During my second month of college, one of my professors gave 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 this building?”

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the woman in question several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50’s, but how in the world was I supposed to 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.

“Over the course of our lives, we meet many people.  Every one of them is significant.  They each deserve your attention and your care, even if all you do is smile at them, say hello, and ask them their name.”

I still remember that lesson to this today.

I still remember the name of the cleaning woman too …

It was Dorothy.

(unknown)

Filed under: Practical Tips for Peace-full Living by Scaughdt