A Wonderful Goodbye to You And Me

Editor-in-chief Ahn So-hyun

prevoyage@naver.com

I vividly remember the beginning of this year, cleaning up dusty desks and creating my own office structure. I had a lot of thoughts about my new position as editor-in-chief. The thought of 'Will I be able to do well?' filled my mind. It was never easy. However, now that a year has passed and I am writing the last column in my last issue, how do I feel? 

There was a lot of pressure when I started this job. I thought I should also maintain and develop the path that my seniors had prepared well. So, I prioritized this job among all my activities and responsibilities and worked harder than anyone else. There were also difficult parts. I was so focused on this that I started to neglect the people around me. At one point, I also pushed a person who was precious to me away by making them feel lonely. Furthermore, when I made a mistake, I blamed myself a lot, so my self-esteem also decreased a lot. At the time, there was no one around me and I was very lonely, too. But now that I look back, I have strong colleagues around me. I thought I had to carry the pressure of running the newspaper alone, but that was not true. It was also my colleagues, seniors, and I who were able to greet the commemorative 200th issue.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, 'A good leader should have the sense to choose the right person to do the job he wants, and he should be self-controlled enough not to interfere while he is doing it.' Being a leader is hard work. I also felt that way. I expected all members to feel the same way as me and act like me. But it was my illusion. A leader should make a variety of people fit together within one organization. A good leader does not push their people together, but understands them and allows them to govern well. Although I am now stepping down from this position, my next successor will have the same feelings as me. There will be times when he or she will have to struggle alone. But to the next editor-in-chief, keep in mind that you are never alone and you have colleagues walking in step with you. At the end, always fill your heart so that you can leave with a smile and feel relieved. Thank you for being with me.