Five Great Lessons
By Mac Bledsoe
I picked these ideas true stories up in different places and put them
together here because I feel that they are well worth passing on because
there are some things in life that are not taught in classes nor do we
need a college professor to tell us are true! I hope that they will
stimulate some meaningful discussions at your dinner table or on your next
trip in the car with your kids:
FIVE GREAT LESSONS: Some Important Things Life Teaches Us ...
1 ~ THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION ON A TEST
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?
I 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 ~ GIVE A RIDE 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 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! 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
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 ~ SERVE ALL WITH DIGNITY
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 ~ 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. 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 ~ UNCONDITIONAL GIVING
Many years ago, as a doctor was working at Stanford Hospital, he 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 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 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, "When will it happen?"
"When will what happen?" Asked the doctor.
"Will I start to die right away?" Asked the boy.
Being young, you see, 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.
The ideas in your head do rule
your world!
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to a friend -
share the wisdom!
