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緣 起
從過去到現在，孩子們最快樂的時光之一，就是聽故事了。那熟悉的故事內容，不因時空改變，自古流傳至今，甚至未來。
原來，聽故事可以成長，從故事中可以學習人生經驗；其實，我們每天都在聽故事，從自己與周遭的故事中成長，學習正確的價值觀，培養迎向困難的智慧與勇氣！
以下的故事，願與讀者一起分享，讓我們從聽故事，豐富生命，體驗人生。
寄居蟹
身為老銀行主管的老林，在女兒大學畢業後就安排她進「友行」當理財專員。女兒上班後每天都衣著光鮮，出入時尚派對，老林引以為榮。他以為，女兒吃住都是家裡的，多買些東西有什麼關係？
某天一時好奇偷偷拆封女兒的信用卡帳單，老林的血壓一時升高：她竟然欠了銀行二十萬元！他精明的腦袋一算，怎麼得了，信用卡的循環利率是高利貸啊！仔細詢問女兒，才發現他看見的只是其中一張卡，還有另外五張！欠債總共有一百萬元。他跟女兒說，爸爸先幫妳還，那妳每個月要從薪水中還錢給我，而且還要加上「銀行公布之最低利率」的利息，他想，這應該是雙贏了吧！不過事情沒有他想的那麼簡單，女兒每個月薪水根本不夠還，不多久他又發現，女兒連續又刷爆三張信用卡，他說，他遲早有一天會為了女兒買的名牌貨而中風。
許多父母成長過程辛苦，希望能提供小孩「過得比我好，活得比我更強」
，然而卻養育了一大群年紀不小卻還在當「寄居蟹」的孩子們。
這已經是美國、日本、臺灣等大都會中很普遍的問題了。
【心得／淺見】
過度溺愛和要求完美對孩子的傷害，父母們，真該冷靜想想，什麼該幫忙，什麼不該幫忙。
在他做錯事時，若有辦法忍住暫時袖手旁觀，而不是急著出去代打，恐怕他的人生會多出一番韌性來。
他會在自力更生的奮鬥過程中，學會「給」不會比「取」不愉快。當一個人搞不清楚什麼是自己該做的事，就算父母沒有讓他輸在起跑點上，他自己也會輸在半路中央，可憐天下父母，不過是做牛做馬又害他！
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USD 20 Worth of Time 美金20元的價值
◎南茜
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A
man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old
son waiting for him at the door.
"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yes sure, what is it?" replied the man
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一位爸爸下班回家很晚了，很累並有點煩，發現他五歲的兒子靠在門旁等他。
「爸，我可以問你一個問題嗎？」
「當然可以，什麼問題？」父親回答
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"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business, why do you ask such a thing?" the man said
angrily.
"I just want to know, please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded
the little boy. |
「爸，你一小時可以賺多少錢？」
「這與你無關，你為什麼問這個問題？」父親生氣的說著。
「我只是想知道，請告訴我，你一小時賺多少錢？」小孩哀求著。
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"If you must know, I make $20 an hour" |
「假如你一定要知道的話，我一小時賺20塊美金」 |
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"Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down, looking up, he said, "dad,
may I please borrow $10?"
The father was furious, "if the only reason you asked that is so you can
borrow some money to buy a sill toy or some other nonsense, then you march
yourself straight to your room and go to bed, think about why you are being
so selfish. I work long hard hours everyday and don't have time for such
childish behavior." |
「喔！」小孩低著頭這樣回答。小孩跟著說︰「爸，可以借我10塊美金嗎？」
父親發怒了。「如果你問這問題只是要借錢去買毫無意義的玩具或東西的話，給我回到你的房間並上床好好想想為什麼你會那麼自私。我每天長時間辛苦工作著，沒時間和你玩小孩子的遊戲。」 |
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The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's
questions. How dare he asked such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the dad calmed down, and started to think he may
have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really
needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often.
The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" he asked.
"no daddy, I'm awake" replied the boy.
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小孩安靜地回自己房並關上門。
這位父親坐下來還對小孩的問題生氣，他怎麼敢只為了錢而問這種問題？
約一小時後，他平靜下來了，開始想著他可能對孩子太兇了，或許他應該用那10塊錢美金買小孩真正想要的，他不常常要錢用。父親走到小孩的房門並打開門，「你睡了嗎？孩子。」他問著。
「爸，還沒睡，我還醒著」小孩回答著。 「
我想過了，我剛剛可能對你太兇了」父親說著， |
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"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man.
"It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10
you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled.
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「我將今天的悶氣都爆發出來了。這是你要的10塊錢美金」
小孩笑著坐直了起來，「爸，謝謝你」小孩叫著。
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Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled bills. The man,
seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The
little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"daddy, I have $20 now, can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home
early tomorrow, I would like to have dinner with you."
Share this story with someone you like?.but even better, share $20 worth of
time with someone you love. Its just a short reminder to all of you working
so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without
having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to
our hearts. |
接著小孩從枕頭下拿出一些被弄皺了的鈔票，這父親看到小孩已經有錢了，快要再次發脾氣，這小孩慢慢地算著錢，接著看著他的爸爸。
「為什麼你已經有錢了還需要更多？」父親生氣的說著。
「因為我之前不夠，但我現在足夠了」小孩回答，「爸，我現在20塊錢美金了，我可以向你買一個小時的時間嗎？明天請早一點回家，我想和你一起吃晚餐。」
這個故事與你所喜歡的人分享，但更重要的，與你所愛的人分享這價值20塊錢美金的時間。這只是提醒辛苦工作的各位，我們應該花一點時間來陪那些在乎我們，關心我們的人而不要讓時間從手指間溜走…… |
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英文座右銘
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Care killed a cat.
勞神喪命。
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Enough is as good as feast.
知足常樂
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Health is better than wealth.
健康勝於財富。
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Like father, like son.
有其父必有其子。
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There is no place like home.
金窩銀窩不如自家窩。
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