- Most Important Lesson
A 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've also never forgotten 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 taxi cab. 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 sun
dae?" 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 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 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 cheeks.
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.
