I am a 'kangaroo tribe',
I don't want independence!

Independence, is it really necessary?
The delightful struggles of the 'non-independent' Kangaroo tribe

Have you heard of the 'Kangaroo Tribe'?
I am a special kangaroo
We reject the stereotypes surrounding the word 'kangaroo tribe'!

Maybe we are a similar 'race'.

Because I want to be completely alone, but at the same time, I want to share warmth with the person next to me.

Lee Joo-young (novelist, producer of KBS's "Novel Theater")

When I turned thirty, I felt old.
I know now that that's not the case.

Youth is beautiful.
The youth who struggles while lamenting that it may already be too late is even more beautiful.
_Bu Hee-ryeong (novelist)

“I can say with confidence that I have lived without any major regrets, no matter what I choose.
If you can finish it, that's fine.
Bravo my life.”

Meet Gyeonggi Province's Hidden Treasures: "Hidden Writers"

The Gyeonggi Hidden Writer Project, which supports writers with limitless potential to grow into the future of Korean literature, has published the essay 『A Kangaroo Tribe Appeared 100 Meters Ahead』 by author Na Mok, the winner of the prose category.
This book is a warm and pleasant story of cohabitation between kangaroos, written by an author who naturally became a member of the kangaroo tribe from an ordinary child.
Although they are members of the kangaroo tribe, they may have been concerned about independence and denied it, but they concretize their identity as a kangaroo tribe into daily life and positively express the possibility of a relationship where they respect and live together with each other.

This book consists of a total of 32 stories and an epilogue of 4-panel cartoons drawn by author Namok himself.
You can get a glimpse into the thoughts and attitudes of the kangaroo tribe towards life and the bonds between family members.
It is a relatable and realistic story of a voluntary kangaroo tribe that overcomes isolation and loneliness and adopts a new way of life to adapt to a changing environment.

The story goes that he lived with his parents for the past 33 years.
Until my early 20s, I was a very ordinary child.
As time went by, the word 'kangaroo tribe' was added.
The biggest reason I lived as a kangaroo was because I had permission from my parents, who were my landlords.
A secondary reason is that I didn't want independence.
Strictly speaking, it is not 'US' independence but 'non' independence.
--- From "I am a grown baby kangaroo"

When someone asks me, “Why don’t you live alone?” I can easily and evade their responsibility by saying, “Because housing is expensive,” but the truth is, I’m “too scared to live alone,” so living with my parents is a blessing for me.
Even if scary thoughts make my whole body stiff, the fact that there is a father snoring loudly and a mother who turns at the sound of someone opening the door gives me a great sense of security.

--- From "Ghost, Get Away! I Have a Mom and a Dad"

What matters is not how different we are, but how and to what extent we embrace each other.
Just as Mom happily cooks in the sink Dad has cleaned thoroughly, and I pick up the hair that Mom leaves behind in the bathroom she has kept tidy, the fact that we can complement and fill each other's needs by being there for each other is enough of a reason for us to live together.
Isn't it said that love is smiling and putting on rubber gloves rather than getting annoyed by a sink full of dishes?

--- From "Three Hygiene Concepts in Household Living"

There must be many hardships that come with living as a member of the kangaroo tribe.
It may vary depending on the subject and situation, but it may include social gaze, feelings of inferiority that come when the mind's immune system is weakened, limited freedom, etc.
The reason why you can't leave the house even if you complain about this and that is because it has its own distinct advantages.

--- From "Why Kangaroos Can't Leave Home"

If you create your own garden and plant a strong foundation in a small space beyond the door that your family occasionally opens, that is independence and standing alone. What is so special about independence?
Even if your legs are trembling and shaking as if you have a dead motor running, if you have the will to stand tall and make use of the love you have nurtured and the trust you have in yourself as your territory, independence is not that far away.
Even though it's still awkward, even though the whole land isn't mine.
The journey to independence begins right here, where you set foot.
--- From "You're a Kangaroo? I'm a Kangaroo! But I Look Different"

When we live with different people and come into conflict with them, we easily blame them for their existence.
Difference itself is natural.
What really matters is your mindset and method of accepting it, adjusting to it, and living with it.
(……) It would be easier if we didn’t live together, but I think that respecting others while also asking for what we want in a sophisticated way is an attitude we must learn as we live.
If we cannot live alone in life anyway, if we must constantly live in relationships with other people, then it would be good in many ways to learn properly at any time.
--- From "Living with Reference and Consideration"

In the end, I thought that just as we are all part of a generation that is caught up in everything, we may all be in a transitional period, and perhaps we are all struggling subjects in a vast society that cannot be divided into generations.
Yeah, what does generation matter?
We are just one group of people who must find a way to coexist and join hands in this turbulent world.
The important thing is how you adapt to change and create your own life.
In that sense, the confusion we experience may be something that gives us the courage to understand each other's positions and join hands.
Asking about our past, understanding our present, and looking to our parents' future to gauge our next steps.
Thinking about ‘our lives’ rather than ‘our generation’.
I learned another trick.

--- From "It's not the 'sandwiched generation', it's the 'transitional generation'"

It seems that we are already supporting each other's happiness to some extent, despite the dry opinions we brought up.
There is a certain happiness in being a fan of an idol and quietly listening to a jazz LP alone, but if you don't have that happiness because of your family, you can't help but feel a sense of loss.
Perhaps a healthy attitude would be to strike a balance between the two.
Not relying on my family for my happiness, but also being able to feel happiness together.

--- From "My happiness is my happiness, is your happiness also my happiness?"