I was watching the evening news recently when a story about a doctor at a rural hospital caught my attention.

Apparently this young woman had left her small-town to attend college and medical school. Upon graduation, she had been offered opportunities for a lucrative career in several large city hospitals, but turned them down to return home to be the only doctor at the town’s only medical facility. It seems that without her the hospital would have had to close, requiring the town’s residents to travel more than an hour for medical care.

I was struck by the generosity of this doctor and the sacrifices she and her husband had made to ensure that their neighbors could have access to medical care. She could be making a name and career for herself in the big city. Instead she’s back home where she’s needed the most.

“If I were Oprah Winfrey,” I said to my husband, “I’d donate enough money so that the hospital could hire another high quality doctor and let this woman spend time with her children. And I’d throw in a little extra for some top-notch medical equipment.”

It’s not the first time that I’ve been generous with Oprah’s wealth. I often imagine what it would be like to be one of the richest women in America, and not just because of the comforts that much money could bring. With her influence, imagine how you could impact the world?

For example, if I were Oprah Winfrey, I’d go into a corner diner for a cup of coffee and leave a $100 tip, just because I could. In fact, I’d always leave a big tip, even when the service was poor - because showing grace to someone when they least deserve it might change their life forever.

If I had Oprah’s money, I’d go to the poorest high school in America and give every graduating senior a full scholarship to the college or vocational training school of their choice - because in America we reward the scholars but we forget that it’s the auto mechanics and repair men and garbage men who keep America running on a daily basis. Don’t believe me? Next time your toilet backs up, call your heart surgeon and see how far you get.

If I was in charge of Oprah’s Book Club, I’d require every high school student in America to read Charles Dicken’s “Great Expectations.” I’d walk them through the book chapter by chapter until they understood that no matter how ashamed you are of your family or how much you strive to improve your social standing, when the guilding comes off your golden dream (and it will) it’s those who loved you at your least who will always love you best.

If I could motivate America like Oprah does, I’d designate one day a year “Neighbor Day” and encourage everyone in America to forget their own needs for 24 hours and focus just on the need’s of someone else - because we all need to step outside of our own lives once in a while to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around us.

Of course, the more that I think about it, I don’t have to be Oprah to change the world. I could serve my neighbor without some corporate hoopla, and I can encourage young people by mentoring one young person at a time. I can be as generous as I can with the money God’s given me, even if it isn’t millions.

But if I were Oprah, I could buy that doctor a state-of-the-art MRI machine. And maybe a red convertible for myself.


(c) Joanne Brokaw All rights reserved

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