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1waysoflearningOnewayofsummarizingtheAmericanpositionistostatethatwevalueoriginalityandindependencemorethantheChinesedo.Thecontrastbetweenourtwoculturescanalsobeseenintermsofthefearswebothharbor.Chineseteachersarefearfulthatifshillsarenotacquiredearly,theymayneverbeacquired;thereis,ontheotherhand,nocomparablehurrytopromotecreativity.Americaneducatorsfearthatunlesscreativityhasbeenacquiredearly,itmayneveremerge;ontheotherhand,skillscanbepickeduplater.However,Idonotwanttooverstatemycase.ThereisenormouscreativitytobefoundinChinesescientific,technologicalandartisticinnovationspastandpresent.AndthereisadangerofexaggeratingcreativebreakthroughsintheWest.Whenanyinnovationisexaminedclosely,itsrelianceonpreviousachievementsisalltooapparent.ButassumingthatthecontrastIhavedevelopedisvalid,andthatthefosteringofskillsandcreativityarebothworthwhilegoals,theimportantquestionbecomesthis:Canwegather,fromtheChineseandAmericanextremes,asuperiorwaytoapproacheducation,perhapsstrikingabetterbalancebetweenthepolesofcreativityandbasicskills?2valuesWaltonsetupacollegescholarshipfundforemployees`children,adisasrerrelieffundtorebuildemployeehomesdamagedbyfires,floods,tornadoes,andthelike.Hebelivedincultivatingideasandrewardingsuccess.“He`dsay.’Thatfellowworkedhard,let`sgivehimalittleextra,’”recallsretiedpresidentFeroldF.Arend,whowasstunnedatsuchgenerosityafterthestingyemployerhelefttojoinWal-Mart.”IhadtochangemywayofthinkingwhenIcameaboard.”“Thereasonforoursuccess,”sayWalton,inacompanyhandout,”isourpeopleandthewaythey`retreatedandthewaytheyfeelabouttheircompany.Theybelievethingsaredifferenthere,buttheydeservethecredit.”AddscompanylawyerJimHendren:”I`veneverseenanyoneyetwhoworkedforhimorwasaroundhimforanyforanylengthoftimewhowasn`tbetteroff.AndIdon`tmeanjustfinancially,althoughalotofpeopleare.It`sjustsomethingabouthim-comingintocontactwithSamWaltonjustmakesyouabetterperson.3FatherknowsbetterIfthatsortofthinghappenedonlyonceinawhile,itwouldn`tbesobad.Overall,Iwouldn`twanttotrademydadforanyoneelse`s.HelovesuskidsandMomtoo.ButIthinkthat`ssometimestheproblem.Hewantstodothingsforus,thingshethinksaregood.Butheneedstogivethemmorethoughtbecause4TheVirtualWorldI`dneverrealizedhowimportantdailyroutineis:dressingforwork,sleepingnormalhours.I`dneverthoughtIreliedsomuchonco-workersforcompany.Ibegantounderstandwhylong-termunemploymentcanbesodamaging,whylifewithoutanexternallysupporteddailyplancanleadtohigherratesofdrugabuse,crime,suicide.Torestorebalancetomylife,IforcemyselfbackintotherealWorld.Icallpeople,arrangetomeetwiththefewremainingfriendswhohaven`tfledNewYorkCity.Itrytoatleastgettothegym,soastosetaparttheweekendfromtherestofmyweek.Iarrangeinterviewsforstorise,doctor`sappointments-anythingtogetmeoutofthehouseandconnectedwithothers.Butsometimesbeingfacetofaceistoomuch.Iseeafriendandherringinglaughterisintolerable-thenoiseofconversationintherestaurant,unbearable.Imakemyexcusesandflee.Ire-entermyapartmentandruntothecomputerasthoughitwereaplaceofsafety.Iclickonthemoderm,theonce-annoyingsoundoftheconnectionnowaspleasantasmyfavoritetune.Ientermypassword.Therealworlddisappears.5OvercomeingObstaclesTherunwayfeltdifferentthistime.Itstartledhimforabriefmoment.Thenitallhithimlikeawetbaleofhay.Thebarwassetatnineincheshigherthanhispersonalbest.That`sonlyoneinchofftheNationalrecord,hethought.Theintersityofthemomentfilledhismindwithanxiety.Hebeganshakingthetension.Itwasn`tworking.Hebecamemoretense.Whywasthishappeningtohimnow,hethought.Hebegantogetnervous.Afraidwouldbeamoreaccuratedescription.Whatwashegoingtodo?Hehadneverexperiencedthesefeelings.Thenoutofnowhere,andfromthedeepestdepthsofhissoul,hepicturedhismother.Whynow?Whatwashismotherdoinginhisthoughtsatatimelikethis?Itwassimple.Hismotheralwaysusedtotellhimwhenyoufelttense,anxiousorevenscared,takedeepbreaths.Sohedid,Alongwithshakingthetensionfromhislegs,hegentlylaidhispoleathisfeet.Hebegantostretchouthisarmsandupperbody.Thelightbreezethatwasoncetherewasnowgone.Hecarefullypickeduphispole.Hefelthisheartpounding.Hewassurethecrowddid,too.Thesilencewasdealening.Whenheheardthesingingofsomedistantbirdsinflight,heknewitwashistimetofly.6Women,HalftheSkyRacingtheclockeverydayissuchanexhaustingeffortthatwhenIactuallyhaveafewfreemoments,Itendtocollapse.MostlyIsinkintoachairandstareintospacewhileIimaginehowlovelylifewouldbeifonlyIpossessedtheotganizationalskillsandtheenergyofmysuperheroines.Infact,Iwasteagooddealofmysparetimejustworryingaboutwhatotherwomenareaccomplishingintheirs.SometimesIthinkthattheremodernfairytalescreateasmanyproblemsforwomenastheoldstoriesthathadusbidingouttimeforthedayourprincewouldcome.Yetsuperwomentalescontinuetocharmme.Despitemyfriend`swarningagainsrbeingtakenin,despiteeverythingI`velearned,IfindthatI`mnotonlywilling,butpositivelyeagertobuythatbridgeshementioned.Why？Isupposeithassomethingtodowhihtheappealofanoptimisticapproachtolife-andthefactthatextraordinarydeedshavebeenaccomplishedbydeterminedindividualswhorefusedtobelievethat“youcan`t”wasthefinalwordontheirdreams.Menhavegenerallybeenassu