Hope this message might brighten your day.  Something I picked up on the
internet.  For those purists who believe that CONCH-L mail should be limited
to shells and nothing but shells, please consider that this is intended to
warm the cockles (cardium robustum) of your heart.
sj
 
 
>Most Important Question ~
>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. 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 have never
>forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
>=====================================
>Pickup in the Rain ~
>One night, at 11:30 P.M., an older African-American woman was standing on
the side of a 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, they delivered a giant combination console color TV and stereo
record player to his home.  A special note was attached.  The note read:
>Dear Mr. James:  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.
>
>==========================================
>Two Nickels and Five Pennies  ~
>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? 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.
>
>==========================================
>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.