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i) Dr. Kalam never accepted gifts. Once he had gone Erode to attend a function sponsored by Sowbhagya wet grinders. On that occasion, they gave him a grinder as a gift. He refused to accept it but since he needed it he insisted on paying for it. He then sent a person to the shop with a cheque for Rs 4,850 dated August 25, 2014.
The Managing Director of the company was reluctant to receive money from Kalam and did not encash the cheque for over a month. A month later, they received a call from Kalam's office asking why the cheque has not been deposited. Further, Kalam directed them to deposit the cheque to avoid returning the grinder. The company agreed to deposit it. But they did not want to let go of the treasure and decided to keep a copy of the cheque. They got it scanned and had framed it. The very next day they deposited the cheque and received a message from Kalam's office thanking them for doing so.
Source: newindianexpress.com
ii) Once, the missile man rejected the suggestion to put broken glass on the wall of a building that needed protection because broken glass could be harmful to birds!
This happened when Dr Kalam was with the Defence Research and Development organization (DRDO) and his team was discussing options to secure the perimeter of a building that needed protection. Dr Kalam reportedly said: "If we do that, birds will not be able to perch on the wall. Think of something else. "
iii) He invited a cobbler and a small hotel owner as the "Presidential Guests"
As the President, Dr. Kalam was entitled to invite any two people as the "Presidential Guests" to the Raj Bhavan of Kerala during his first visit to Trivandrum. He had spent a significant amount of time as a scientist in Trivandrum and guess who he called? A roadside cobbler who was quite close to Dr. Kalam during his time in Kerala; and an owner of a very small hotel where Dr. Kalam used to have his meals.
This gesture was more than enough to show his level of simplicity!
iv) When a teammate of President Kalam at DRDO couldn't take his children to an exhibition due to workload, Kalam surprised him and took the children instead!
During a significant project, the workload was high. One of the 70 scientists working on it asked him if he could leave at 5.30 pm that evening as he had promised to take his kids to an exhibition. Dr Kalam granted the permission. However, the scientist got busy with work only to realise that it was 8.30 pm. When he looked for his boss, he wasn't there. Guilty for having disappointed his kids, he went back home only to find that his kids weren't there. When he asked his wife where they were, she replied, "You don't know. Your manager came here at 5.15 pm and took the children to the exhibition."
Dr Kalam had been observing the scientist and he realized that he was too busy with the work and might forget to reach home at time. So, he decided to take the kids to the exhibition instead.
1. “YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN”
A beggar came asking for food. I told him to come from back door, then asked him to sit on floor.
I brought food and said, "we shall pray. Repeat after me, Our Father in heaven".
"Your Father in heaven" he said."
No,our Father..." I said.
"Your Father...." said he.
Irritated, I asked why are you saying 'your' father when I say 'Our Father?'
He said, "sir, it's like this. If I say Our Father, then we both become brothers. If we are brothers, you would invite me from the front door and not from back. Then you would ask me to sit at your dining table and we would chat like brothers. So Sir, all this is not possible. So he may be your Father, but he can't be OUR FATHER.
Whose Father is He?
My?.. Your..? Her...? His...? Their...?
Or Our Father...?
It took a beggar to teach me The truth!!!
- Author Anonymous
2. BEST FRIEND
Two friends were walking through a desert. At some point of their journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
The one who was slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand;
“Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone;
“Today my best friend saved my life.”
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him;
“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”
The other friend replied,“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”
3. WHAT DO TEACHERS MAKE?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing about life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.
He reminded the guests what they say about teachers:
"Those who can, work. Those who can't, teach."
He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided as his best to become a teacher?"
To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, and then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a third class certificate feel like a Certificate of Honor.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 minutes, without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental...
You want to know what I make." (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize.
I make them sing the National Anthem
I make them follow their hearts
I make them love,
Finally I make them live.
(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)
"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make
I can hold my head high and pay no attention because they are ignorant...
You want to know what I make.
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"
4. Your time's up!!
A 45 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.
While on the operating table she had a near death experience.
Seeing God she asked "Is my time up?"
God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."
Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck.
She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth!
Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.
While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.
Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?"
(You'll love this!!!)
God replied: "I didn't recognize you."
5.
Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for company.
One day the dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, "Father, my dog is dead. Could you say a mass for the poor creature?"
Father Patrick replied, "I'm afraid not; we cannot have services for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane, and there's no telling' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something for the creature."
Muldoon said, "I'll go right away Father. Do you 'think $5,000 is enough to donate to them for the service?"
Father Patrick exclaimed, "Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why didn't you tell me the dog was Catholic?"
6. Indian Ants and Grasshoppers
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are suffering from cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
Medha goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Amnesty criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).
Opposition MPs stage a walkout.
Left parties call for a nationwide 'Bandh' demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.
Lalu allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Education Minister makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes; its home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by all media persons.
Arundhati calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'
UN invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later...
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley; 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation and other schemes......
AND As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,
India is still a developing country!!!
