My wife and I were walking through the parking lot at the supermarket the other day. We noticed a huge truck 1 about a foot into the next parking space. There was plenty of room in its own space, 2 the driver had chosen to park very poorly and made sure that 3 could use the space next to his.

    My first 4 was “Why do people act like such idiots (白痴)?”

    “What a 5 that people have to do things like that.” My wife said.

    I stopped and looked around at the rest of the parking lot. There were a good five hundred 6 and 99% of them were parked well. Their drivers had shown the 7 necessary to park in a way that still 8 other people to park.

    “Think about it,” I said. “Only one 9 parks poorly and we start using ‘people' to describe the driver.” The 10 of the matter is that we forget about the thousands of people who behave themselves when we see one person doing something 11.

    I've been 12 for many years, and the percentage of good drivers is always 13 than the percentage of poor drivers. “People” don't necessarily drive poorly, but individuals do.

    My wife and I almost didn't 14 the many cars that were parked well because the car that was parked poorly caught our 15. It is true that we're far less 16 to see the positive side of things if we keep 17 on the negative. Once we fall into this trap, how many of the wonderful things in the world will we 18?

    Our lives are ours to live, and the 19 we see our world is up to us. Remember: the rude person truly is a(n) 20, and not really worth the time or effort we spend thinking about him or her.

    At least thirty times Bobby had tried to climb the snowy mountain, but he had never 1the top. His friend old Peeper, who knew a lot about his failures,2Bobby to try again. He gave Bobby a pair of3 and said, “If it starts clouding over, put on the glasses, or if your feet start hurting, put them on too. The glasses are very4. They'll help you.” Bobby 5 the gift without much thought.

    At least thirty times Bobby had tried to climb the snowy mountain, but he The day came when he was to have another6. About two hours after he started, he felt his feet hurting. Then he7what Peeper had said, and put on the glasses. The pain was pretty bad, but8 the sunglasses he could clearly see the snow-covered mountain top, so he went on.

    At least thirty times Bobby had tried to climb the snowy mountain, but he9, clouds were gathering. But this time Bobby could still see the 10through the clouds. He kept 11 , leaving the clouds behind, forgetting his pain, and finally arriving at the top. It was certainly worth it. His feeling of12 was extremely good, almost as great as that 13view. The mountain below was surrounded by a sea of clouds. He couldn't believe that the clouds were as 14 as that, so he looked more closely at the sunglasses, and discovered the 15. Peeper had engraved(镌刻) the snow-covered mountain top on the sunglasses,16 Bobby could see it when he was looking upwards!

    At least thirty times Bobby had tried to climb the snowy mountain, but he Bobby17 that the only obstacle(障碍) to reaching the top had been losing18when he couldn't see the mountain top. He was thankful that Peeper had used that little19to help him see that his20 was never impossible, and that it was still there, where it had always been.

Inspiration

    “Mama, when I grow up, I'm going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my1 took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training. As I grew older and was 2to more, my interests in the world of dance 3 varied but that little girl's dream of someday becoming a 4 in the company never left me. In the summer of 2005 when I was 18, I received the phone call which made that dream a 5I became a member of the company6 back to 1925.

    As I look back on that day now, it surely 7 any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief8 I was halfway through rehearsals (排练) on my first day. I never actually9 to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely10I remember shaking with excitement.

    Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of 11. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to 12 up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme 13 to detail (细节) and stress on practice that set us 14.To then follow those high-energy rehearsals 15 a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new 16 of the words “hard work.” What I thought was my physical 17 were pushed much further than I thought 18I learned to make each performance better than the last.

    Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great19 of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a 20 that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

    Everyone should go to his or her 50th high school reunion. There was a time I thought I'd never go even if the opportunity 1. But now I feel 2for people who don't go.

    I went to the 3of my high school on a Saturday evening, and I am glad I did. It was a gift to recognize some4classmates right away — and to be recognized. 5, we had name tags and our 6photos on our clothing to help identify us. I recognized one woman immediately!

    The most memorable and moving experience of the night was 7by a schoolmate and neighbor to whom I was once close. Unfortunately, we had a falling out in the high school. I never saw her after 8, but this time, I saw her name on a place setting. At first, I feared that I would 9her. But my better self won over, and I 10 her out. I kept looking until I got a(n) 11on my shoulder. There she was 12. We hugged as if nothing had ever 13and exchanged affectionate words. When the party 14, my old-new friend walked towards me, 15me again and wished me well. I returned her good wishes. All the bad 16melted into thin air.

    I am grateful I had this 17to reunite with old classmates. After all, we are almost 18the final lap of our lifelong journeys. Some classmates had already left this 19, and their names were deleted from the list. Sometimes we have to walk back into the past because time does heal old wounds. We're not the 20people. We are better people.

    Dale Carnegie rose from the unknown of a Missouri farm to international fame because he found a way to fill a universal human need.

    It was a need that he first 1 back in 1906 when young Dale was a junior at State Teachers College in Warrensburg. To get an 2, he was struggling against many difficulties. His family was poor. His Dad couldn't afford the 3 at college, so Dale had to ride horseback 12 miles to attend classes. Study had to be done 4 his farm­work routines. He withdrew from many school activities 5 he didn't have the time or the 6. He had only one good suit. He tried 7 the football team, but the coach turned him down for being too 8. During this period Dale was slowly 9 an inferiority complex (自卑感), which his mother knew could 10 him from achieving his real potential. She 11 that Dale join the debating team, believing that 12 in speaking could give him the confidence and recognition that he needed.

    Dale took his mother's advice, tried desperately and after several attempts 13 made it. This proved to be a 14 point in his life. Speaking before groups did help him gain the 15 he needed. By the time Dale was a senior, he had won every top honor in 16. Now other students were coming to him for coaching and they, 17, were winning contests.

    Out of this early struggle to 18 his feelings of inferiority, Dale came to understand that the ability to 19 an idea to an audience builds a person's confidence. And, 20 it, Dale knew he could do anything he wanted to do—and so could others.

My 13-year-old daughter sent a postcard to us while we were still away on our most recent trip to California. It 1 our house about a week later. The touching 2 nearly brought me to tears.

"Even though we 3 have two days of adventures ahead of us, I am just so 4 for everything we have experienced together on this trip," she writes.

Our youngest daughter is just about to 5 11 years old. In those years, we have never taken a true 6 as a family of four to a place we've never been. Like most 7 , I have no idea where the time has gone. But I also think these are some of the best ages to 8 with kids.

This vacation to California was our very first 9 , long-distance trip together. The kids helped 10 the trip with input on things they might like to see and do. They reached for our hands in crowds. I can't remember the last time they held our hands 11 .

One of our family bonding moments came when we took a family surfing lesson. It was the first time any of us had tried surfing, although it was something the girls had been 12 . The smiles on the girls' faces were everything. They were so 13 when they stood up on the board and rode the waves one by one.

Those are memories I'm going to 14 . And yes, I will remind them of these times the next time I reach for their 15 .