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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 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 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 other! s."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Importan t 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 t! he waitress came back, she began to cry as she
wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the
empty dish, were two nick! els 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 fo r
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 f! or 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, is everything.
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