these are neat.
regards.  scott.

FIVE GREAT LESSONS:

1 -   Most Important Lesson - 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. 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 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, 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 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. 

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 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, after all, understanding and 
attitude, are everything.