(Written by a former resident of Shanghai)

          Mr. Wang, a Chinese neighbor of mine, studied mechanical engineering and has designed equipment for airplanes.  He is now engaged in research involving the relationship between religion and science.  I like to hear about things he's working on, and we have long discussions.  Although he's ninety-two years old, he still reads extensively and is fluent in English.  He's very impressive, and I asked him recently how he manages to do so much.  This is his story.

          "I was from a Christian family, and my father was a minister.  When I was a little boy, most of the children were tauight at home, but I was fortunate to be able to go to primary school.

          "When I finished, my family moved from a village to a small city, and I became excited about all the things that I had never seen before.  Electric lights and trains were very interesting to me, and I was mad about football.  I'd forget to go to classes, as I had so many things I wanted to do, and I found it difficult to concentrate in the classroom. 

          "As a result, I was held back two times in the second year of middle school.  My mother was very worried about me, and most of the relatives were convinced that I just wasn't a good student.  They thought I wouldn't pass even on the third try, and that I'd be transferred to a vocational school.  I didn't care what they thought; I still did what I wanted, played football, and only studied occasionally.

          "On the last day of the semester, some of my classmates were helping the teacher fill out the report cards while I cleaned  the classroom.  When I started to walk past the office, I heard them reading everyone's grade, and being naturally curious, stood in the hall and listened. 

          "They eventually came to my name, and I learned that I had passed, but then I could hear the teacher's voice saying, 'He could be the best if he wanted to'.  I was amazed to hear that and ran outside yelling crazily, 'I can be the best!' over and over.  I actually wept in my excitement.  I'd heard the teacher say it and she hadn't known I was listening!

          "That day changed my life.  I became an excellent student the next semester, and the following summer holiday I read an English book for the first time.  It was very difficult to do, but I kept remembering what she had said - 'He could be the best if he wanted to'.  It was hard work, and I found that I had to read the first three pages before I really understood the first sentence.  To understand the first paragraph, I had to work my way through as many as twenty pages.  It took a long time to finish that book.

          One success followed another.  Though it was difficult, I started to read English newspapers, and compared them with Chinese ones.  Though I was never satisfied with my progress, I  made great advances in English during high school.  My classmates wanted to know how I had done it, and I told them it was all due to the encouragement my teacher had given me when she said, 'He could be the best if he wanted to.'"

          His story touched my heart.  

          It's a good lesson for all  us.