The story is about me, my father and a little man. The little man has no relatives, like many war world II veterans escaped from China civil war to Taiwan. He does not know how to read and write. But he has a good heart, and a loyal servant.
What connected me and the little man (old Wang) was, he took care of me when I was 3 years old, during that time I was a very sick boy. My father really thanks him, he did so wonderful job that without him, I might not be here today. The little man appreciated my father for his job offering at the time he needed a place to stay.
But somehow I have no memory of him, I don't remember his face, his voice or anything. He died few years ago, it took several months for my father to locate his resting place, just an ashes urn placed somewhere in a tower for people of no relatives. A tiny wood plate caved his name.
Since then my father visits his resting place every year (a long trip for an old man). What connected him and my father is the 50 years of friendship and a servant's loyalty.
I could not help but shedding my tears what I called "Love". A gentle soul teared apart by war. What left is a gentle love of fading memory from my family.
May God keep "Old Wang's" gentle soul !
--Johnny Gau
Month: October 2006
智慧永遠填補不了道德的空白
前些天,在一個名為《財富人生》的電視訪談節目中,嘉賓是一位當今頗具知名度的青年企業家。當節目漸近尾聲時,按照慣例,主持人提出了最後一個問題
請問:你認為事業成功的最關鍵品質是什麼?
沉思片刻之后,他並沒有直接回答,而是平靜地敘述了這樣一段故事:
十二年前,有一個小伙子剛畢業就去了法國,開始了半工半讀的留學生活。漸漸地,他發現當地的車站幾乎都是開放式的,不設檢票口,也沒有檢票員﹔甚至連隨機性的抽查都非常少。憑著自己的聰明勁,他精確地估算了這樣一個概率......
逃票而被查到的比例大約僅為萬分之三。他為自己的這個發現而沾沾自喜,從此之後,他便經常逃票上車。他還找到了一個寬慰自己的理由:自己還是窮學生嘛,能省一點是一點。
四年過去了,名牌大學的金字招牌和優秀的學業成績讓他充滿自信,他開始頻頻地進入巴黎一些跨國公司的大門,躊躇滿志地推銷自己。然而,結局卻是他始料不及的......
這些公司都是先對熱情有加,然而數日之後,卻又都是婉言相拒。真是莫名其妙。
最後,他寫了一封措詞懇切的電子郵件,發送給了其中一家公司的人力資源部經理,煩請他告知不予錄用的理由。當天晚上,他就收到了對方的回覆......
陳先生,我們十分賞識您的才華,但我們調閱了您的信用記錄後,非常遺憾地發現,您有三次乘車逃票記載。我們認為此事至少證明了兩點:
1.你不尊重規則。
2.您不值得信任。鑒于能上能下原因,敝公司不敢冒昧地錄用您,請見諒。
直到此時,他才如夢初醒、懊悔難當。然而,真正讓他產生一語驚心之感的,卻還是對方在回信中最後摘錄的一句話:
道德常常能彌補智慧的缺陷,然而,智慧卻永遠填補不了道德的空白。
第二天,他就啟程回國了。
故事講完了,電視中出現一片沉寂。
主持人困惑地問:這能說明你的成功之道嗎?
“能”!因為故事中的年輕人就是曾經的我,他坦誠而高聲地說:
“我能夠走到今天這一步,只是因為我一起將昨天的‘絆腳石’當成今天的‘墊腳石’而已。”
現場頓時掌聲如潮。
人生總是複雜,道理卻相對簡單﹔更多的時候,一句話一輩子。
risk
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk rejection.
To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken...
because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave.
He has forfeited his freedom.
Only a person who takes risks is free.