People achieve their dreams due to opportunities that come to them by chance but become frustrated by opportunities that do not appear. Since humans cannot determine when an opportunity will come, they wait for unpredictable chances in their own way. There are even some people who dream of a new life chance, hoping to change not just a specific moment or situation, but their entire life. Let's look at some stories of people whose lives changed based on these opportunities.
 

 

Book

"While we are alive, we always have a variety of possible futures."
- Nora Seed

 

<The Midnight Library (2020)>

The main character, Nora, experiences the sudden death of her cat, gets fired from the store she worked at, and begins to think that it would be better for her to disappear from the world. Suffering from depression, she feels that life is meaningless and decides to die. After attempting suicide, she opens her eyes and encounters a library with no apparent exit and meets a librarian, Mrs. Elm. She learns from Mrs. Elm that it is not the afterlife, but the "midnight library," a place between life and death. The books on the shelves are an opportunity to live the life she would have lived if she had made a different decision at a certain moment in the past. When she starts reading the books, she is provided with that opportunity and returns to real life. Whenever Nora feels disappointed living in that life, she returns to the midnight library. Will she overcome her doubts about life through the chance given to her by discovering a book that contains a life in which she feels truly happy?

 

Recommendation

This fantasy novel by Matt Hague, a writer who overcame his own depression through writing, compares the library to a collection of past opportunities. The book focuses on the change in the protagonist's perception centered on the subject matter of life and chance. The structure of the novel, which starts a new chapter and changes the title of the section each time Nora enters a new life and returns to the library, makes the reader feel immersed as if they are traveling through time with her. By allowing the main character to live a life that could have existed for her rather than the life of a completely different person, it also provides interest to people who like to imagine what it would be like to live in another world. In addition, Mrs. Elm's role of recognizing and giving advice to Nora's inner thoughts, which even Nora herself does not know, helps the reader understand the process of change in the protagonist's attitudes and provides an opportunity to look back on life philosophically.
 

 

Movie

"It's not about what you know, it's about who you are."
- Ben Whittaker

 

<The Intern (2015)>

Ben Whittaker is a 70-year-old man with a passionate personality who retired from his job after working for 40 years. Feeling free and eager to try something new, he applies for a senior intern position at an online fashion startup named About The Fit (ATF) and gets hired. ATF is run by a young woman named Jules Ostin, who started the program to give back to the community. But at first, the younger employees, including the boss Jules, find it hard to adjust to working with senior interns. Despite the younger generation's concerns, Ben gains the trust of his coworkers by offering advice based on his life experience. However, Jules still feels uncomfortable with the age gap and asks her subordinate to switch the driver. That night, Jules is working the late shift and notices that Ben hasn't left either, so they talk together and realize that they both consider the office as their home and Jules begins to feel relaxed around him. The next day, as Jules heads to work, she realizes that Ben has been replaced with a different driver and regrets her rash decision. Will Jules be able to work with Ben again and get some life advice from him to help her grow as a CEO?
 

 

Recommendation

The movie is about how the younger and older generations communicate and collaborate to break down the strangeness and awkwardness they feel towards each other. The senior internship program works as an opportunity for Ben to learn about the passion of the younger employees, and conversely, for Jules to gain life wisdom from the senior interns, including Ben. Their interactions not only convey to the audience an understanding between generations, but also deliver the message that seizing opportunity can significantly help overcome even one's own prejudices. Experience and passion are the keywords of the movie, and the story shows the value of intergenerational connections while delivering a heartwarming message.

 

Jo Yoo Suyeon / Editor-in-Chief
smt.jysy@gmail.com
Lee Park Jeongeun / Culture Section Editor
smt.lpje@gmail.com