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
50's, 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 for gotten 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
rain storm. 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
1960's. 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 bed-side 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 cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty
cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his 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 wiped 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
gold 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 and 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 cheeks. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked
with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being
young, the little boy had mis-understood the doctor; he thought he was
going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.