 |
By Lee Sun-ho
The 60th anniversary represents quite a remarkable span of time and is called a diamond jubilee. Before life expectancy spanned into the so-called contemporary "100-year-old life" era, the time span of 60 years used to be a wonderful celebration event to mark the amazing grace of the longevity of life, as far as my memory goes. Diamond jubilees are to some extent still feted in families, and surely not limited to South Korea.
Recently, I happened to learn of some organizations or companies that have been in operation since 1963. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf takes pride in its well-grown history, born and brewed during 1963 in southern California. The Korea National Diplomatic Academy, a diplomatic think tank falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, celebrated its 60th anniversary on Sept. 3 with the participation of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Foreign Minister Park Jin. The Korea-America Association's special day is scheduled for celebration on Dec. 5, later this year.
I also recall vividly the prime world news and important events during my student days in 1963. The alarming big news at the time, John F. Kennedy, the 35th United States President was assassinated on Friday, Nov. 22. 1963 in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. The U.S. Postal Service launched its five-digit-numbered postal ZIP (zone improvement plan) code system in July of 1963. The Soviet Union launched its Vostok 6 spacecraft in June of 1963, recording the mission carried by Cosmonaut Valentina V. Tereshkova as the first woman in space. The U.S. and the Soviets agreed to establish a hot line on June 20, 1963, a direct communication system to prevent a possible nuclear war.
According to Webster's dictionary, the diamond anniversary is an act of proposing a drink in honor of someone or something. I presume that the model toast example would be a married couple's diamond wedding on their 60th wedding anniversary, wishing them to stay blessed for many more years in love, good health and happiness on this special day that not many couples are lucky to celebrate.
Sincerely speaking, I am not confident whether my wife and I will be given the honor of raising our happy diamond wedding anniversary, which will come five more years henceforth. Our experience with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has brought loss around us. If my wife and I stay alive until that time, announcing to our friends and relatives that the last 60 years have swiftly flown by for us both, the swiftness of the time allotted to us is the irrevocable feature in our lives. As it is said, "Life is but a dream."
The writer (wkexim@naver.com) is a freelance columnist living in Seoul.
![[INTERVIEW] Hip-hop group Uptown returns after 13 years with new lineup](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/0eae35da5e9c40c38cf439e550a2eb3e.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] ASTRO members aim to shine in musical theater](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/df16760dc50f469d93434f66a069465c.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
