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A letter to China and the world

Hot 3816 views. 2014-6-1 04:12 | letter, China, world

A letter to China

How can I be poor? It is impossible in my mind. Nevertheless, I hear of Americans who complain they are poor. For example, as my brother Mark once said, “Our parents taught us we were not poor.” Certainly, a carpenter and a homemaker who raised nine children could not easily be defined as rich. However, in their own minds, our parents had a wealth that few achieve. That’s my goal. Please allow me to explain.

Mom and dad taught us to appreciate what we had. We never lacked for food, but I only once ate at a restaurant as a child. Despite the certain financial problems my parents had, we visited Yosemite and other national parks and often went driving for pleasure on weekends. One summer, we went camping 13 weekends in a row. Some might have called us poor, but we did not.

Photo: a proud man, proud enough to rest when he needs rest and to serve as he sees fit.

After mom died, dad had been gone for years, I looked through their house for trinkets and items of value. I found little. I looked at the clothes in mom’s closet and felt most of my siblings had neglected our parents in their old age. The rags hanging there yelled loudly at me. A few of us had supported mom and dad in their old age, but I felt what I did was still not enough.

Photo: Phil being amazed.

If mom and dad were not poor, then what is poor? Poor is mostly an attitude. In the past weeks, I’ve seen this in China. That is, I’ve not seen poor. I’ve seen my parents, proud people doing their best. Yesterday, a well-dressed man appeared to effortlessly peddle the family bicycle with his equally well-dress wife and two children on back in the Beijing heat. Some might call him poor, but I call him well-to-do because he has respect for himself.

Photo: A man in Shencai making me jealous I don't have his wealth.

I knew that visiting China, my first time out of the US, would be life changing. I had an idea of how it would change me. However, having experienced this wonderful country for six weeks I now feel those changes. I see it in the eyes of parents who want me to teach their children English. They, like my parents, are doing their best. I’d gladly retire on my US income and spend my life teaching for free in China. That may not be a reasonable or even possible approach, but life changes sometimes. Who knows? I never rule out the impossible.

Photo: Phil as a flag. I'm 62. Can you do this? This is not a trick photo, but it is a trip to do it!

One short blog can’t tell the stories. I’ve seen so many rich people who are not wealthy in this world’s ways in China that I stand amazed. In fact, I feel like I live in a third world country, a daring statement for an American. We have no bullet trains. We have no wide sidewalks and often no sidewalks. The main streets of my hometown are not at all friendly to pedestrians. We have no timed lights in the city that show how long until the light changes. We have no landscaped motorways of the new Chinese cities like Panjin or Shanghai. The US lives in its past and postpones its inevitable future poverty.

Photo: I can't explain how proud I was of these student exercise leaders. American students have no idea what they are missing.

To China, my message is simple. Congratulations! No, you’ve not solved all the world’s problems, but you’re trying. That’s what counts. I’m proud to help your scientists figure out how to clean up the planet and make it a better place to live. That’s why I became an ecologist after all . . . to save the planet. There are no perfect solutions. Nevertheless, your people are proud and live in the land of scholars. I’m proud to teach your children English. “I am honored,” as you love to tell me about many things.

Photo: China's future leaders.

Yes, Chinese history has a rich past that the world would do well to emulate. What I see is China’s future, not its present. China will indeed “shake the world” as one author said of China’s current awakening. You are not poor, so please don’t say, “China is a third world country.” I am certainly aware of the third world of China. I look to the spirit of the Chinese people and have no fear, nor do they. They are not poor in the same way my parents were rich in heart.

Photo comments: please don't feel offended by that first photo. I somehow wish I was that man, free enough to rest where he wants to rest. Yes, he might want to trade places with me, but I can sometimes feel the same. After all, I spent six months one summer living in a tent and have lived in a tent for more than two years of my life in total. I don't qualify as "an average American" but China does not qualify as average. That will never be.

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Reply samanthe 2014-6-1 21:02: For this six weeks,which cities you have been to? China is a really charming country, especially the mainland, if you traveling all those places, feeling the people and the culture, maybe you will more like China.

Reply sedgehead 2014-6-6 13:32: Shanghai to Shenyang (actually Shencai for four weeks of my trip) to Panjin to Beijing to Qingdao to Shanghai. I love it!

Reply 小王子Libra 2014-10-22 17:33: I am deeply touched by your letter. Thank you!

Reply ScarlettSoong 2014-10-22 22:05: The first thing I want to say is THANK YOU. These little students were so lucky to meet you and learn English from you.
I gave classes at a primary school in mountainous area of SiChuan Province as a volunteer in last 2 summers. Children there were so desperate to learn new things. They have few books to read and every book in their small "library" has been read hundreds times. Life is hard for them sometimes, but they are not poor. They make me feel the same way as you:China does have many problem now, but I believe the future will be better.

Reply sedgehead 2014-12-23 02:53: ScarlettSoong: The first thing I want to say is THANK YOU. These little students were so lucky to meet you and learn English from you.
I gave classes at a primary s ...
I would like very much to have the opportunity to bring them new books when I come to China in March. Can you provide me more info? QQ 2563613199 or sedgehead@gmail.com.

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A letter to China and the world

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