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HeroicStories #802: Wisdom in Seventeen Words
Reaching more than 37,000 subscribers in 118 countries, this is...
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HeroicStories #802: 11 June 2010 www.HeroicStories.com
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Wisdom in Seventeen Words Story Editor:
by William Lifsey Joyce Schowalter
North Carolina, USA
In the mid-1980's I was Captain of a B-747 flying from Newark, New
Jersey to Los Angeles. One flight, as usual, I went downstairs to greet
and thank the First Class passengers and there, in the very front row,
was Mohammed Ali, ex heavy weight boxing champion of the world. He had
been to a Parkinson's clinic and was returning home.
I had boxed in college and the Navy and was tremendous fan of his. The
first time I saw him on TV he fought Floyd Patterson. Patterson kept his
hands next to his cheeks, an excellent defensive position to protect his
face and prevent being knocked out, but a rather weak offensive
position. Ali fought with his hands at his waist while he literally
danced in and out and around his opponent. It wasn't a traditional
boxing stance.
I told him I knew he was an extraordinary fighter when he was able to
throw a punch from his waist and hit Patterson in the face before
Patterson could close his hands to protect himself.
After I spoke, there was an awkward pause. I wasn't sure if Ali had
heard me, and I was debating whether to move on or repeat myself -- then
his face lit up with a smile. Apparently the Parkinson's had caused a
short circuit. The Champ was standing up in front of his seat when I
spoke. He put his hands up in a mock boxing stance, started to shuffle
his feet back and forth and proclaimed, "I was smoking, I was smoking."
Hours later I went down to First Class again, and the aide traveling
with Ali told me the Champ wanted to speak with me. He asked about my
boxing history and our conversation soon turned to our families. We both
loved our children and our families greatly. He asked what the worst
part of my job was.
I told him the job itself was perfect for me because I literally loved
to fly, but I didn't enjoy being away from home during holidays, missing
birthdays and special events. In fact, on that trip I was missing a Cub
Scout camping trip with our son. He inquired more about the camping trip
and our son's name.
Shortly after we arrived at the gate in LA, there was a knock on the
cockpit door. It was Ali's aide with a gift for our son, a signed 8.5 by
11 inch photo of Ali. The Champ had written a message to our son on the
photo: "The time your father spends away from home, is the price he pays
for service to others".
During 30 years with the airlines I had many pleasant experiences and
many lessons about the generosity and kindness of people from around the
world. But 10 years into retirement, what I remember most are Mohammed
Ali's stories about his love for his family, and his kindness toward our
son.
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"Assistance on Icy Ground" (#801) shared the story of a nurse who saved
a man's leg at the scene of a motorcycle accident, even though her
physical disability would mean that she'd be in great pain for days.
Vickie in Texas writes: "This story really touched me. It reminded me of
my car accident. I found myself hanging upside down held by my seatbelt.
Before I quite knew what happened, a young man was busting out my
passenger window and asking if I was OK. He said, 'I'm an off-duty
paramedic. Are you hurt?' Then he started an assessment of my condition
and made me feel very safe until the ambulance arrived. For some people
their profession describes who they are, not what they do for a living.
(FYI: If you ever find yourself in your car hanging upside down by your
seat belt, DO NOT try to release yourself from the seatbelt. I did, and
the paramedics said that was a good way to break my neck. Who knew?
Fortunately, I just received a large bump on my head.)
Hamza in Saudi Arabia adds: "What a wonderful story. My heart as so
touched and deeply moved for the most beautiful, heart-touching article
I have ever read in my life."
Janet in Oklahoma sent an interesting observation about the story: "When
the author spoke with the motorcyclist in the coffee shop, all he or she
quoted was "She's a nurse". They didn't expose that the nurse would be
laid up from the experience, which might have made the cyclist feel
guilty. That was a wise and kind choice."
Walt in Maryland sent another comment on "The Power of One Note" (#800),
which was about a student whose thank you note made a huge difference
for a teacher. (Full story on our archives:
http://heroicstories.com/archives.html .) Walt writes: "You don't have
to wait for graduation day to send a note and 'make a difference'. My
wife and I eat out frequently. We always take time to add a note to the
wait server, thanking him/her for their service and for making our meal
pleasant. More than once we've had the waitress or waiter almost with
tears in eye, thank us for such a simple gesture. Gratuities are
important (this doesn't take the place of an appropriate tip!) but a few
kind words can really make a difference."
Joyce Schowalter, Networker in Chief
Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place
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