See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The George Washington Carver Story.
Life Lesson #99 – Try, Really Try!
In P.E. class, Coach Adams was having a discussion about health. He reviewed the key points to good health: exercise (both physical and mental), diet, hygiene, fresh air, and sunshine. When he talked about sunshine, one of the boys laughed and said, “Yeah, Marcus got plenty of sunshine yesterday planting flowers with his mother!”
Coach Adams looked at the boy. “You got something against sunshine?” The boy said no. “You got a problem with flowers?” Again, the boy said no. “You got a problem with somebody spending time with their mom?” The guys were always teasing Marcus about his love for working with plants. He would rather be in a vegetable garden or a flower garden than anyplace else! And he knew a great deal about horticulture. Coach Adams explained that we really need people like Marcus because they HELP in so many ways. “Where do you think most of the food comes from that you eat?” said the coach.
One boy said, “The grocery store?” Coach Adams just looked at him… “Farms,” he said. “And from farmers, who are very knowledgeable about growing plants. And what about all the flowers and shrubs that make homes, and buildings, and parks look so nice—where do they come from? People like Marcus who love growing them.
“And one more thing,” said the coach. “When my little brother was growing up, he was just like Marcus. I used to laugh at him and his little flowers. Well, today he owns a very successful landscaping company in three states, and he makes a LOT of money. So, you see, there are many of opportunities out there for someone like Marcus to HELP the world in some very big ways. If I were you,” said the coach, “I’d be nice to Marcus. He could be a real HERO someday!”
– Jim Lord