The Newsy Neighbour Magazine
April Issue 114
Article Provided By: Unknown Author
1. First Important Lesson - "Know 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 never forgot 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 asked
him to write down his address on a piece of paper. She thanked him, and several
days later came a knock on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console
colour TV was delivered to his home.
A 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 - "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. "50¢," 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. "35¢!" 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
Obstacles 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 colour 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment