Five Lessons
1 - First Important Lesson - The
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 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 & 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.
Contributed
by
Eranga
Jayalatharachchi
Defining
Moments
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Copyright
© 2006, Jace Carlton. All International Rights Reserved.
