Something to think about

[wep363]

I don't know how true these are but they do make you think!

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 forgot en 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 t o 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 t he 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.

[Reader]

Don't you just hate when stories like these bring a tear to your eye

Edited June 3, 2004 by Reader

[BillM]

This gives you a LOT of things to think about, nice.

[Atheist]

Did 2 really happen? I like 5, could only imagine the boys relief when they explain to him that he won't die

[miguelsanchez55]

It really makes you think, don't it

 

Mike :sword:

[Myr]

It just so happens that I spent a few minutes everyday to talk to all the janitors in my building. Knew them all. And I ended up with the cleanest lab in the building. Funny that. Of course, I'd help them move stuff around too. Makes life so much easier for everyone to remember that everybody's somebody.