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12-19-2002, 07:13 AM
WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by
telling them the difference each of them had made. She called each student to
the front of the class, one at a time. First, she told
each of them how they had made a difference to her, and the class.
Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon, imprinted with
gold letters, which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards, the teacher decided to do a class project, to see what kind of
impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the
students three more blue ribbons, and instructed them to go out and
spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the
results, see who honored whom, and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby
company, and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave
him a blue ribbon, and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra
ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like
for you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give
them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person, to keep
this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me
what happened."
Later that day, the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had
been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss
down, and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a
creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked
him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon, and would he give him
permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The
junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's
jacket, above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said,
"Would you take this extra ribbon, and pass it on by honoring somebody else.
The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school, and
we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects
people."
That night, the boss came home to his 14 year old son, and sat him down. He
said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office,
and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me, and gave
me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine! He thinks I'm a
creative genius! Then he put this blue ribbon that says "Who I Am Makes a
Difference", on my jacket above my heart.
He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I
was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with
this ribbon, and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
My days are really hectic and when I come home, I don't pay a lot of
attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough
grades in school, and for your bedroom being a mess. But somehow tonight, I
just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a
difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in
my life. You're a great kid, and I love you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His
whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears,
"Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom,
explaining why I had killed myself, and I asked you to forgive me. I was
going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't think
that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think I need it after
all." His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish
and pain.
The boss went back to work. a changed man. He was no longer a grouch, but
made sure to let all of his employees know that they made a difference.
The junior executive helped several other young people with career
planning, and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in
his life...one being the boss' son. And the young boy and
his classmates learned a valuable lesson, "Who you are DOES make
a difference".
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by
telling them the difference each of them had made. She called each student to
the front of the class, one at a time. First, she told
each of them how they had made a difference to her, and the class.
Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon, imprinted with
gold letters, which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards, the teacher decided to do a class project, to see what kind of
impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the
students three more blue ribbons, and instructed them to go out and
spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the
results, see who honored whom, and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby
company, and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave
him a blue ribbon, and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra
ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like
for you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give
them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person, to keep
this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me
what happened."
Later that day, the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had
been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss
down, and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a
creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked
him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon, and would he give him
permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The
junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's
jacket, above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said,
"Would you take this extra ribbon, and pass it on by honoring somebody else.
The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school, and
we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects
people."
That night, the boss came home to his 14 year old son, and sat him down. He
said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office,
and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me, and gave
me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine! He thinks I'm a
creative genius! Then he put this blue ribbon that says "Who I Am Makes a
Difference", on my jacket above my heart.
He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I
was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with
this ribbon, and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
My days are really hectic and when I come home, I don't pay a lot of
attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough
grades in school, and for your bedroom being a mess. But somehow tonight, I
just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a
difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in
my life. You're a great kid, and I love you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His
whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears,
"Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom,
explaining why I had killed myself, and I asked you to forgive me. I was
going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't think
that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think I need it after
all." His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish
and pain.
The boss went back to work. a changed man. He was no longer a grouch, but
made sure to let all of his employees know that they made a difference.
The junior executive helped several other young people with career
planning, and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in
his life...one being the boss' son. And the young boy and
his classmates learned a valuable lesson, "Who you are DOES make
a difference".