Five lessons to make you think 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 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.

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 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, 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 laying 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.