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> From: Stewart Jones <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: To brighten your day
> Date: Friday, May 08, 1998 9:04 PM
>
> 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.