Five
lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.
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
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 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 & 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.