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During
my second month of graduate 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. 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.
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 taxi
cab. 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.
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.
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.
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 everyone 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 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. You see understanding and
attitude, after all, is everything.
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