Recently, I was forced to taking a hiatus from my jogging routine due to an ankle injury. Since I could not run, I decided to watch someone else run instead.
Enter Lovely Runner, whose story revolves around a time-slipping couple repeatedly running into each other in different multiverses. With a fascinating plot, I found myself stuck in Netflix’s wormhole as well.
Apart from an intriguing storyline, lead actor Byeon Woo-Seok has a big part to play in the show’s skyrocketing popularity. Now dubbed South Korea’s “No.1 boyfriend”, Byeon stole the hearts of many as a goofy yet charming boyfriend. As it turns out, Byeon, in real life, has an inspiring backstory, from which I found myself drawing lessons in – of all things – parenting.
1. It pays to hone your passion
Although blessed with a commanding height and good looks, the model-turned actor did not just sit around and wait for lady luck to knock on his door to launch his career. Byeon took acting classes and started out by playing unmemorable roles. When Lovely Runner came along, he was ready to catapult to success.
I told myself that I too could support my children in their learning pathways by looking out for areas they may be good at and help them hone their passion.
Knowing that my elder son, who is 13, likes all things football since primary school, and is inspired by the legends and legacies of famous football clubs, I pointed out the many ways people can turn their passion for the sport into a profession or hobby beyond becoming a player per se.
Enrolling him into a football academy as a starting point gave him the exposure and agency to uncover other opportunities on his own. For instance, he could ask his coaches what it takes to become a manager like them. That’s when he discovered that there are post-secondary courses such as sports science where one may train to become an allied health practitioner in future. Football became something that offered much more.
I’d like to think that’s what Byeon did, so that when the right opportunity presented itself, he was prepared to make the leap or “slay”, as Gen Zs would say.
2. Oppa ate and left no crumbs
Little did I know, Byeon was a last-choice candidate for the lead role in Lovely Runner. But look at who is having the last laugh now. He was rejected at more than 100 auditions before making it for the one that counts. You could say that when the stars aligned, oppa ate and left no crumbs (teen lingo for “nailed it with aplomb”).
So how could I encourage my two sons to not just put in the effort but to also not give up?
I thought we could assure our children from time to time that it is more important to try and fail or to simply start – than not at all. After all, education is a work in progress, an ongoing journey not to be determined by a grade or set of results.
Maybe this mantra helped my boy from PSLE to Sec 1. Maths wasn’t his best subject, and he was assigned to a less demanding level in Sec 1. He started learning at a more comfortable pace and began to see the potential of doing well. This motivated him and he resolved to improve. He ended up displaying good enough results to move to a more demanding level by the middle of the year.
As he gradually got the hang of things, he could even explain concepts to his friends now. I’m proud of how far he has come. I won’t say that he is on top of his game, but he told me that he has never felt better about himself – and that’s all that matters. Attaboy!
As for my 10-year-old boy, who is generally more self-motivated by nature, I try not to go to his rescue every time he runs into a problem with his homework (and thereby denying him of a troubleshooting opportunity). I would instead encourage him to think of an alternative approach or creative solution first before asking me or his teacher for help.
3. The art and science of learning
In Lovely Runner, Byeon is a swim champ-turned-pop star. In real life, he is a noob in swimming and singing. In order to play his role with conviction, he trained hard for months to look and sound like a pro. In fact, he was so successful that many were surprised that he was not a national swimmer. His fictitious band in the drama also became so popular that it outshone other real Kpop groups to clinch music awards even after the show has long ended its run.
I want my kids to be this open to learning and be driven to keep at what they set their hearts on as well. That’s when I started to think how we as parents can support our kids’ learning in various small but effective ways.
Something I started doing with my older son was to try to make learning more fun. He tends to get restless when revising his schoolwork. So, I suggested that he play some soothing tunes or inspiring anthems of his favourite football clubs – to help ground his attention and cheer him on. I notice that it has made him more relaxed and learn better.
Whatever the learning styles, I believe that it is important that we as parents try different ways to help our children stay the course and keep encouraging them to strive.
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Time to go for my physiotherapy. While I may not yet be able to run like before, but with perseverance and patience, I know I will soon be able to feel the wind in my hair again. In the meantime, I shall use my imagination to run into my bias (Gen Z lingo for “idol”) in another dimension.
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