Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Making a change

Her name was Mrs. Thompson.

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie.

Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.  But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.  Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath and Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh.  He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.  He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's.

His was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from the grocery bag.  Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.  Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.

But she stifled the children laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.  On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.  Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy.  As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive.  The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.  

By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and despite the lie, that she loved all children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time, he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further.  The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had.  But now his name was a little longer...the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story doesn't end there.  You see, there was yet another letter that spring.  Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married.  He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.  And guess what?  She wore that bracelet, the one with the several rhinestones missing.  And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson for believing in me.  Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it wrong.  You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference.  I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

Warm someone's heart today....pass this along!
 
Please remember that wherever you go and whatever you do, you will have the opportunity to touch and /or change a person's outlook on life.

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

Marco's comment:
If you are a teacher, I hope this story has inspired you and able to motivate you on your day time career as human engineering.

If you are a parents, I hope that you will able to play your role better as the impact of you on your kids could only be greater than the teachers do.

If you are a boss, managers or supervisors, I hope you are inspired by the story and be a better coach and mentor to your sub-ordinates. Remember, do not make others life difficult for the sake of your own interest or favoratism. 

Friday, April 09, 2010

我们将往哪里去?

近三次大地震竟然出现惊人巧合。

5月12日 8.0 汶川
1月12日 7.3 海地
2月27日 8.8.智利

横看为512 112 227
竖看为512 112 227

传说中的,横竖都是死?

汶川、海地、智利3次大地震时间上的巧合(512、112、227,后两位分别为12、 12、27),使越来越多的人相信玛雅预言的世界末日(2012, 12月27日)真的就要到来的思想进一步激化。

这是刚才朋友转来的,

看来地球大灾难真的在进程中。

如果2012 世界末日真的发生,请不要惊讶。
不只是因为玛雅传说,而是科学证明。
升2度C的温度将让地球被毁灭。

從1度C到6度C
英國作家萊納斯(Mark Lynas)閱讀了上千篇科學論文,走訪多位氣候 和環境專家,以兩年時間,寫出《六度的變化》(Six Degrees)一書。
書中預測地球每升溫1度C,會帶來的後果;當升溫6度C,就是人類滅亡的臨界點。

升高1度C:
農業地帶會沙漠化,沙塵暴覆蓋城市;三分之一地表的淡水(河流和湖泊)會干涸;低窪的海岸地區將被淹沒;北極熊、海象和海豹絕跡。

升高2度C:
歐洲的夏天,像撒哈拉沙漠般火熱,人們死於熱浪;大火燒毀大量森林;格陵蘭冰原徹底消融,全球海平面升高7米;地球上有三分之一的物種面臨死亡威脅。

升高3度C:

亞馬遜森林死亡;超級颱風將肆虐沿海的城市;紐約市已經泡在水裡;印度次大陸和非洲發生大饑荒。

升高4度C:
永凍土解凍,雪水讓全球暖化加速;英國的大部份地區因為嚴重淹水無法住人;人類被迫遷出地中海區;全球爆發糧食危機。

升高5度C:
海底下的海床釋出的甲烷加速暖化;南北極的冰層融化;雨林已經燒光、變成沙漠;人類為了尋找食物開始大遷徙,過著動物一樣的生活。

升高6度C:
連北極也沒有冰了;歐洲是一片沙漠;地球大部份地區已經不適合人類居住;沿海城市成為廢墟。

超過6度C:
暖化完全失控,任何努力都是徒勞了;超級暴風雨、洪水、硫化氫氣體、以及甲烷火球摧毀地球;人類滅亡,地球只有黴菌能夠存活;地球回到1億5000萬年前恐龍滅絕的年代。


聯合國的跨政府氣候變遷專家小組(IPCC)報告指出,人類的活動,包括土地利用、工業生產、城市化和生活型態,都排放大量溫室氣體(Greenhouse Gas),從而造成地球升溫。
地球升溫人類造成地球升溫的種種因素,超過90%是人類自己造成。
人類知道溫度上升會毀滅世界,但是,卻依照熱衷追求高排放的經濟成長模式,也習慣於高消耗的生活方式,樂此不疲,不會輕易放棄。
就好像一缸水裡的青蛙,水的溫度逐漸的升高,青蛙始終無動於衷,甚至愜意無比;直到溫度過了臨界點,它已經跳不出水缸,活活被煮死。青蛙沒有意識到水溫上升,所以不會跳出水缸。人類呢?

美國和中國是世界兩大二氧化碳排放量最高的國家,在哥本哈根峰會上,不但無法攜手合作,反倒是針鋒相對,歸咎對方;在堅持本身利益的同時,要對方作出更大讓步。哥本哈根大會沒有讓人類跳出水缸,大國之間相互扯後腿,逼使大家都留在水缸。一紙“記錄在案”的氣候協議,只是同意減少排放溫室氣體,卻沒有制訂目標,也沒有執行方案。

窮國與島國皆大失所望。面對淹沒威脅的太平洋小島圖瓦盧代表說,這是對未來的背叛;非洲蘇丹的代表說,協議是判處非洲死刑,形同大屠殺。

救救我们的地球!

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