During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz..<\/p>\n
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\nI 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?”<\/p>\n
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\nSurely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?<\/p>\n
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\nI handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank..<\/p>\n
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\nBefore class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.<\/p>\n
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\n“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’.”<\/p>\n
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\nI’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy..<\/p>\n
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