(From Thailand, a friend sent me a piece called "Five Great Lessons." The article resonated. Unfortunately, the author's name was not attached. In any case, here are five lessons you'll find useful beyond the classroom -- Juan L. Mercado.)

No. 1 The Most Important Lesson

During my sophomore year, the professor gave a pop quiz. A conscientious student, I breezed through the questions -- until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the janitor who cleans the school?"

Is this a joke? I had seen him several times. He was tall, skinny and in his 50s. But his name? I handed in my paper, leaving the question blank. And as class ended, one student asked: would the last question affect 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 his name was Manuel.

No. 2 Pickup In The Rain.

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway, lashed by a rain storm. Her car had broken down. Soaking wet, flagged down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, unheard of in those race conflict-filled 1960s.

The man took her to the next town and put her into a taxicab. She seemed in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. A week later, there was a knock on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was with a 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 also 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." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

No. 3 - Always Remember Those Who Serve

The waitress put a glass of water in front of a 10-year old boy who sat down as he entered a hotel coffee shop table. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy studied the coins in his hand. " How much is plain ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table. And the increasingly impatient waitress snapped: "Thirty-five cents"

Again, little boy counted his coins. Plain ice cream please," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, with the bill and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

No. 4 - The Obstacle In Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the kingdom's wealthiest merchants and couriers came by, and simply walked around it. Others loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear. But none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon seeing the boulder, the peasant laid down his crates and tried to shove the stone to the roadside. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

As he bent to pick up his load of vegetables again, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. It was filled to bursting with gold coins - plus a . a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

That peasant learned what many of us never understand: Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

No. 5 - Giving When It Counts. .

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I met a little girl named Liz. She had a rare and serious disease. And her only chance of recovery was a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother. Miraculously, the brother survived the same disease and had developed the needed antibodies.

The doctor explained the situation to her brother, and asked the little boy: would he give his blood to his sister? I saw him hesitate for a moment. Then, taking a deep breat, he said: "Yes, it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister. He smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and, with a trembling voice, asked: "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor. He thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, Give as much as you can, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

Have a great weekend.

(E-mail: juan_mercado@boholchronicle.com)