The Grass Cutting Days

    Every time we headed out to cut grass,Dad was there to watch. I used to1why he came with us. He stood watching us in the sticky Florida heat when he could have been inside2with air conditioning and an icy drink.

    One day we were cutting our next-door neighbor's yard She always waited until the grass was knee-high to call us over. To make matters worse,we had an old lawn mower that kept breaking down as we tried to cut through her backyard jungle. This particular afternoon,I was finishing up and was3and sweaty. I4the tall glass of cold juice I would drink in a minute to cool down.

    I was just about to turn off the lawn mower5I saw Dad pointing to one single blade of grass（一片草）. I thought about the small amount of money I was getting6for cutting grass so high that it almost broke the mower. I ignored him and kept walking. Dad called me out and yelled, "You missed a blade." I frowned（皱眉）,hoping he would let me go home. He kept pointing. Though tired and7,I still went back to cut that blade of grass. I thought to myself,"That one blade isn't8anyone. Why won't he just let it go?"

    But when I reached adulthood,I understood his9: When you're running a business,the work you do says a great deal about you. If you want to be seen as an honest businessman,you must deliver a quality product. That single blade of grass10the job was not done.

    Other neighbors took11of the good work we did and we soon gained more12.

    The lesson my dad taught me stayed with me:Be13. If you say you are going to perform a job at a certain time,14your word. Give your customers the kind of15you would like to receive. It shows how sincere you are and how much pride you take in your work.