Ordinary Languages: That Which Makes Me Breathe (Revised and Enlarged Forest Edition)

Author Kim Eana · Publisher Wisdom House · Publication Date 2023-09-20 · ISBN 9791168127616

About the Book

Korea's leading lyricist Kim Eana captures the landscapes of the heart
from everyday words
The magic of language that helps us endure lonely and long periods unique to each of us

『Ordinary Words』 is a book in which lyricist Kim Eana, leveraging her extensive experience of intimate communication with the public, explores emotions and relationship concerns encountered in life through everyday words. It sold over 100,000 copies within six months of its release and became a steady seller, reaching 200,000 copies in three years. Despite her undisputed position as Korea's top lyricist, she has continuously strived to expand her domain, actively engaging with the public as a host on numerous television programs and as a radio DJ.
『Ordinary Words』, drawing on her experience of close communication with the public, explores solutions to the complex emotions and relationship dilemmas we face in life, all within everyday words. As a lyricist, she uses her sensitive antenna to collect emotional words we frequently express and delicately captures the landscapes of the heart that those words couldn't fully encompass. These might be the raw truths of emotions we couldn't express, or realities we ourselves hadn't faced. To carefully look into one's own heart and identify and organize the causes of fluctuating emotions—this is where the direction of our lives becomes clear. The author's writing, which finds special value in ordinary words and unpacks life's aspirations, shows how precious a repetitive daily life can be and how we can discover an expanded meaning of life within it. This Forest Edition prompts us to consider how to distance ourselves from harmful words and offer comfort to ourselves with 'life-giving' harmless thoughts. As many readers who found solace in their tired daily lives attest, you will experience the magic of language that fills exhausting days with gentle colors.

"What are the values in life that allow you to breathe?"
A time to enrich yourself specially with 'ordinary words'

Words may seem like vessels holding our emotions, but behind them lie countless meanings, misunderstandings, and reflections that have flowed out because they couldn't be contained. And these, in turn, come back to stir our hearts. In this book, author Kim Eana uncovers the misunderstandings and confessions that our everyday language couldn't hold, and shows how to guard one's heart firmly within those unspoken lines.
Kim Eana collected words in three categories: relationships, emotions, and self-esteem. Her perspective, which not only evokes past memories and present moments from familiar words but also discovers the unique characteristics and unexpectedness of words, is very fresh and intriguing.
The first part, 'Words of Relationship,' introduces the most words in this book. We often witness language, a tool for communication, being reduced to a cause for misunderstanding. Naturally, this is a limitation of language and stems from wrongly established relationships. It is difficult to establish fair relationships with an unspecified multitude. Instead of expecting love and communication from people who consistently engage in malicious comments and slander, it is better to resolve one's feelings by 'being hated casually' and focus on relationships with people who know and acknowledge you well. Nevertheless, she conveys her thoughts on 'relationships,' emphasizing that 'drawing a line' with others is important, not to distance oneself but to open one's heart and grow closer, and that a 'wound' one wishes to hide contains a warm heart capable of deeply understanding each other's pain.
The second part, 'Words of Emotion,' allows us to glimpse her expressive power, delicately describing the unique sensory qualities of words. Kim Eana's fondness for the word 'radiant,' one of her frequently used expressions when writing lyrics, is profound. While its synonyms like 'sparkling' and 'shining' primarily evoke visual memories, 'radiant' comes to her as a synesthetic word, bringing the sound of glass shards clinking. The actual pronunciation of 'radiant' ('chal-ran') conveys the feeling of sunlight on waves, not just a sparkling memory but also the overwhelming emotion felt at that time. She also discusses the subtle nuances of emotions in 'sad,' 'sorrowful,' and 'melancholy,' which seem similar. Furthermore, she interprets 'ticklish' as a word connecting happiness and pain. The distinct new facets of these words, so familiar that we hadn't even thought about them, vividly emerge, creating room for imagination.
The third part, 'Words of Self-Esteem,' is filled with words that make us reflect on our way of life and attitude. In particular, Kim Eana's own story is described very honestly: the starting point of a 'dream' where small goals are achieved in the process of being drawn to what she loves, and the miserable and intense moments that can only be described as 'surviving.' And even now, as she diligently fills her daily life by 'running on a hamster wheel.' She candidly shares the arduous and harsh process of survival behind the glamorous image of a successful lyricist.
Finally, 'Radio Record' contains her precious comments from the radio show , and 'Lyrics' includes song lyrics that have not been publicly released. It gives the feeling of her gently approaching the reader and speaking, as if one is secretly peeking into her draft notebook.

"Even in fluctuating moments, there is a heart that must be protected."
A book for 'ordinary us' who waver every moment with a sense of lack and loneliness

In author Kim Eana's writing, which makes us realize anew the power and comfort of ordinary words, insights shine through to help us grow more gracefully without being hurt by trivial matters. If we, like her, think outside the common notions of language, the direction of our lives for ourselves might become even clearer. If you feel that you are losing yourself, trapped in certain standards and frameworks, why not deeply ponder the words that keep holding you back? Simply observing the words circling in your mind delicately and defining them for yourself might bring some order to a complex and messy heart. For those who have become accustomed to the phrase, "I'm just living meaninglessly," this book encourages us to implant our own meanings into familiar words and reflect on our attitude towards life. We recommend this book to 'ordinary us' who waver every moment with a sense of lack and loneliness and long for someone to hold us. You will realize that what allows us to breathe is not something special, but an ordinary, diligent life.

Recommendations

Lyrics are different from poetry; it's difficult to use overly unfamiliar words or excessively abstruse expressions. Since they need to easily captivate the ear, everyday language that anyone might use is the main ingredient. Lyrics that overtly display the lyricist's individuality and philosophy often feel awkward and quickly become tiresome, making it a peculiar genre. Yet, some lyrics possess an inexplicable power that can bring tears to one's eyes upon a chance listen, or only truly resonate after many years. Where does such power come from?
Reading this book, I finally grasp the power of ordinary words. This perspective, which identifies the skewed 'time difference' in relationships, the aggression embedded in the phrase 'I don't understand,' the subtle syllables of 'radiant,' and the similar direction yet differences between 'anger' and 'courage,' is both intellectual and gentle. I can somewhat understand why Kim Eana's lyrics touch so many hearts so accurately. The way one writes and handles words is ultimately connected to the way one lives life, and as I closed the book, I truly grew fond of this delicate and honest person.
-Kim Hana (Essayist)

There are times when I'm stranded on an island where language isn't needed. That's when I met Kim Eana, and through lyrics, using music as an excuse, I barely began to speak. She taught me that both my appearance on that island and the distant world visible from it were beautiful. Now, I hope her words, which have allowed me to see a world wider and more wonderful than I ever dreamed, reach you.
-Park Hyo Shin (Singer)

Someone who gives names to emotions with delicately collected words, someone who sings sensations with sentences connected by those words. In Kim Eana's writing, one feels landscapes, whispers, fragrances, bitterness, and warmth. To meet her not just in four-minute lyrics but in an entire book makes my heart pound. No, it makes me excited. Elated. Trembling.
-Yoo Hee Yeol (Composer)

Table of Contents

Revised Edition Prologue. What Scent Will My Words Leave Behind?
Prologue. The Act of Gazing at Your Own Words, Your Own World

Part 01. Words of Relationship
"To be in sync, you have to match the rhythm."

Like. Love: The Nature of My Feelings Towards Another
Disappointment: We Are All Imperfect Beings
Being Hated: Be Casually Hated, Surely Loved
# A Good Person to Love
Drawing the Line: The Distance Between That Person and Me
Jet Lag: Clocks of the Heart, Each Different
The Art of Conversation: The Power of Observation More Important Than Rhetoric
Apologizing: A Time That Requires Waiting
Cracks in a Relationship: The Siren of Doubt Created by Past Memories
Empathy: Connecting Hearts Emerge from Detail
Energy Drain: Just as You Look at Others' Moods, Look at Your Own
Disliking: I Have People I Dislike
I Don't Understand: Words That Imply Blame
Seeing Through: The Language of Adults Based on Experience
Backbiting: Rules Are Needed for Actions Involving Negative Emotions
Feeling Uneasy: Unconscious Data Prone to Errors
Sorry: Don't Cast It Aside, Plant It
Blame: Gentle People Speak Little
Being Pathetic: What's Wrong With Being a Bit Clingy?
Wound: If We Can See Each Other's Pain
Packaging: That Something Containing the Giver's Heart
Having Conscience: What I Absolutely Want to Protect
Chaebol, Gapjil, Aeygyo: Words Familiar Only to Us
Precious: We Are Nearing Farewell Every Day
# If You Are Still Struggling with a Painful Goodbye

Part 02. Words of Emotion
"Emotions, Keep Them Naturally by Your Side Without Suppressing Them."

Embarrassed: A Common Trait Among People Who Maintain Their Charm
Radiant: Words That Evoke Different Memories
Exhausted: When You Need to Acknowledge Yourself as You Are
Sad. Sorrowful. Melancholy: Aching, Distressed, Lonely
# A Monologue Pleading Not to Neglect One's Heart
To Bury. To Embrace: A Decision Made When Nothing Else Can Be Done
Up, Down: Where Did That Emotion Come From Today?
Noisy: One's Own Emotion Contrasting with the Surroundings
Lonely: A Time to Focus Solely on Myself
Tired Of: If Only I Could Find the Source of My Love
Ticklish: A Strange Sense of Happiness I Can't Quite Understand
Memory, Recollection: Past Days Written Differently

Part 03. Words of Self-Esteem
"When You Feel Weak, Take a Short Break."

Maturity: The Irony of a Child-Adult Growing into an Adult-Child
# Getting Older
Dream: Something That Makes You Happy Enough Even If Not Achieved
Being Dramatic: That Means You Are Special
Breath: To Save Myself from Anxiety
# A Person Who Is Not Biased
Charming: Breaking Free from Frames That Define Me
Assertive. Pushy: About Words That Get People Down
Identity: When My True Self Is Confused
Hitting a Limit: The Moment of Encountering Another Possibility
Fearful: People Who Are Ultimately Always Strong
Strange: Wishing to See Things as They Are
Survive: You Cannot Endure Forever in a Grand State
Creating: The Intimate Relationship Between Inspiration and Stamina
Running on a Hamster Wheel: The Special Day Revealed by Daily Repetition
Inspiration: A Task Requiring Patience, Not Luck
Commendable: The Act of Cultivating My Own Dignity

Radio Record: Words That Protect Me

Lyrics: Song Lyrics Residing in the Heart