Dreaming of High Sensitivity: A Memoir

Author: Gao Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Dreaming is a chronological account of Gao Min's life from birth to 1992, almost entirely consisting of stories never before shared. It will also include dozens of precious photographs, featuring her parents, coaches, and teammates. Gao Min has often expressed regret that, despite being called the "Queen of Diving," few people know the hardships she endured. To "give everyone an authentic glimpse behind the scenes of Gao Min," she decided to compile her intermittent reflections into a book. I recommend this book to both the Chinese people and the world. It is permeated with a single word: "truth." First, there is the fact. This book avoids moralizing—it simply tells the real stories of her growth. Next, there are the events: the genuine affection of her family and the deep love of the people of her motherland. Finally, there is the meaning. It explores how an athlete grows and what their goals are—Wu Shaogu, former Minister of the State General Administration of Sport, praised Gao Min for being able to "jump" and write, to be skilled in both martial arts and literature. Through diligent effort, she honed her skills, and her pen was imbued with a touch of brilliance. Yet her language is unadorned, her writing straightforward. Her narrative is concise, and her structure avoids hiding contradictions or glossing over shadows. She has experienced immense frustration, prolonged torment, terrifying injuries, and pitiful confusion. She has "given up training," "fled secretly," and "had nightmares." She has self-mocked and sighed, calling herself "Gao Min's tragedy." She even grew to despise the diving sport she had loved since childhood, abandoning her world champion title and vanishing into a place where she would never be seen again. She feared the consequences of failing in the final, imagining her parents dared not go out for fear of public anger, her hometown's doors and windows being broken, and herself being condemned by the entire nation. She even considered suicide, planning to jump from a skyscraper after successfully diving and winning the championship. Who knew that Gao Min's "mystery" had so many strange and bizarre twists!—Renowned playwright Wei Minglun