Lessons from Hardship

From: xinjiang economic news
author: Tim Hathaway in urumqi

A good friend of mine grew up in the countryside of shanxi in the 1960's. His stories are very different from my childhood on the east coast of America. My family is not rich, but we always had three meals a day, a car to drive to work,and a television to relax in the evenings. That TV also showed me images of other less fortunate people in the world, which were much worse than my friend's description of his childhood. he once told me though," Chinese are more able to endure hardship than anyone else in the world." I did not say this to him, but I found his opinion to have the wrong focus."
According to the United Nations, nearly one sixth of the world lives on less than one dollar a day, and 10.6 million children died before the age of five in 2005, most of whom could have been saved very easily,. In the same year the United Nations proposed the same year the United Nations proposed the Millennium Goals, which are eight developmental goals for the world to reach by 2015. It is hoped that with the cooperation and generosity of governments and businesses poverty and extreme hunger will be eradicated and the child mortality rate will be reduced, etc. Already there has been progress, especially in Asia, but many people in the world still endure more hard ship than necessary.
Is there such a thing as necessary hardship? People like my friend have gone through more than was necessary and it has shaped his character. I will never fully grasp the depth of this impact, and his child will not be able to either.Many people today say that kids cannot endure hardship. What kind is necessary for them?
When my friend's 19 year old daughter went back to college he made her ride in the hard seat class. The trip was over 40 hours and she later complained bitterly of sore legs and back. When her father asked her why she did not get up and walk around, she said that someone would have taken her seat.
I would not be able to take this kind of trip. I simply cannot endure what many other people do, but my parents instilled in me a sense of compassion. Does it take an over 40hour train ride to create this in Chinese youth? What can we learn from hardship that will help us as a world to reach theUNMillennium Goals?