FIVE GREAT LESSONS:
1 - Most Important
Lesson:
"Remember my name"
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 PM, 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 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 road 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
decided to try and 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 cheek.
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 misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to
have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save
her.
You see, after all, understanding and attitude
are everything.
"Work like you don't need the money,
love
like you've never been hurt,
and dance like you do when nobody's
watching
*******************************************
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