Posts: 5378
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2005

posted May 30, 2005 07:56 AM         

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"Who I Am Makes a Difference"
>>>
>>> > > This is without a doubt one of the best stories I have
>>> > > ever read. I hope you
>>> > > read it all and it affects you like it affected me.
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her
>>> > > Seniors in high school by
>>> > > telling them the difference they each 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 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 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
>>> > > do me a favor? Would
>>> > > you take this extra one 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
>>> > > wouldn'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 asking 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 envelope was addressed, "Mom and
>>> > > Dad."
>>> > >
>>> > > The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no
>>> > > longer a grouch, but
>>> > > made sure to let all 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's son. And the young boy and his
>>> > > classmates learned a
>>> > > valuable lesson. Who you are DOES make a difference.

One of my girlfriends from Norway e-mailed me this the other day. It made me cry so much.

Solane Star

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Posts: 11943
From: Pleasanton, CA, USA
Registered: May 2005

posted May 30, 2005 08:12 AM         

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It's true that a little acknowledgement can go A LONG LONG WAY. I wish my dad would have gotten that ribbon.

Very touching story.

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Posts: 5301
From: Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 2005

posted May 30, 2005 09:42 AM         

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:crying:

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Posts: 574
From: In My Head
Registered: May 2005

posted May 30, 2005 10:38 AM         

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*teary too*

That's beautiful . . .

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Posts: 5378
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2005

posted May 30, 2005 03:16 PM         

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I thought sooo!!!

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Posts: 574
From: In My Head
Registered: May 2005

posted May 30, 2005 03:23 PM         

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That's such a NY thing . . .

There's no f'ing love here. We're just all angry, stressed and snippy. I want so bad to leave, not forever, but for a little while. I need a rest

Solane Star? You drew that?

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Posts: 5378
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2005

posted May 30, 2005 03:51 PM         

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No I did't draw that, I copied it from Google images. I could though, I'm a pretty good artist! Why don't you just take some time for a holiday!!!

Solane Star

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Posts: 5378
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2005

posted May 30, 2005 03:56 PM         

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Posts: 13411
From: *
Registered: Jun 2004

posted May 31, 2005 01:43 AM         

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Wow.

Thanks for sharing Solane.

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"Everything you can imagine is real."
~ Picasso

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