The Cleaning Lady
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've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.
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