PEOPLE PUT a small box inside their minds; the small box contains a very precious treasure which can be touchable or untouchable. They have a tendency to put different values on matters; the range can be varied depending on each person. In addition, people might get puzzled when asked “what is your treasure?” and soon find themselves with unique answers. I wonder how Yonseians would answer to this question. Here are their stories.

   My family is the most precious treasure to me. It might be an obvious answer, but I believe that family members provide confidence and pride whenever I get into trouble. Even though I have many friends, these days, I realize that they are different from my family. I even put my family picture inside my wallet which strengthens both my heart and soul.

2. Shin Jae-sik (Soph., Dept. of Law)

During my school life, I joined a club, BK (Blue Knights). I was able to make many friends, through hard practice, for the Yon-Ko Athletic Meet. The training was quite tough; I had to come to Shinchon every day during the summer vacation. We had to practice about ten hours every day; however, it all became precious memories. I even want to recommend that freshmen join the club

My no.1 treasure is lab apron which has a very special mark on it. The mark symbolizes that I am a junior. In order to reach my goal, I had to study very hard and couldn’t sleep more than four hours a day. There were many additional experiments required to do; in those days, I wore a different gown which didn’t have any mark on it. I want to become a doctor who loves my job and my patients.

4. Lee Sang-hwa (Soph., Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engin.)

My camera is the most precious thing to me. Taking pictures has become my favorite hobby these days; the pictures that I take are historical records of my life. As I look through the pictures, I feel proud of myself and insert my own style into my pictures. I have been taking pictures for about one and a half years. I am also planning to join a picture club in order to put more energy into it. 

  Scrolls that I received from my best friends during my high school years would be my precious treasure. They wrote messages that had special meanings which I have never heard in my whole life. It was one of my happiest moments in my life after I read all the messages. Even though it has become harder to stay in contact each other, I would try my best to keep close to them, forever.

People these days are likely to place more values on small things that they consider important. However, they should realize that people surrounding them closely are the most significant treasure in the world. Dreams, studies, and fame may seem to be the most important factors when considering basic principles of life, but people are often mistaken in their perceptions.

An Annals challenge: what perceptions do you value? And what do you treasure?