|
|
| | Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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 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.
Courtesy of Jane =)
| | | Posted 8/27/2005 11:26 PM - 3 comments
- recommend
  - recs0
- give stars
- votes0
- email
 - sent0
|
|
