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5 Lessons in Life
08/03/2007 15:17:01 / Other
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 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 1960's. The man took her to
safety, helped her get assistance and put her in 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 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
both 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
earned 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 for 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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