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PoP Quiz *
-- JoAnn C.
Jones
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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.
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Giving
When It Counts
-- Author
Unknown
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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.
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Always
Remember Those Who
Serve You
-- Author
Unknown
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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. He had to
have enough left to
leave her a tip.
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Solaris
image Copyright © Desktop
Nexus
Various divider images
Copyright © Alphonse Mucha
* This work is also found on the web as The
Janitor, Everyone Is Significant, A Most Important
Question, and Her Name Was Dorothy.
It is most often
credited to JoAnn C. Jones, Brockville, Ontario
- from Guideposts, January 1996.
Spring Wizardry
image Copyright © Anry
Nemo
Spirit Rising and
Endless Dream images Copyright © Christophe
Vacher
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