1 - First
Important Lesson - Cleaning
Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had
breezed through the questions, until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning
woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s,
but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving
the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student
asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will
meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your
attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say
"hello". I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important
Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night,
at 11.30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on
the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing
rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed
a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A
young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in
those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety,
helped her get assistance and put her! into a taxicab. She
seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and
thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's
door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered
to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you
so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The
rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then
you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my
dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless
you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third
Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much
less, a 10 -year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat
at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice ream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents,"
replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his
pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain
dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were
waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy
again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he
said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the
table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid
the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began
to cry as she wi! ped down the table. there, placed neatly
beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You
see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have
enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important
Lesson. - The obstacle in Our
Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on
a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone
would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest
merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear,
but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon
approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and
tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much
pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant
picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in
the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many
gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gol! d
was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every
obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our
condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When
it Counts.
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was
suffering from a rare &serious disease. Her only chance of
recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year
old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease
and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and
asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood
to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before
taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will
save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next
to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color
returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile
faded. He looked u! p at the doctor and asked with a trembling
voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the
little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was
going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to
save her. |
