[Student Voices] Lost in Central Park
Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 13:08
Jiwoon Oh, Incheon Yeonsong Elementary School
by Jiwoon Oh, Yeonsong Elementary School
Our family decided to explore New York City’s Central Park by bike. We found a bicycle shop in the morning and looked around. My little brother and I were so excited that we ran around the shop playing tag, moving like airplanes with our arms out—until we hit one of the bikes and knocked it over. It fell into another bike, which fell into another bike… All the bikes in the row fell down like dominoes. “I’m doomed,” I thought.
My dad and I helped pick up all the bikes. I was lucky that none were damaged. I felt sad, and tired because the bikes were so heavy for a nine-year-old to lift up. So, the first part of the day was a disaster. But there was still some excitement in my heart, bouncing quietly around.
When we arrived at Central Park, my excitement became larger. I had been dreaming of this place for a long time. Internet searches showed me a green rectangle that was four kilometers long, a graceful place with swans swimming in the lake. I’d also seen some movies where gang members hung out in Central Park, smoking and playing card games. What would the reality be?
We biked uphill and saw a tall stone building that looked like a castle in Harry Potter. Then we biked past a lake with a mother duck and a row of babies swimming behind her. My excitement increased as we crossed an old stone bridge that I’d seen in the movie Home Alone. And then I saw it—a horse clomping along the road.
It was the first horse I’d ever seen in my life! Its hair was so shiny, and it was pulling a carriage covered in colorful light bulbs. Just as my brain became out of control with excitement, we hit the top of the hill and started biking down. I was young, so I liked speeding up. I went down as fast as I could. I had wind covering my face, and excitement taking over my mind.
A few minutes later, I realized I had lost my parents. I couldn’t hear them speaking behind me. I looked around, and I couldn’t see them anywhere. I thought: “I’ve never been here before. I don’t know anyone. I have no money. I don’t even have a phone. I can’t
become an international missing child! I’d have to sleep on the street. Some gang members would try to pull me into their gang. If I refused, I’d die.”
My brain went white for 20 seconds—my imagination stopped and I stood frozen in the middle of the road. What should I do? Go back? Stay here?
I decided to go back where I came from. I was scanning the crowds, searching for anyone who looked Korean. I trusted that my mom would be waiting at the point where two roads join, because I knew my mom was smart, and she would wait for me in the most crowded area.
I found my family waiting at the corner. My mom said, “I was so worried. I thought I’d lost you!”
But my dad was angry. He said: “No more bikes! We’re just going to walk! We’re taking these back to the bike shop!” But my dad had mercy on me. We kept biking around the park, and we had a good time.
This trip to New York gave me an important lesson: Too much excitement can lead to disaster. First, I got too excited and made the bikes fall down. Then I almost became an international missing child in the middle of New York. It’s okay to be excited, but don’t let it get out of control. Be calm. Be patient. Keep your emotions where they belong—in your heart, not your brain.
As Horace said, “Rule your mind or it will rule you.”
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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