Author
unknown
Submitted by Pat Turner, Gibsonburg, Ohio
5 lessons 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 50’s, 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 rain
storm. 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
1960’s. 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 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 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.
Most importantly… Live with no regrets, Treat people the way you want
to be treated, Work like you don’t need the money, Love like you’ve
never been hurt, and Dance like you do when nobody’s watching.
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