Never Too Late to Become What You Want to Be
The first day of school our professor introduced a little old lady to us.
"Why are you in college at such a young age?" I asked later. She jokingly 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 curious what may have motivatedher to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and tolk nonstop. I was always listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to make a speech to our football team. I'll never forget what she taught us. As she began to deliverher prepared speech, she dropped her note card on the floor. A little embarrassed she simply said, "I'm sorry. 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 nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talentor ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the 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."
At the year's end Rose finished the college degree. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral to honorthe wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
夢想終有成真時
開學第一天，教授把一位小個子老太太介紹給了我們。
隨後我問道，“你為什麼這麼“年輕”還來讀大學？”她開玩笑地回答：“我來這兒是為了認識一個有錢的丈夫，結婚，生幾個孩子，然後退休去旅行。”
“不，認真點兒。”我問道。我很好奇，到底是什麼東西讓她在這個年紀還要接受這樣一個挑戰。“我一直夢想著上大學，現在我就在讀大學！”她告訴我。
我們馬上成了朋友。在隨後的三個月裡，我們每天一起離開教室，不停地交談。我總是和歷經了歲月滄桑的她一起分享她的智慧和經驗。
期末的時候，我們邀請羅斯給我們的橄欖球隊講話。我永遠都不會忘記她教給我們的東西。就在她要開始進行她事先準備好的演講時，她把寫了要點的卡片掉在了地上。她有點兒尷尬，但只是說，“對不起。這酒可真要命！我沒辦法再準備好我的講稿了，就讓我把我知道的東西告訴你們吧。”我們笑了起來，她清了清嗓子，開始演講：“我們並不是因為年老就不再玩耍；我們變老是因為我們不再玩耍。只有四個祕密可以讓你保持年輕，快樂，獲得成功。你必須每天都開懷大笑，尋找幽默。你必須有一個夢想。失去了夢想，你就會雖生猶死。我們周圍有很多人，他們已經‘死了’，自己卻不知道。成長和長大之間有著巨大的差距。如果你現在19歲，躺在床上整整一年什麼都不做，你也還會變成20歲。每一個人都會長大，這不需要任何天賦和能力。要不斷地在變化中尋找機遇，這樣才是成長。
不要留有遺憾。老年人通常不會為做過的事遺憾，而是為還沒有做過的事情感到遺憾。只有那些有遺憾的人才會怕死。”
年底的時候，羅斯獲得了大學學位。畢業一星期後，她在夢中安詳地離開了人世。兩千多名大學生參加了她的葬禮，來紀念這位通過自己的親身經歷來告訴我們永遠都可以成就自己的`理想的了不起的老人。
1. motivate 激發
2. deliver 發表（演說）
3. embarrassed 尷尬的，困窘的
4. talent 天才
5. honor 尊敬，紀念
Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional.
長大是不可以選擇的，但是成長是可以選擇的。
Life's not about expecting, hoping and waiting, it's about doing, trying and becoming.
生命不是期待、夢想和等待；生命是行動、努力和成就。
We only live once, but if we work it right, once is enough.
年華不虛度，一生也足矣。
