Dear Fellow members, Distinguished guests,

Good morning.

Who came here by bike? OK, some of you came by bike.

Do you still remember who taught you to ride the bicycle?

I learned to ride bicycle rather late. I learned to ride bicycle after graduated from primary middle school, while my older brother and my younger brother already rode bicycle for years.

I tried once before, but failed because I was too afraid of falling down. So in the whole years of primary middle school, when there were events that required to ride bicycle I would need to ride by some one else. For example, each Spring when our school organized the Spring travel, I would be among the names who needed a ride because we needed to travel by bike. That meant I would sit on the backseat of another teacher’s bike. That was more embarrassing when I was in the higher grade.

After graduation, in the summer holiday, my father assigned me the task to learn bicycle. On one hand, all my brothers could ride bicycle, and I was the only one could not. On the other hand, I would have to go to school by bike. The bicycle was ready, I should be ready, too.

My older brother was assigned as my mentor. Of course, we didn’t know what mentor and protege meant at that time. Anyway, he was an experienced rider, and he is able to provide guidance and support to let me reach my goal.

At the beginning, my brother tried to help me learn how to get to the bike from the ground. In those years, the bicycles were very heavy. I could hardly manage it after many tries. My brother made a wise decision. He asked me to just sit on the bike and ride and he would hold the bike at the back.

That worked much better. However, the bicycle were very high. I could hardly reach the paddles when I sat on the bicycle, so I often looked down to find the paddles. My brother said the important words: “Always look ahead.”

These little words of wisdom changed my action. When I looked ahead, I could reach the paddles magically and easily. With my brother holding at the back, I could ride forward.

I rode faster and faster, and I was a little worried and began to look back to see if my brother was still holding. The words came again: “Always look ahead.”

With these little words of wisdom, I learned to ride bicycle in one day.

Later in my life, when I learned to drive a car, I heard the same words: “Always look ahead.” I then could drive the car.

Later in my life, when I faced difficulties and was not sure what to do. The words “Always look ahead” whispered in my ears, and then I got the courage to move forward.

Today, when I review the Pathways project of mentorship, I begin to understand that my brother intuitively discovered the core value of a mentor: encourage the protege, envision the protege.

Tell them always look ahead.

Thank you.