FIVE
GREAT LESSONS
The Important Things Life Teaches
You...
From: Chee Hung Ngoh
<ngohch@netscape.net>
Date:Fri, 11 Jun 1999 09:31:36 0800 (SGT)
1 ~ Most Important Question
During my second month of nursing school, 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?
handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. 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 ~ Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 PM, 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 1960s.
The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi
cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him
and drove away.
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 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 ~ 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?" "Fifty Cents,"
replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice
cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the
waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely.
The little boy again counted the 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 departed. When the waitress
came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she
saw.There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five
pennies - her tip.
4 ~ 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 big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a
load of vegetables . On 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. As 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 others never understand. Every obstacle presents
an opportunity to improve one's condition.
5 ~ Giving Blood
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford 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 boy if
the 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 Liz."
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 boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to
have to give his sister all of his blood.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like
nobody's watching.