Posted by Matthew [Surf58] on March 29, 1999 at 02:17:27 {JmzWGtG/fkkl55XNdRHIMWtH7MVMR/Qu6}:
I Hope this post get through & doesn't get delited like many others that I have posted lately.
HI ALL! A Friend sent me these in this form. I thought it interesting enough to forward. Smile!
The Important Things Life Teaches
You...
1 ~ Most Important Question
During my second month of night 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?" Obviously, 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 lives, 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 icecream 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 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, "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.
6.~ RULES TO LIVE BY
Work like
you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Forward this to people you care about.