An elderly woman held out her card to pay for boots, but the cashier returned the card and said there was not enough money on it. The woman said that she recently underwent surgery and the insurance didn’t cover all the expenses. And now she was paying off the debt. She asked if she could buy the shoes in installments (分期付款), because her shoes were falling apart, and it was cold outside. The cashier replied that their store didn’t sell the goods in installments. The woman left the boots at the checkout and went to the exit. She looked at the rain outside the store doors and her old shoes.

A young man approached her and held out a box with a pair of boots that she had left at the checkout. “Take them, at your age you need to take care of yourself. These boots are my gift to you,” he said. The woman was surprised and said that she couldn’t accept such an expensive gift from a stranger. The man smiled and replied that it was not a gift. He was returning a debt that he couldn’t return to another person. He said that as a child he was a very poor but smart boy. The teacher noticed that he was only coming to school every other day. She found out where he lived, and came to his house. She wanted to talk to his mother and ask why he was skipping school.

The boy’s mom was at work. Then the teacher told him to pack up and go to school with her. He replied that he could not, saying that day was not his day to study, but his brother’s. The teacher was confused. Then the boy explained that his brother and he had only one pair of shoes. They didn’t have a father, and their mother’s salary was only enough for food. Therefore he and his brother took turns, and that day was his brother’s day to wear shoes and go to school.

The teacher was shocked.

The elderly woman wiped her tears and smiled.

Tom’s love for soccer ran deep, and he played the game with a passion that was infectious (有感染力的) to everyone around him. But there was one thing that upset him-his worn-out soccer shoes. These shoes had been passed down to him by his older brother, and they were falling apart. With his birthday drawing near, Tom secretly wished for a new pair of soccer shoes to lift his spirits so that he could have a good performance in the game. However, he was well aware of his parents’ constant struggles to make ends meet and knew that such a wish might remain a dream forever.

One sunny afternoon, Tom and his best friend, David, were at school, watching an exciting soccer match. The exciting run and shout, the determination on the athletes’ faces, and their fine equipment were enough to make anyone’s heart race. It was at this moment that Tom said about his biggest birthday wish. He took a long deep breath and said, “How I wish I could have a new pair of soccer shoes for my birthday, but I know it’s impossible.”

David, sitting beside him, couldn’t help but overhear Tom’s words. The idea of helping his best friend achieve this long-held dream began to form in his mind. After school, David ran home and couldn’t wait to share the idea with his mother.

“Mom, I really want to do this for Tom. He’s been playing with those old shoes for so long. It would mean the world to him,” David explained seriously.

His mother smiled warmly, proud of her son’s compassion (同情) . “David, it’s a wonderful idea. It’s not just about the gift; it’s about the thought and effort you’re putting into making Tom’s day special.”

As David thought about how to earn the money, his mother suggested, “You know, David, there are various ways you can earn some extra money to save for the soccer shoes. Many of our neighbors are looking for someone to help with lawn mowing (刈草坪) and other services. Some even need help with newspaper delivery. You can offer your services and earn money that way.”

David’s eyes lit up as he realized the potential.

The day of Tom’s birthday finally arrived, and David couldn’t wait to surprise his best friend.

I took up flying more or less on a whim (突发奇想). I had a really difficult time at that time. My mother left me and my favorite cat was lost two weeks later. My life was filled with uncertainties and sadness and I was left feeling terribly down. So when I passed our local airfield and saw an advertisement for trial flying lessons, I decided to book one. It was something I’d always imagined trying, and I hoped it would cheer me up.

I enjoyed my trial lessons and decided to book some more. I found that flying an airplane was attractive, and it took my mind off my personal difficulties. By the end of that summer, I had my private pilot’s license, and I started to do some local flights for fun.

Then I decided to have a go at flying helicopters, and I found that I liked that even more. Despite having promised myself and all my friends that I wasn’t going to take it up, I got my private pilot’s license for helicopters, too. Soon, I was hiring small helicopters and taking friends flying. But helicopter flying is very expensive, and I knew I couldn’t keep doing it as a hobby forever. I knew a lot of people at our local airfield, and many were taking commercial (商业的) flying exams — some with a goal of working as commercial pilots, others wanting to be instructors. I had an idea — I could become a helicopter instructor. That way, I could fly for free, and even get paid for it.

Then I told my friends my thought, but I didn’t expect some of the reactions I got. My friends couldn’t believe that I really meant to do that. “Oh, don’t be silly, Helen. You can’t possibly be a helicopter instructor,” one of my friends said. After all, I was well over forty, which is not the usual time to begin a new career. But I chose to stick to my idea.

Quickly, I went ahead with my plan.

Soon I found a job at an airfield, not too far from my home.

Linda went for a job interview at a firm that had several start-up businesses under its wing. She applied to be Executive Secretary of the CEO, but her chance of getting the job was slim because she came in late for the interview.

“I’m truly sorry I have come late, sir,” Linda apologized. “But I had an emergency to attend to earlier today and that is why I couldn’t make it on time. I hope you can give me a chance,” she added. “But the job is to be my secretary and being late for your interview is just not good,” George, the CEO, told her. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to hire you.” Depressed, Linda left.

When Linda got home, her son Jack found that something seemed to be bothering his mom. Then he asked, “What’s wrong, Mom? How did the job interview go?” “I didn’t get the job, son. I didn’t make it in time for the interview,” she sighed. Jack was almost crying upon hearing this, but Linda tired to comfort him. “It’s all right, son. There are many other jobs I can apply for. It’s no big deal,” she said, hugging him.

The following day, Jack copied the address from his mother’s notebook and came to George’s office without telling his mom. “Hi, sir, I’m Jack. My mom came for an interview yesterday, but you rejected her. Could you please give her a second interview, sir?” he said to the CEO.

“Why should I give her another chance?” George asked. “It was because of my fault that she didn’t make it on time. I accidentally dropped some food juice on my shirt. She had to wash it because it was the only uniform that I could wear in school. It took a while to remove the stain (污渍), so she was late,” Jack said.

“My mom works hard, sir. My parents once ran a cleaning supply and equipment business. Owing to something unexpected, the company was closed down. My parents had to start all over again,” Jack continued.

George listened thoughtfully and began to feel sorry for Linda. He thought the position of Marketing Director would better suit Linda since she had relevant experience. Then he told Jack that he would give his mom a second chance.

The next day, Linda received a call from George, who informed her that she could have a second chance.

Calming down, Linda asked George why he had changed his mind and had given her another chance.