During my second month of nursing school, our
professor gave us a quid. 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 30s, 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 quid grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your career 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 Ruthie.