therefore, social. Times were hard >. It was a society of either overcoming the challenges or becoming the victims of circumstance. I was a product of such an era.
Compounding life struggles, my mother was a single parent before the term became fashionable in the modern, Western sense. Still, she provided a life for my grandmother and me through the strength of her character, her willingness to work hard, making the necessary sacrifices, and her courage to bear up under a very difficult and abusive personal situation. No silver spoon in my mouth.
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Statistical Improbability
Defying all odds, her application for a visa to enter the United States of America came through in June of 1966. There was no question that a Divine Hand had played a role in this statistical improbability. I was eight years old. Once mom left for America, she and I were separated for two years because of the immigration process. This was the family price we had to pay. My 70-plus year old grandmother reared me in Seoul during that time while mom worked to make a living in Washington, D.C. It was a strenuous period as she supported herself and us back in Seoul.
(One of the places I lived during this time was the Guro district of Seoul, Korea that, on October 10, 2006 became a "Friendly City" with the Town of Chapel Hill, a designation similar in concept to being a Sister City program. During their visit to Chapel Hill, the Guro District Mayor and his staff also expressed a desire to establish a School of Pharmacy in collaboration with with UNC - if it can be worked out.) Copy of: Dual Friendly City Agreement
Between June of 1966 to July 1968, I was motherless (dad was out of the picture two years earlier). Having your mom halfway across the other side of the world was a difficult concept for an eight year old to understand yet the emotional and the physical separation was the cost to make our future in the United States as an immigrant possible. The entire process was a huge gamble because we placed our eggs in one basket: hope. There was no other alternative.
On July 13, 1968, I joined her when my Northwest Orient flight landed at Dulles International Airport. That transcontinental flight ended one life of mine and began another, going from a Third World to the First. It was an incredible transition.
"Great Light Will Shine II: Transitions"
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My American Odyssey
My first schooling in the U.S. was at Linton Hall Military School pa n> (LHMS) in Bristow, Virginia, a Catholic boarding school run by the Benedictine nuns. I had be en in the U.S five weeks. Inadvertently, I had become a pioneer for my nationality as the first Korean/Asian cadet at the institution. Speaking no English and having no clue what was expected of me at a military establishment, I was lost and struggled for months on various levels but eventually overcame the obstacles and grew to appreciate the school.
In the end, LHMS made an indelible mark (no doubt for many other cadets too) that positively impacted my life. Themes such as honor, loyalty, patriotism, courage, love of country, respect for the flag, individual responsibility, etc. was taught, learned and internalized. My years as a cadet at LHMS have become more precious with the passage of time. It was quite special.
Thank you, Commandant Maxwell Du Charme and the Sisters of the Benedictine Order; you mean more to me than you know, in retrospect.
"Great Light Will Shine III: Linton Hall Military School"
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Six-Year Struggle
Mom and I lived in Fairfax, Virginia where I attended Glasgow Middle School for a semester. I had just settled in and making friends when mom got married in December of that year which meant moving to another school district. I ended up at Kenmore Junior High School in Arlington for the remaining second half of the seventh grade and the eight-grade year.
Then, we drove down to N.C when the 1972-1973 school year ended in the second week of June 1973. This was an interesting experience: sometime after crossing the North Carolina state line, there was a large billboard welcoming all to the state...courtesy of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. That was an amazing sight: I had heard and read about its existence in the books. Now, I was in their midst.
Then we moved into the Hardee St. apartments off of Rt. 70 for a month or so then we moved to Palm Park Apartments off Leon Street in Durham where I enrolled at Brogden Junior High School for my 9th grade year. I was - once again - the only non-white, non-black student.
These were the golden old days when WRAL 101.5 FM radio station, the most progressive in the area, playing one Top-40 song followed by one Country & Western song. On the TV side, the news anchors were Charlie Gaddy and Bobbie Battista (who later became one of the first anchors for CNN, a new novelty idea called "cable"). Bob Debardelaben was the weatherman, still one of my favorite TV personality though he has long since retired. Charlie, Bobbie & Bob, thanks for the memories...
We moved to Raleigh when the school year ended. After graduating from Jesse O. Sanderson High School, I left home for college and not looked back. The important thing was that I survived my mother’s marriage to a man who, through passive-aggressiveness, slowly but surely choked the essence of life out of her. He became an albatross around my neck from the time I was twelve years old until I left for college at eighteen. Those were the longest six years of my life - but I endured and overcame.
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College Years: UNC - CH
I graduated from UNC - Chapel Hill in 1982. While at Carolina, I majored in Economics.
My Carolina years were memorable.
Franklin Street was special - there was excitement in the air and you could feel the energy on and off campus. There were various merchants, many choices of places to dine, with exclusive clothing stores, night-life sites with marquee entertainers on the weekends and open concerts. After a full night of activity, there were early morning breakfast sites to recover.
Purdy's on Franklin & the Southern Prep
“Purdy's” impacted thousands of Carolina students over the years.
It was a private - members only- night club on top of the Sutton's Drugstore owned by Tom Purdy. There were only two ways to get inside: be a member or a guest of a member. Purdy's presence on the social life of UNC students during the late ‘70’s to early ‘80’s was significant. It was THE happening place where everyone who was anyone was a part. The fraternities and sororities especially had a strong presence.
I walked in one evening to enjoy the scenery as usual whereupon Jim Hines, the manager, signaled me to come over to the bar where he was and said to me, "You're here all the time so you mind as well work here. You want a job?" I responded, "What do you have in mind?" He said I could be a bartender and, if necessary, a bouncer (I was in decent physical condition then). Sounded good to me. Working at Purdy's turned out to be a desirable job with lots side benefits, one that my peers envied.
Purdy's Tuesday nights "Ladies Lockout" were especially memorable. The place opened at 8:00 PM and until 10:00 PM, only ladies (and female guests) were permitted in. The beer was a nickel a cup. At 10:00 PM, the male members (and guests) came in and the party began. I was either one of two/three bartenders or the bouncer.
As the latter, I controlled the line that, at times, went back as far as the NCNB Plaza (now called Bank of America Center). Even members had to wait until space became available as the place was packed like sardines in a can.
Being a bouncer was an interesting job; I met many co-eds and heard most creative reasons as to why they should be allowed in or before others in line.
All the male employees wore a white, polo-type shirt with the word "Purdy's" imprinted over the heart. Sometimes, I wore the shirt to class and when I did, students - especially the ladies - would glance over trying to figure out if the guy sitting in the English class with them is indeed the same person working the bar at Purdy's and reminiscing about what they were doing the last time they were there. Males classmates who understood the significance of Purdy's tried to purchase the shirt from me.
Beach Music
The music and the sound system were great at Purdy’s. Disco was big then but, like other true southern colleges, beach music was very much appreciated. After three or four disco songs, the DJ's (usually Jim or Zack) played several beach music selections whereupon all who knew how to shag stayed on the dance floor while the non-shaggers left the dance floor (younger generation: you have no idea what you're missing!). My old roommate, George D (Yes, George, I know: Dean Martin was a Greek - not an Italian!) was one smooth shagger and quite a ladies man.
It was interesting how our life paths crossed again in Philadelphia, as we attended our respective graduate schools several years later. George studied podiatry at PCPM (Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine), which later became the Temple University of Podiatric Medicine.
He's now a podiatrist in Fayettville. Hope all is well, George.
It doesn't seem all that long ago when we roomed at Carolina Apartments and shagged at Purdy's and Crazy Zacks...
I frequently thought of Franklin Street and Purdy's and the many wonderful times I had there - both as an employee and an individual - and what the place meant to me, while I lived in the northeastern U.S and especially overseas, reminiscing about the many summer evenings, shagging to the music of The Globetrotters, General Johnson & the Chairman of the Board, The Tams, The Catalinas, The Embers, The Showman, The Tymes, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, The Drifters, The Four Tops and the good ole humid Carolina summer days.
Tom Purdy, I hope life is treating you well; I still recall the time when you gave me the Ducks Unlimited duck pin for my hat...thanks for the opportunity and the memories. Please know that having Purdy's membership card in the wallet was a very important part of being a Tar Heel for thousands of students, including me.
Motorcycle Days
My Chevy Vega - with aluminum block engine - was sold in August of 1979 for $1500 to pay for the upcoming fall tuition at Carolina. Out of money, I bought a used Kawasaki KZ 400 motorcycle for $500. That was my first stint with a motorcycle and came to understand the saying, "Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window." I rode it back and forth to the campus for a year.
The view of the road from a motorcyclist's perspective is quite different - vulnerable - than through the comfort and the safety of an auto windshield: I came to know the characteristics of Airport Road quite well because every little thing on it is a potential hazard to a motorcycle rider.
One of the benefits of being a cyclist was to ride up to the side of a building on campus, park and walk up the stairs to class. That was quite convenient which explains the popularity of the scooters among the Carolina students today.
It became evident that it was more dangerous to ride a small engine cycle than a larger one, which could keep up with the traffic. Here, I learned never to argue with an 18-wheeler. It's one thing to know your "rights"; it's something else to demand it against a truck (or other vehicles larger than yours). So, with help from my mother, I financed for a new motorcycle:Yamaha 850 Midnight Special. It was a four stroke, three-cylinder engine. This was the first "shaft-driven" cycle that came on the market. All the others were chain-driven.
The ride was incredibly smooth, powerful and quiet since there was no chain rattling around - all the characteristics opposite of the old KZ 400. Typically, a biker will ride between 1,500 to 2,000 miles a year; I rode 15,000 miles during that first year. The second year was similar to the first. In two years, I had ridden 30,000 + miles. There is a saying amongst the riders: "If you don't ride in the rain, then you don't ride". In my case, I had no choice. I rode in the rain...and in the cold. That was an experience: you learn what "wind-chill factor" really means. Sometimes, being young is...well, that's all you have.
In the two years of full-time riding, I was very lucky: I never laid the bike down - although I came close a number of times. I kept another motorcycle proverb close to my heart during those years: "Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly." Still, I saw my life flash before my eyes more times than I care to remember.
UNC Ice Hockey
I also played ice hockey for UNC back then (Yes, Virginia, there was ice hockey in the Carolinas before the NHL 'Canes). Our practices and games were in Hillsborough at the Daniel Boone Ice Rink.
I will always remember one particular game against Dook in the winter of 1980 when, in the middle of our game, the announcer came over the speaker saying that the US Ice Hockey team had just beaten the USSR team at the Lake Placid Olympics!
Those of us on the ice stopped skating, turned to the nearest human – regardless of the team jersey color - to high-five, yelling as loud as we could; others on the bench hit the boards with their stick, expressing shock, joy and relief all at the same time of a miracle that had just taken place. A team of 18 to 22 year old college No-Namers had beaten the Soviet machine, composed of professional players in their 30's, who've played together for years - and had even beaten the Canadian national team. This victory was so improbable that it was simply...incomprehensible and overwhelming.
We did not realize that, when the 1980 Olympics began, the ice hockey games became an extension of the political Cold War power struggle between the East and the West in general and the Soviet Union and the United States in particular. This was not just another Olympic event; it became a defining moment in our national psyche that, when it ended, we regained our pride and patriotism as Americans - all thanks to a group of college students from the Mid-West and the Northeast.
Al Michaels, the announcer, asked as the game came down to the last few second, “Do you believe in a miracle?” Not only did the young American team give our nation a miracle, they restored our faith in ourselves again…
BTW: Hey, Dave Blum '81 (Greensboro) if you still have my UNC hockey jersey number 22, I will appreciate it very much if you will be kind enough to return it so I can give to my kids!
1981 Gator Bowl (UNC v. Arkansas 31 - 27)
The late Seventies to early Eighties were also good Carolina football years.
Tar Heel’s football final rankings in 1979 were 15th and 14th nationally by the AP and the UPI polls respectively.
The 1980 season end rankings were 10th and 9th AP/UPI, followed in 1981 as 9th and 8th. We were ranked #2 in the nation at one point during the ’81 season behind Texas.
This was the Coach Dick Crum era (still the most winning Carolina coach) and his boys, “Famous Amos” Lawrence, Billy “Horseshoe” Johnson, Lawrence (“LT”) Taylor, Steve Streeter, Rod Elkins, Kelvin (“KB”) Bryant, Ethan Horton, Lee Shaffer Jr., Rick Donnelly, and so on. They brought it to the field every game and left it all there. As LT told Woody Durham in an interview after one game, “We bend but not break.”
After the home game, the players came to Purdy’s and celebrated the wins and to let it all hang out after a week of notoriously demanding practices under Coach Crum. Those were the days when Carolina was more than just a basketball school.
Not surprisingly, the Carolina Tar Heels were invited to end-of-the-season bowl games: ’79 Gator Bowl, ’80 Bluebonnet Bowl, and ’81 Gator Bowl during those years – and won them all against Michigan (17-15), Texas (16-7), and Arkansas (31-27).
Dave, Jeff, and I drove down the day before December 18 to Jacksonville, Florida for the 1981 Gator Bowl game to get settled. After resting up in the morning, we slowly began to prep up for the fun to begin. When we reached that certain point, we left for the general direction of the stadium. We ended up at a Bennigan’s.
The establishment was about 75% full when we arrived - with fans from all over but nothing much was happening. Then the three of walked in wearing our Carolina paraphernalia and hit the bar…soon thereafter, the party began. Dave brought his Carolina letter jacket in case the weather turned; I had on my UNC baseball cap so people knew where our football loyalty was.
Now, Dave Blum is every Jewish mother’s dream son-in-law for her daughter. He stood six feet tall, with brown hair, a lean and athletic body as a result of playing soccer for UNC. He hailed from Greensboro, majored in accounting, the second of four siblings and the first son of three. He was good enough that after graduating with a BSBA degree, he played for the new North American Soccer League’s Miami team that had recently formed.
Though we started at the bar, we quickly ended up at a table in the middle of the place full of ladies. Over the next few hours, the entire place was hopping and everybody happy. It was one of those situations where people gathered to have fun but were waiting for someone to start it. The high but restrained energy level that existed reminded me of a perfect condition for a forest fire; all it needed was a spark. We, the Carolina boys, were the kindle.
I did not want to leave for the stadium because the party was going great but the game time was nearing so we had to go. Three of the ladies wanted to join us so we agreed to meet them at a specific location at the stadium and left separately.
We had to go over a drawbridge to get there but the traffic had already backed up and standing still. Fortunately, the cars in front and the back of us were full of girls so the view was nice. With traffic stalled, we decided to liven up the place by doing a series of Chinese fire drills, so we jumped out of the car, ran around it and switched seats several times. Each time, cars around us started honking and started to do their own.
Once inside the stadium we discussed whether the three ladies really had meant to meet us. There was only one way to find out: we went to the designated area and sure enough, they were present so we hooked and paired up again. Soon, however, the three musketeers got separated in the commotion of thousands of people whereby we ended up with our respective newfound friends. By then, I was slightly over my quota of drinking that she led me to our seats.
Two things perplexed me that evening:
First, I noticed the several times I zoned in and out that the entire playing field seemed to be covered with fog. Was I seeing things? Had fog of biblical proportion, as recorded in the book of Exodus, descended upon the field? Evidently so for this Gator Bowl game became known appropriately as “The Fog Bowl.”
The second was where I woke up from the noise of the crowd.
All of a sudden, the loud cheering of the fans registered in my head causing me to open my eyes. When I did, I was looking up at a chin of a blond female. This was confounding: why and how was it that I was looking up at someone’s chin? Much less a female I did not recognize? There was only one way this perspective could happen: I had to be on my back, looking up. Out of perplexity, I tilt my head up to see what was going on only to find myself lying flat across laps of five co-eds.
The five were sitting at the lower 1/3 of the stadium, in the first five seats at the end of one row. My head was resting on the lap of the one at the end with the rest of my body extended across the next four girls. I was…shocked to find myself in this situation.
At one point, there must have been a good Tar Heel play because everyone around us stood up to cheer except for the five as my lying across prevented them from getting up. All they could do was to cheer sitting down which they did, still enjoying the game, more or less ignoring my presence on their laps.
As my eyes slowly focused, I recognized one of the co-eds as a sorority girl (Gamma Lamda Chapter of Phi Mu?) from Carolina. The others were likely sisters from the same sorority but I did not readily recognize them under the circumstance.
I was utterly, utterly baffled, wondering: how did I end up here? In this position? You just don’t end up lying across the laps of five ladies...easily.
At that point, I got off their laps and left…dumbfounded.
I’ve thought of the possibilities but none were satisfactory or realistic:
- In my drunken state, I asked them if I could lie down across their laps
- I passed out near them and they picked me up knowing I was a Tar Heel since I was wearing Dave’s Carolina jacket and decided to place me across their laps
- Dave and Jeff saw me passed out and decided to play a joke, one picking me up by my arms and the other by my feet and placed me across the co-ed’s laps (they had no idea what I was talking about when asked later)
None of them seem feasible.
The three of us hooked up after the game and drove over to the hotel where the team was staying to celebrate.
I saw the same co-ed back on campus when the spring semester began but I was frankly too embarrassed to ask about what had taken place. I should have in retrospect, for it’s a mystery that has been on my mind unresolved for the past twenty-eight years.
So: Ladies - if you know how I ended up on your laps at the 1981 Gator Fog Bowl, please e-mail or call me. I will welcome and appreciate the answer to one of the great, unsolved mysteries in my life…
1982: A Great UNC (University of National Champions) Year
The Class of 1982 experienced something special - 3 Carolina National Championships!
During the Spring of 1982, my last year at Carolina, everyone knew about the 1982 NCAA basketball championship team led by senior Jimmy Black, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Michael Jordan and Matt Doherty. On a beautiful spring day, Kenan Stadium opened so students/fans gathered to show our appreciation and pride for what they had achieved nationally.
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Around the same time, another UNC team had also won a national championship: Men's Lacrosse. UNC Men's Lacrosse beat Johns Hopkins by the score of 7 - 5, which is a close game. In fact, this was their second national championship on their way to winning a total of four: 1981, 1982, 1986, and 1991. Unfortunately, not many of us Southerners understood the game and what Coach Willie Scroggs and the team had achieved at the time. Then, LAX was seen as a sport played by Northerners against schools in the Mid-Atlantic region. Fortunately, this has changed over the past quarter-century and the game is now understood and appreciated by the general populace much more.
In retrospect, the LAX team should have received more recognition and accolade than they had, for which I have felt guilty over the years. Though belated, here's to the 1982 UNC NCAA Lacrosse National Champions: Thanks for your accomplishment! Though we did not realize it, your sacrifices and achievements made our student experience that much more prestigious and special across the nation than it otherwise would have been. Furthermore, due to your pioneering efforts, both my son and daughter play LAX. In the end, your success has inspired many youths of today. It is one great sport from pure athletic perspective as well.
There was another team that got under the radar: many of us were not aware that UNC had a team in the College Bowl that year. Despite lack of coverage and recognition, the team went on to beat Harvard U to become the College Bowl Champions! This was a nice win because the UNC College Bowl team demonstrated that Carolina was not just champions in the athletic arena but also in the intellectual sphere as well. Thank you and well done!
Speaking of winning…
1982 NCAA Basketball Championship
March 29, 1982 was a Monday night. I was at Purdy's along with hundreds of others watching it on TV. When we beat Georgetown for the national championship, the whole place erupted with excitement! We hugged any and everyone nearest us as pride and joy filled the place. The DJ played "We are the Champions" by Queen once again as they had done each time the Tar Heels advanced in the tournament.
In the midst of the celebration, I froze as my heart just dropped to the pit of my stomach: it hit me that I had parked my new, black Yamaha 850 Midnight Special on Franklin Street! At the time, right in front of the NCNB Plaza (now called Bank of America), was a parking space for about five or so motorcycles...and that was where I had left mine. When I realized, I had this horrifying vision of my brand new black Yamaha being turned into Carolina blue, as was the custom of painting everything on Franklin Street blue then. "Oh...my...God!" was all I could think of as I leaped down the metal stairs to Franklin Street, which was already filling up with students celebrating.
I ran as fast as I could up the block, fearful of seeing my motorcycle either already completely turned Carolina blue or in the process of being so with streaks of blue across the gas tank. When I got there, I could not believe my eyes - it was still black! :) I thanked God and immediately put it in neutral and began pushing it. Then I realized I had another problem: the street was already packed with people and it was impossible to go from where I was to either end of the block to move it away. I was stuck.
"Now, what do I do?" I asked myself? This was becoming a major challenge. The only place with no people was the NCNB Plaza itself, where the Flower Ladies use to sell flowers. I pushed the 500-plus pound bike through the glass door into the lobby and thought about leaving it there until things calmed down. Then it occurs to me that if someone sees it from Franklin Street, they may come and still damage it. So, I rolled it up to through the second glass doors to where the Papagayo's Restaurant was located and out the side door on to the walkway - totally out of sight. Then I went back to rejoin the celebration.
As an alumni looking back, it is my hope that every Carolina student will leave Chapel Hill with wonderful memories of their four years here that will last a life time...
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Reformed Theology
Then there was God.
After working in marketing in Southern California and then in the garment district of Manhattan, I matriculated to Westminster Theological Seminary located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, fulfilling my desire to learn about God, through the Scriptures. The Biblical stories in general and the Old Testament in particular - where God and humanity interacted so clearly - was especially intriguing. After learning more Hebrew and Greek simultaneously - and parsing them- more than ever thought humanly possible, I graduated in 1990 with a Master of Divinity degree (now renamed as "Pastoral Ministry Track" on P56). The required course work alone was 92 hours - not including the required Hebrew & Greek (on page 53). The academic rigor of the program made my college experience, a breeze.
Because the usual master's degree at most academic institutions is 60 hours worth of credit, many of us felt that the Westminster Master's requirements alone easily surpassed a doctorate degree at any other institutions. I would vouch for that.
From 1984 to 1996, I served the Presbyterian Church in various capacities: youth minister, itinerant evangelist, minister of education to pastor, sharing the love of God, the Gospel of Christ and saving souls. Studying Reformed (Calvinistic) theology solidified my life ethos. While possessing a strong sense of morality, the application of Christian ethics to life perspective and society was clarified. I also learned much about the characteristics of humanity during this time – and myself as well. It was not always pretty.
Being in the ministry for over a decade is one of the best possible preparatory grounds for any principled public service. This observation will not come as a surprise to most pastors; they know what serving is…and do so daily. Another consideration is leading people with honesty and integrity – as opposed to self-centered, filled with ulterior motives.
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"Women's Work"
After twelve years in the ministry, it was time to focus on nurturing the needs of my family and children. My wife’s life desire was to study law after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. To make this possible, I stepped aside my training and education so she could attend law school. I continued to serve part-time in the beginning but eventually stopped because there is no such a thing as a “part-time ministry”; it is totally encompassing. I cooked, washed clothes, cleaned house and reared our children, growing in areas of existence never thought possible while my wife studied.
Around this time, a movie called, "Mr. Mom" came out, starring Michael Keaton. It was personally meaningful as I commiserated with the character - I was he in real life. Yet, unlike him, who could walk away at the end of the shoot, mine continued. This was no character playing; this was for real, with real children and real diapers.
Various realizations came during this unexpected turn in life’s journey. Specifically, how difficult and demanding “women’s work” is, physically and mentally, and how important the responsibility is in keeping the family unit together. I concluded that a job is easier (you can leave it at the office) than “women’s work” which does not seem to end.
Those who know understand how important motherhood is. They cannot but appreciate and admire the single mothers who rear children by themselves. What they’ve accomplished is an incredible and a heroic feat. If you are one, I applaud your for your sacrifice, strength, courage, and perseverance. You are not forgotten.
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Tae Kwon Do
Having had a keen interest in martial arts in general and Tae Kwon Do in particular (must be my ancestral Korean blood), I was dissatisfied and disillusioned with the over-commercialization of it, resulting in the compromising of the discipline. To bring back the art to its historical roots and away from the strip mall approach, I began Cho's Tae Kwon Do. Unlike all others, it was “By invitation only" program. The goal was quality of the student, not quantity of the student. It was one of a kind. I wrote a book "Augustus Cho Tae Kwon Do: Dedicated To Discipline" for the students. A second book on physical conditioning was written: "Augustus Cho Intellectual Jock".
I met wonderful people and families in the process. The experience for those who became part of our Do-jang (school) was life-altering by values instructed, learned, trained and internalized in the Korean martial art…as it was meant to be. The students are taught to overcome challenges by dedicated preparation and practice - leading to overall mental toughness.
They learn, develop and refine the warrior state of mind with each subsequent belt; at the intermediate level by sparring; at the advance level by breaking boards, learning to control their strength, having the knowledge and the ability to face conflict with calmness as second nature.
For the children of Cho’s Tae Kwon Do, the instructors were taught to teach and instill three fundamental life lessons: self-control, self-discipline and self-respect.
"Sanity before vanity"
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Living & Working Overseas
An opportunity rose in August 2002 for my family to move overseas to Seoul, Korea (for me, return). Pulling a thirty-four year foundation out and transplanting overseas was a difficult family decision. Yet, with the belief that nothing risked, nothing gained, we made the move. Sometimes, faith alone is good enough.
USFK: United States Forces, Korea
The USFK consists of the entire US Armed Forces presence in the Republic of Korea: Air Force (7th USAF), Army (8th Army), Navy (7th Fleet), and the Marine Corps. USFK also includes the United Nations Command (UNC) and the Combined Forces Command (CFC).
The Commanding General of the USFK was a United States Army four-star General Leon LaPorte (2/2003 to 2/2006) of Providence Rhode Island, who has since retired. The Commanding General of the 8th Army at the time was Lieutenant General Charles C. Campbell of Louisiana, who has since been promoted to a full four-star general.
I taught software programs that were used by the military and other military-related classes at Central Texas College. CTC is one of several colleges and universities instructing our men & women in uniform across the globe within the U.S. Department of Defense. Most servicemen/women have either taken classes through it or are familiar with the institution.
This particular campus jurisdiction encompassed the entire Pacific Rim: Korean peninsula, Japan, Okinawa to Diego Garcia.
Teaching our men and women in uniform was a privilege and personally gratifying: it allowed me to see our Armed Forces from the inside out.
What is particularly touching is seeing our young 18 and 19-year-old men and women - in reality, teenagers - serving overseas, far, far away from home. For many, this was the first time they ever left their state, much less the country. They were in high schools across our vast land a few months back, coming home to dinner cooked by mom. They came from California, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New York, Georgia, North Carolina...from small towns to large cities - Blacks, Latinos, Whites, and Asians.
After completing Basics they were assigned overseas, wearing the uniform of our proud nation, serving with dedication and professionalism - with the knowledge that, if necessary, they will make the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. It was a sobering realization. We have much to be proud of in our young people. God bless them.
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Giving Back: Spirit of Service
Living overseas was the best lesson in focusing on what the United States of America meant to me: I came to realize that whatever problems we may have or need to face as a nation, we have the best system in the world to overcome them. In other nations/cultures, though they may have progressed exponentially in technology over the past decades, their perspective of life had not evolved equally. As a result, technology is being used to maintain the social status quo as oppose to improving or equalizing human existence.
I made a vow then: I will not complain/whine about what is wrong with our society. Instead, I will get involved and make a positive difference for the greater good.
I held fast to the promise when we returned to Chapel Hill, a quarter century after leaving with a college degree.
My life had come full circle in twenty-five years. I left Chapel Hill as a young man and returned as middle aged one. I left Chapel Hill as a bachelor and returned as a father of two. Korean/Asians were a rare commodity then…now there are everywhere. There were two Chinese restaurant; now?
A lot had changed in a quarter of a century. Our town has become unimaginably diverse.
Following Through
The first chance after settling down, I followed through on my vow to get involved. There was a slight problem: I did not quite know how to go about this. After some contemplation, I joined the local Republican Party and volunteered to serve. The Executive Committee asked me to be the precinct chair of Patterson.
Making History
In March of 2007, the OCRP made history when they elected me as their county chair: I was the first Korean/Asian American to be elected Chairman of a county party in the state (possibly in the U.S?). Still, being a numerical minority is not a new experience for me - I've been one since July of 1968. I've often felt like the remnant of the Tribe of Israel in the Old Testament.
A Realization
I came to recognize the limits of what can be accomplished by serving in a local county political party. This was somewhat frustrating. The problem was not the lack of good intentions on the part of the party in question; it was the nature of the system. It was by design to be "us against them" mentality. It was divisive by character.
The OCRP also reminded me of organizations (including churches) I had seen in the past: a group so busy looking inward that they had a difficult time looking outward, thereby limiting their ability to make practical difference in society. I suspect this may also apply to OCDP as well, for it has similar organizational needs hence parallel methodology.
A local political party was not the solution I was seeking to evoke improvements that benefited the entire community. The most that it could do was to improve their segment of society.
A reassessment was done whereupon I decided to serve our town more directly by volunteering on Town's board/commissions.
Board, Commission, Task Force & Committee
An application was mailed to the Town of Chapel Hill. The Town Council appointed me to the Transportation Board for my first three-year term. I served as the Chair this past year. I have been reappointed for a second three-year term.
Town of Chapel Hill Transporation Board (6/2006 - 6/2009, 6/2009 - 6/2011)
"CAP commuters risking lives too"
"Risking a life to cross the street"
"Transit officials should face tough questions"
During the time, I served on the Northern Area Task Force, formed by the Mayor, to study and recommend growth plans for Northern Chapel Hill.
Town of Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force (Final report 8/30/07)
I was also on the Town of Chapel Hill Downtown Parking Lot Committee as the liason for the Transporation Board, studying the issue of parking and its impact upon the local businesses on Franklin Street.
Town of Chapel Hill Downtown Parking Citizen Committee (June 2006 - July 2007 Link no longer exists it seems)
Presently, I am also a Commissioner on the Community Design Commission.
Town of Chapel Hill Community Design Commission
I have come to conclude that serving on the town's board/commission/committee/task force has been much more productive, effective, and pro-active in terms of making positive impacts on the community than serving on a county political party, where their actions tend to be reactive. I encourage citizens to volunteer for boards, commissions and task forces as well.
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Writings
I have had several books to be written in me for some time, so I began to write them. Five books have been completed with several more in various stages - including a historical fiction for middle school students. I enjoy writing because it forces me, as the author, to always see and keep the big picture in mind: beginning, middle and end. It makes you think things through and that is a likeable challenge.
It’s been a pleasure writing “My View” columns for the Chapel Hill News over the months for this reason and I thank the Editor of the newspaper for the opportunity.
In short, the story of my life is much like yours: overcoming difficult challenges and obstacles to better society and ourselves. As an individual, a concerned citizen, a father, a community activist, a college teacher, a retired pastor, a martial arts instructor, I am much like you.
This is my story...Augustus Cho.
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