Isn t it amazing how one person, sharing one idea, at the right time and place can change the course of your life s history? This is certainly what happened in my life. When I was 14, I was hitchhiking from Houston, Texas, through El Paso on my way to California. I was following my dream, journeying with the sun. I was a high school dropout with learning disabilities and was set on surfing the biggest waves in the world, first in California and then in Hawaii, where I would later live.

Upon reaching downtown El Paso, I met an old man, a bum, on the street corner. He saw me walking, stopped me and questioned me as I passed by. He asked me if I was running away from home, I suppose because I looked so young. I told him, "Not exactly, sir," since my father had given me a ride to the freeway in Houston and given me his blessings while saying, "It is important to follow your dream and what is in your heart. Son. "

The bum then asked me if he could buy me a cup of coffee. I told him, "No, sir, but a soda would be great." We walked to a corner malt4 shop and sat down on a couple of swiveling stools while we enjoyed our drinks.

After conversing for a few minutes, the friendly bum told me to follow him. He told me that he had something grand to show me and share with me. We walked a couple of blocks until we came upon the downtown El Paso Public Library.

We walked up its front steps and stopped at a small information stand. Here the bum spoke to a smiling old lady, and asked her if she would be kind enough to watch my things for a moment while he and I entered the library. I left my belongings with this grandmotherly figure and entered into this magnificent hall of learning.

The bum first led me to a table and asked me to sit down and wait for a moment while he looked for something special amongst the shelves. A few moments later, he returned with a couple of old books under his arms and set them on the table. He then sat down beside me and spoke. He started with a few statements that were very special and that changed my life. He said, "There are two things that I want to teach you, young man, and they are these:

"Number one is to never judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you. "He followed with, "I ll bet you think I m a bum, don t you, young man?"

I said, "Well, uh, yes, I guess so, sir. "

"Well, young man, I ve got a little surprise for you. I am one of the wealthiest men in the world. I have probably everything any man could ever want. I originally come from the Northeast and have all the things that money can buy. But a year ago, my wife passed away, bless her soul, and since then I have been deeply reflecting upon life. I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life,one of which was what it would be like to live like a bum on the streets. I made a commitment11 to myself to do exactly that for one year. For the past year.1 have been going from city to city doing just that. So, you see, don t ever judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you.

"Number two is to learn how to read, my boy. For there is only one thing that people can t take away from you, and that is your wisdom. " At that moment, he reached forward, grabbed my right hand in his and put them upon the books he d pulled from the shelves. They were the writings of Plato13 and Aristotle-immortal classics from ancient times.

The bum then led me back past the smiling old woman near the entrance, down the steps and back on the streets near where we first met. His parting request was for me to never forget what he taught me.

I haven t.

如(ru)果(guo)一(yi)個(ge)人(ren)，在(zai)適(shi)當(dang)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)和(he)地(di)方(fang)因(yin)為(wei)一(yi)句(ju)話(hua)而(er)改(gai)變(bian)了(le)他(ta)的(de)人(ren)生(sheng)曆(li)程(cheng)
，你(ni)會(hui)感(gan)到(dao)驚(jing)異(yi)和(he)不(bu)可(ke)思(si)議(yi)嗎(ma)？然(ran)而(er)這(zhe)的(de)確(que)是(shi)千(qian)真(zhen)萬(wan)確(que)的(de)，它(ta)就(jiu)發(fa)生(sheng)在(zai)我(wo)14歲那年。那時，我正在從得克薩斯州的休斯敦
，經由愛坡索市前往加利福尼亞州去的旅途中。日出即行，日落即息
；癡(chi)癡(chi)地(di)追(zhui)尋(xun)著(zhe)我(wo)的(de)夢(meng)想(xiang)。我(wo)本(ben)來(lai)在(zai)讀(du)高(gao)中(zhong)，也(ye)許(xu)我(wo)天(tian)生(sheng)就(jiu)不(bu)是(shi)讀(du)書(shu)的(de)材(cai)料(liao)，因(yin)此(ci)我(wo)不(bu)得(de)不(bu)中(zhong)途(tu)輟(chuo)學(xue)。隨(sui)即(ji)我(wo)決(jue)心(xin)要(yao)到(dao)世(shi)界(jie)上(shang)最(zui)大(da)的(de)海(hai)浪(lang)上(shang)去(qu)衝(chong)浪(lang)

，先(xian)準(zhun)備(bei)到(dao)加(jia)利(li)福(fu)尼(ni)亞(ya)州(zhou)
，再(zai)到(dao)夏(xia)威(wei)夷(yi)
，然(ran)後(hou)我(wo)準(zhun)備(bei)就(jiu)在(zai)那(na)裏(li)住(zhu)下(xia)來(lai)。
在(zai)剛(gang)進(jin)入(ru)愛(ai)坡(po)索(suo)市(shi)區(qu)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)

，我(wo)看(kan)到(dao)有(you)一(yi)個(ge)老(lao)頭(tou)，一(yi)個(ge)流(liu)浪(lang)者(zhe)，坐(zuo)在(zai)街(jie)道(dao)的(de)拐(guai)角(jiao)處(chu)。他(ta)看(kan)見(jian)了(le)走(zou)路(lu)的(de)我(wo)，當(dang)我(wo)就(jiu)要(yao)從(cong)他(ta)的(de)旁(pang)邊(bian)走(zou)過(guo)去(qu)時(shi)，他(ta)攔(lan)住(zhu)了(le)我(wo)
，並(bing)開(kai)口(kou)向(xiang)我(wo)發(fa)問(wen)。他(ta)問(wen)我(wo)是(shi)不(bu)是(shi)偷(tou)著(zhe)從(cong)家(jia)裏(li)跑(pao)出(chu)來(lai)的(de)，我(wo)想(xiang)他(ta)這(zhe)麼(me)問(wen)我(wo)一(yi)定(ding)是(shi)看(kan)我(wo)太(tai)年(nian)輕(qing)
，覺(jiao)得(de)我(wo)太(tai)嫩(nen)的(de)緣(yuan)故(gu)。"不完全是
，先生，"因為是我爸爸開車把我送到休斯敦的高速公路上的，他還一邊為我祝福，一邊說："兒子
，追尋你的夢想和心中的憧憬非常重要。"
然後那個流浪者問我他能請我喝咖啡嗎？我回答說："不
，先生，一杯汽水就可以了。"
於是

，我們走進街道拐角處的一家酒吧

，坐在一雙轉椅上，喝著飲料。
在zai閑xian聊liao了le幾ji分fen鍾zhong後hou，這zhe個ge和he藹ai可ke親qin的de老lao流liu浪lang漢han要yao我wo跟gen他ta走zou。他ta告gao訴su我wo說shuo他ta有you一yi樣yang大da東dong西xi給gei我wo看kan
，要yao與yu我wo分fen享xiang。我wo們men走zou過guo了le幾ji個ge街jie區qu，來lai到dao了le愛ai坡po索suo市shi的de公gong立li圖tu書shu館guan。
womenyanzhetaqianmiandetaijiexiangshangzou
，zaiyichuxiaoxiaodezixuntaiqiantinglexialai。laoliulanghanxiangyiweixiaorongkejudelaotaitaishuolejijuhua
，bingwentashifouyuanyizaitahewojintushuguanshibangmangzhaokanyixiawodexingli。wobaxinglifangzainaweilaonainaibanderennali，zoujinlenazuohongweidexuexidiantang。
老(lao)流(liu)浪(lang)漢(han)先(xian)把(ba)我(wo)帶(dai)到(dao)一(yi)張(zhang)桌(zhuo)子(zi)前(qian)
，讓(rang)我(wo)坐(zuo)下(xia)來(lai)稍(shao)等(deng)片(pian)刻(ke)
，而(er)他(ta)則(ze)到(dao)那(na)些(xie)林(lin)立(li)的(de)書(shu)架(jia)中(zhong)去(qu)尋(xun)找(zhao)那(na)個(ge)特(te)別(bie)重(zhong)要(yao)的(de)東(dong)西(xi)去(qu)了(le)。不(bu)一(yi)會(hui)兒(er)，他(ta)腋(ye)下(xia)夾(jia)著(zhe)幾(ji)本(ben)舊(jiu)書(shu)回(hui)來(lai)了(le)。他(ta)把(ba)書(shu)放(fang)到(dao)桌(zhuo)子(zi)上(shang)
，然(ran)後(hou)他(ta)在(zai)我(wo)的(de)身(shen)邊(bian)坐(zuo)了(le)下(xia)來(lai)，打(da)開(kai)了(le)話(hua)匣(xia)子(zi)
，出(chu)口(kou)便(bian)不(bu)凡(fan)

，其(qi)話(hua)語(yu)非(fei)常(chang)特(te)別(bie)，改(gai)變(bian)了(le)我(wo)一(yi)生(sheng)的(de)命(ming)運(yun)。他(ta)說(shuo)："年輕人，我想教你兩件事，就是：第一是切記不要從封麵來判斷一本書的好壞
，因為封麵有時也會蒙騙你。"他接著說道："我敢打賭，你一定認為我是個老流浪漢

，是不是

？年輕人。"
我說："嗯，是的，先生，我想是的。"
"嗯，年輕人，我要給你一個小驚喜：其qi實shi我wo是shi這zhe個ge世shi界jie上shang最zui富fu有you的de人ren之zhi一yi，人ren們men夢meng寐mei以yi求qiu的de任ren何he東dong西xi我wo幾ji乎hu都dou有you。我wo最zui初chu從cong美mei國guo東dong北bei部bu來lai，凡fan是shi金jin錢qian能neng買mai到dao的de東dong西xi，我wo全quan都dou有you。但dan是shi一yi年nian前qian，我wo妻qi子zi死si了le，願yuan上shang帝di保bao祐祐她ta的de在zai天tian之zhi靈ling，從cong那na以yi後hou，我wo開kai始shi深shen深shen地di反fan思si人ren生sheng的de意yi義yi。我wo意yi識shi到dao，生sheng活huo中zhong有you些xie東dong西xi我wo還hai沒mei有you體ti驗yan過guo，其qi中zhong之zhi一yi就jiu是shi做zuo一yi個ge沿yan街jie乞qi討tao的de流liu浪lang漢han滋zi味wei如ru何he。於yu是shi我wo對dui自zi己ji發fa誓shi要yao像xiang流liu浪lang漢han一yi樣yang活huo一yi年nian。在zai過guo去qu的de一yi年nian裏li
，我wo從cong一yi個ge城cheng市shi流liu浪lang到dao另ling一yi個ge城cheng市shi，就jiu像xiang流liu浪lang漢han一yi樣yang生sheng活huo。所suo以yi
，你ni看kan
，切qie記ji不bu要yao從cong封feng麵mian來lai判pan斷duan一yi本ben書shu的de好hao壞huai，因yin為wei封feng麵mian有you時shi也ye會hui蒙meng騙pian你ni。"
"第二
，我的孩子，是要學會如何讀書。因為這個世界上隻有一種東西是別人無法從你的身上拿走的，那
，就是你的智慧！"說到這，他俯身向著我，抓住我的右手放在他從書架中找到的書上。那是柏拉圖和亞裏士多德的著作--尚古以降已經流傳了幾千年的不朽的經典。