Memoir Monday

Because I’m older than you

By: Kun Hee Yeo

My sister, Yerim always got the priority for almost everything. For example, when I was around eight years old, she got the new CD player for herself. I would always complain to my mom, and all she could say is,

“Because she’s older than you.” The worst part was that I never got new things. I would always receive the things my sister used to use. Like her cell phone or her old chair etc.

I was about 12 years old when I realized the Korean cultural rule of giving the priority to the elders. Even if the age difference is only one or two, we had to respect the elders. In Korean high school, you can get beaten up by an elder because you didn’t respect him/her and it would be your mistake of not treating the elders properly.

So these days, even though I get treated unfairly by my sister because of age difference, every day she says,

“Because I’m older than you,” I say,

“Whatever, sis” and walk away.