bunsforlife
Well-Known Member
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
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.
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 & 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.
"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt,
and dance like you do when nobody's watching."
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
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.
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 & 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.
"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt,
and dance like you do when nobody's watching."
