This comes from my uncle Jack.
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 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 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
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 wip ed
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
& nbsp;
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.
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