Inspiration

One summer evening, a thirteen-year-old came in while his parents were setting the table for supper. Quite surprisingly, he asked if he could help.

His mother said, "No, but I appreciate your asking."

The child responded, "Well, I appreciate your saying 'no'."

"I myself am the enemy who also must be loved..."

- Carl Jung

While making rounds, a doctor points out an X-ray to a group of medical students.

"As you can see," she says, "the patient limps because his left fibula and tibia are radically arched. Michael, what would you do in a case like this?"

"Well," ponders the student, "I suppose I'd limp too."

At a diner, I was standing in line to pay my bill behind two women who handed the young waitress a credit card.

After swiping the card, she loudly called out to her manager, "Mr. Allen, what do I do if it says 'reject'?"

As the women's faces reddened and customers turned to look, Mr. Allen, also the cook, calmly walked out from the kitchen.

"Well," he answered, "the first thing you do is shout it out loud enough to embarrass the customer, who might have been thinking about leaving you a tip."