Pickup in the Rain and Nine Other Stories

[masumeh]

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! 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, 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 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."
Lessons:
Offer help to anyone who needs it
Thank others for helping you.
If you help someone. Someone will help you.
If everyone does just this, the whole world will live in happiness.
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

A Million Dollar Lesson


A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation.
Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart his kind of training to corporate
executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and
my plan included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled
up.
The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated
before he closed the door. As he got in the driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded
Wall Street Journal next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me
what type of music I would enjoy.
Well! I looked around for a "Candid Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could not believe the service I
was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, "Obviously you take great pride in your work. You
must have a story to tell."
"You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best
would never be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of
being the best I could be.
I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling
like I have done a full day's work and done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and... wham! I
became a cab driver.
One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations
of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXCEED the customer's
expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on
'average'"
Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America's loss is the traveling folk's friend!
----- Lessons:
Go an Extra Mile when providing any Service to others.
The is no good or bad job. You can make any job good.
Good service always brings good retur

[masumeh]

Positive Thinking


A Motivational story about Positive Thinking
Read this, and let it really sink in... Then, choose how you start your day tomorrow...
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has
something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If
I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters
who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant.
The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the
positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't
get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each
morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be
in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.
I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim
or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me
complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life.
I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices.
When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or
bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own
business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead
of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a
restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by
three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness,
slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found
relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of

intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his
body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I
were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask
him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went
through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on
the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I
chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the
paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really
scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.'
I knew I needed to take action." " What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse
shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied.
The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and
yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am
alive, not dead.'"
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned
from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
Positive thinking is the first step towards a happy life.
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

The Shipwreck


The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed
feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none
seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the
elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he
arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.
The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God,
how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the
sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you
know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they
replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart,
because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next
time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The
Grace of God.
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

A Father’s Love

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion
for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures
to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and many others adorned the
walls of their family estate.
The widowed elderly man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced
art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with
pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world. As winter approached, war engulfed
their nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, the
elderly man received a telegram that his beloved son was missing in action. The art collector
anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again.
Within days his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier
to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with
anguish and sadness. The joy of the season-a season that he and his son had so looked
forward to in the past-would visit his house no longer.
On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked
to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not
coming home. He opened the door and was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his
hand.
The soldier introduced himself to the old man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the
one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to
show you." As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told every one
of his-and his father's-love of fine art work. "I'm also an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to
give you this." As the old man began to unwrap the package, paper gave way to reveal a
portrait of the man's son.
Though the world would never consider it a work of genius, the painting featured the young
man's face in striking detail.
Overcome with emotion, the old man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the portrait above
the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.
True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars
worth of paintings. And then the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift
he had been given.
During the days and weeks that followed, the man learned that his son had rescued dozens of
wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart. As the stories of his son's gallantry
continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease his grief, as he realized
that, although his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he
had touched.
The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in
the priceless pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it
was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and
passed away. The art world was in anticipation, since, with the old man's passing, and his only
son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all
of the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the way he had received his greatest
gift.
The day finally arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the
world's most spectacular paintings. Dreams could be fulfilled this day; greatness could be
achieved as some could say," I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a painting
that was not on any museum list... It was the painting of the old man's son. The auctioneer
asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent.
"Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Moments passed as no one spoke. From the
back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's
forget it and get on to the good ones." More voices echoed in agreement. "No, we have to sell
this one-first," replied the auctioneer. "Now who will take the son?"
Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. "Will you take $10 for the painting? That's all I have.
"Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence he said, "Going once, going
twice...
Gone!" The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone shouted, "Now we can get on with it
and bid on these treasures!"
The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced that the auction was over. Stunned
disbelief quieted the room. Then someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it's over?
We didn't come here for a portrait of some old man's son! What about all of the other
paintings? There are millions of dollars worth of art work here. We demand an explanation!"
The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the
son...gets it all."
Just as the art collectors discovered on that day...The message is still the same...the love of the
Father....a Father whose son gave his life for others...And because of that Father's
love...Whoever takes the Son gets it all.
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

The Six Blind Men

Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts
of the elephant's body.
The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says
the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch;
the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says
the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe.
They argued for some time before they decide to go to the king.
A king explains to them:
"All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently is because each one of
you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all the features
you mentioned."
Moral of the story
This Story illustrates the principle of living in harmony with people who have different belief
systems, and that truth can be stated in different ways when there is a confilict in opinions.
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

The Emperor and the Horseman

A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse
and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he
has covered.
Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to
cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as
fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as
much area as possible.
Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was
dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area?
Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."
Moral Of the Story
The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make
more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health , time with our family and to
appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.
One day when we look back , we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we
cannot turn back time for what we have missed.
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

Don’t Judge by Looks

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit,
stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the president's
outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no
business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned.
"We want to see the president," the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped.
"We'll wait," the lady replied.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become
discouraged and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to
disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted to do. "Maybe if they
just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. And he sighed in exasperation and
nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he
detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office. The president,
stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him, "We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He
was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I
would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus". The president wasn't touched
he was shocked.
"Madam," he said gruffly, "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and
died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."
"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly, "we don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would
like to give a building to Harvard.
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then
exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have
over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard." For a moment the lady
was silent.
The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now.
The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why
don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in confusion
and bewilderment.
Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they
established the University that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer
cared about!
Unknown Author.

[masumeh]

True Freedom

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk being called sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To is to risk dying.
To place your ideas and your dreams before a crowd is to risk being called naive.
To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken, because the
greatest risk in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He
may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and
love and live. Chained by things that are certain, he is a slave. He has forfeited his freedom.
Only the person who risks is truly free
Unknown Author

[masumeh]

Growing Good Corn
There was a Nebraska farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in
the state fair where it won a blue ribbon...
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how
he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering
corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn
and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily
degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good
corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his
neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be
at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is
measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find
happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson of the story:
if you want to grow good corn, you must help others grow good corn. If you want to be
happy, you must help others become happy. If you want to be successful, you must help
others become successful, and so on.
Unknown Author.