>>> 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 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 60s. 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 delivere d 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 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.
>>>
>>> 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 60s. 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 delivere d 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 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.