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The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a 1)wrinkled, little old lady, 2)beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed and 3)enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant 4)squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked jokingly.
Not to be 5)outdone, she replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was getting curious about what may have 6)motivated her to be taking on such a challenge at this age. “I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate 7)milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk 8)nonstop. I was always 9)mesmerized, listening to this “time machine,” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus 10)icon, easily making friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up, and she 11)reveled in the attention 12)bestowed upon her by other students; she was 13)living it up!
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football 14)banquet and I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the 15)podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three-by-five cards注1 on the floor. 16)Frustrated, and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said “I’m sorry I’m so 17)jittery. I gave up beer for Lent注2 and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order, so let me just tell you what I know.”
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people, walking around, who are dead and don’t even know it!”
“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are 19 years old, but lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one 18)productive thing, you will turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn 88. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up, by always finding an opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She 19)concluded her speech by 20)courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the 21)lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. Then, just one week after graduation, she died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral, paying 22)tribute to the wonderful woman who taught them by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
开学的第一天，教授作了自我介绍后，让我们试着去认识一个以前不认识的人。我站起来，四周看了看，这时一只手轻轻地碰了一下我肩膀。我转身一看，是一位脸上爬满皱纹，个子矮小的老太太。她容光焕发，对着我灿烂地微笑。
她说：“你好，帅小伙。我叫罗丝，我今年87岁了。来个拥抱如何？”我笑了笑，热情地回应：“当然可以！”于是她用力地抱了我一下。
“你这么年轻又纯真，怎么会来上大学的呢？”我打趣道。
她毫不示弱，答道：“我来找个有钱的丈夫，嫁给他，生几个小孩，然后退休去旅行。”
“不，我是认真的，” 我说。我很好奇是什么激发她挑战自己，在这个年纪来上大学。她告诉我：“我总是希望能接受大学教育，现在终于能实现梦想了。”课后我们走到学生会大楼，分享了一杯巧克力奶昔。我们就这样成了朋友。接下来的三个月，每天下课我们都一块儿走，聊个不停。听着这个“时间机器”和我分享她的智慧和经历，我总会被深深地迷住。
一年来，罗丝成了一个校园偶像，无论去到哪都很容易交到朋友。她爱打扮，喜欢受人瞩目；她正尽情地享受生活！
期末，我们邀请罗丝为我们的足球宴会做演讲，那一次她教我们的东西让我毕生难忘。她在介绍后登上演讲台，准备开始的时候，演讲稿的提示卡掉在地上了。她沮丧又尴尬地倾斜着凑到话筒前说：“对不起，我太紧张了。我为大斋日戒了酒，威士忌简直要了我的命。我没法有条有理地演讲了，只能告诉你们我所知道的吧。”
我们笑起来，她清了清喉咙开始了：“我们不是因为变老而停止玩乐，而是因为停止玩乐才变老。只有四个秘诀能让你保持年轻，愉快地生活并取得成功。你要每天欢笑，每天发掘幽默。你要拥有梦想—没有了梦想你也就失去了生命。很多人就像行尸走肉般活着，而自己却毫无知觉。”
“变老和成长之间有很大差别。如果你19岁，在床上躺一整年，一事无成，你就20岁了。如果我87岁，在床上躺一年什么都不做，那我也就88岁了。谁都会变老，变老不需要任何天赋或者能力。重要的是，我们要在变化中寻找改变的机会。不要留下任何遗憾。老人不会因为做过的事感到遗憾，而会为我们未曾做过的事而遗憾终生。只有那些留下有抱憾的人才会惧怕死亡。”
最后她勇敢地以一曲《玫瑰》结束了她的演讲。她建议我们每一个人都好好学习它的歌词，在日常生活中付诸实践。
年底，罗丝完成了多年前开始的大学学位。就在毕业后的一星期，她在睡梦中安然离世。
两千多名大学生参加了她的丧礼，哀悼这位了不起的女性―她的言传身教让他们懂得：做你能成为的人吧，永远不会为时已晚。
She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed and 3)enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant 4)squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked jokingly.
Not to be 5)outdone, she replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was getting curious about what may have 6)motivated her to be taking on such a challenge at this age. “I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate 7)milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk 8)nonstop. I was always 9)mesmerized, listening to this “time machine,” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus 10)icon, easily making friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up, and she 11)reveled in the attention 12)bestowed upon her by other students; she was 13)living it up!
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football 14)banquet and I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the 15)podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three-by-five cards注1 on the floor. 16)Frustrated, and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said “I’m sorry I’m so 17)jittery. I gave up beer for Lent注2 and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order, so let me just tell you what I know.”
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people, walking around, who are dead and don’t even know it!”
“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are 19 years old, but lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one 18)productive thing, you will turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn 88. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up, by always finding an opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She 19)concluded her speech by 20)courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the 21)lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. Then, just one week after graduation, she died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral, paying 22)tribute to the wonderful woman who taught them by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
开学的第一天，教授作了自我介绍后，让我们试着去认识一个以前不认识的人。我站起来，四周看了看，这时一只手轻轻地碰了一下我肩膀。我转身一看，是一位脸上爬满皱纹，个子矮小的老太太。她容光焕发，对着我灿烂地微笑。
她说：“你好，帅小伙。我叫罗丝，我今年87岁了。来个拥抱如何？”我笑了笑，热情地回应：“当然可以！”于是她用力地抱了我一下。
“你这么年轻又纯真，怎么会来上大学的呢？”我打趣道。
她毫不示弱，答道：“我来找个有钱的丈夫，嫁给他，生几个小孩，然后退休去旅行。”
“不，我是认真的，” 我说。我很好奇是什么激发她挑战自己，在这个年纪来上大学。她告诉我：“我总是希望能接受大学教育，现在终于能实现梦想了。”课后我们走到学生会大楼，分享了一杯巧克力奶昔。我们就这样成了朋友。接下来的三个月，每天下课我们都一块儿走，聊个不停。听着这个“时间机器”和我分享她的智慧和经历，我总会被深深地迷住。
一年来，罗丝成了一个校园偶像，无论去到哪都很容易交到朋友。她爱打扮，喜欢受人瞩目；她正尽情地享受生活！
期末，我们邀请罗丝为我们的足球宴会做演讲，那一次她教我们的东西让我毕生难忘。她在介绍后登上演讲台，准备开始的时候，演讲稿的提示卡掉在地上了。她沮丧又尴尬地倾斜着凑到话筒前说：“对不起，我太紧张了。我为大斋日戒了酒，威士忌简直要了我的命。我没法有条有理地演讲了，只能告诉你们我所知道的吧。”
我们笑起来，她清了清喉咙开始了：“我们不是因为变老而停止玩乐，而是因为停止玩乐才变老。只有四个秘诀能让你保持年轻，愉快地生活并取得成功。你要每天欢笑，每天发掘幽默。你要拥有梦想—没有了梦想你也就失去了生命。很多人就像行尸走肉般活着，而自己却毫无知觉。”
“变老和成长之间有很大差别。如果你19岁，在床上躺一整年，一事无成，你就20岁了。如果我87岁，在床上躺一年什么都不做，那我也就88岁了。谁都会变老，变老不需要任何天赋或者能力。重要的是，我们要在变化中寻找改变的机会。不要留下任何遗憾。老人不会因为做过的事感到遗憾，而会为我们未曾做过的事而遗憾终生。只有那些留下有抱憾的人才会惧怕死亡。”
最后她勇敢地以一曲《玫瑰》结束了她的演讲。她建议我们每一个人都好好学习它的歌词，在日常生活中付诸实践。
年底，罗丝完成了多年前开始的大学学位。就在毕业后的一星期，她在睡梦中安然离世。
两千多名大学生参加了她的丧礼，哀悼这位了不起的女性―她的言传身教让他们懂得：做你能成为的人吧，永远不会为时已晚。