Les Brown

I saw a sign once that said that God took me from my biological mother's womb and placed me in the heart of my adopted mother.

So my first major goal was to buy my mother a home, to take care of my mother.

And I did that, took care of her until she passed at 88.

But I'll never forget when I met Mr. Washington, I was in a class waiting on another student, and he came in and he said, young man, go to the board and work this problem out for us.

I said, oh, sir, I can't do that.

He said, why?

I said, I'm not one of your students.

He said, look at me.

I said, yes, sir.

Go to the board and work the problem out anyhow.

I said, sir, I can't do what you're asking me to do.

He said, why?

Sir, because I'm educable mental retarded, sir.

And as the students erupted in laughter, he came from behind his desk, he looked at me and he said, don't you ever say that again.

Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality.

And that was a turning point in my life.

On one hand, I was humiliated.

But on the other hand...

I was liberated because he looked at me with the eyes of Gerda who said, look at a man the way that he is.

He only becomes worse.