第22部分(第4/5 頁)

nest　with　myself　I　had　to　admit　I　was　drinking　more　than　was　good　for　me。　It　may　have　been　out　of　sheer　boredom。

如何讓空虛的生活充實起來（2）

I　began　to　wonder　what　to　do。　It　occurred　to　me　that　I　might　have　gotten　myself　too　tightly　wrapped　up　in　my　job；　to　the　sacrifice　of　the　basic　but　nonmaterialistic　values　of　life。　It　struck　me　abruptly　that　I　was　being　quite　selfish；　that　my　major　interest　in　people　was　in　what　they　meant　to　me；　what　they　represented　as　business　contacts　or　employees；　not　what　I　might　mean　to　them。　I　remembered　that　as　my　mother　sent　me　to　Sunday　school　as　a　boy；　and　encouraged　me　to　sing　in　the　church　choir；　she　used　to　tell　me　that　the　value　of　what　she　called　a　good　Christian　background　was　in　having　something　to　tie　to。　I　put　in　a　little　thought　recalling　the　Golden　Rule　and　some　of　the　other　first　principles　of　Christianity。　I　began　to　get　interested　in　YMCA　work。

It　happened　that　just　at　this　time　we　were　having　some　bitter　fights　with　the　union　at　our　plant。　Then　one　day　it　occurred　to　me：what　really　is　their　point　of　view；　and　why？　I　began　to　see　a　basis　for　their　suspicions；　their　often　chip…on…shoulder　point　of　view；　and　I　determined　to　do　something　about　it。

We　endeavored　to　apply―literally　apply―Christian　principles　to　our　dealings　with　employees；　to　practice；　for　example；　something　of　the　Golden　Rule。　The　men’s　response；　once　they　were　convinced　we　were　sincere；　was　remarkable。　The　effort　has　paid　for　its　pains；　and　I　don’t　mean　in　dollars。　I　mean　in　dividends　of　human　dignity；　of　a　man’s　pride　in　his　job　and　in　the　pany；　knowing　that　he　is　no　longer　just　a　cog　but　a　live　personal　part　of　it　and　that　it　doesn’t　matter　whether　he　belongs　to　a　certain　church　or　whether　the　pigmentation　of　his　skin　is　light　or　dark。