在抬起一只脚和落下另一只脚之间的短短几秒钟里享受人生。
初到西点军校的时候，我只有22岁，是系里最年轻的讲师。当时二战已经结束，美 国经济蒸蒸日上。我觉得人生就像一场盛宴刚开始，美味佳肴会不断出现，错过一两道菜 也没关系，后面肯定还有更好的。但拉尔夫中尉改变了我的人生观。 系主任派我去机场接一位应邀来做演讲的二战英雄——拉尔夫中尉。他曾在二战中 奋不顾身地救护战友，并因此获得了铜星奖章。拉尔夫中尉只比我大几岁，跟我一样喜欢 棒球和摇滚乐。相互介绍后，我陪拉尔夫去机场大厅取他的行李。从登机口到大厅只要5 分钟的路，但我们却走了至少20分钟，因为中尉走几步就会对我说“请稍等”。
第一次说“稍等”是因为一个老婆婆的行李从手推车上掉了下来，拉尔夫过去帮她放 好;第二次“稍等”的时候，他把两个小孩子分别举起来，好让他们看到窗外跑道上准备 起飞的飞机;第三次和第四次是为了拉我去欣赏墙上的两幅印象派油画;第五次是停下来跟 一个风趣的机场清洁员聊几句……而每次“稍等”之后，拉尔夫的脸上都会露出甜甜的微 笑，好像刚刚吃了最美味的巧克力蛋糕一样。
说实话，我不止一次来过军校附近的斯图尔特机场，但每次都匆匆而过。印象中这是 一个简陋拥挤的机场。我甚至不知道通道两边的墙上挂满了名家捐赠的油画。跟着拉尔 夫，我第一次发现周围有那么多需要帮助的人，第一次注意到周围有那么多有趣的事。我 好奇地问中尉：“你从小就是这样的吗?”
“你问我是不是很早就懂得享受生命的每一刻?”拉尔夫摇摇头，“不，入伍之前我 也觉得人生长着呢，即使错过什么，以后也总有机会弥补。但战争教给我另外一种态 度。”接着中尉解释说，他所在的小分队负责清除地雷，很多次他亲眼看见刚刚还走在身 边的战友被炸得面目全非。
“那时候，我们的生命是用一步的长度来丈量的，每一脚都有可能踏进死神的领地。 慢慢地，我学会了在抬起一只脚和落下另一只脚之间的短短几秒钟里享受人生，我学会了 在迈出下一步之前认真端详周围的世界，因为这一步说不定就是我生命的最后一步。只要 你愿意，每一步都是新生活的开始，都会带来一个新世界。”
Enjoy life in just a few seconds between lifting one foot and dropping the other.
When I first arrived at West Point, I was only 22 years old, the youngest lecturer in the department.
By that time, World War II had ended and the U.S. economy was booming.
I think life is like a feast at the beginning, delicious food will continue to appear, it doesn't matter if you miss a dish or two, there will definitely be better later.
But Lieutenant Ralph changed my outlook on life.
The head of department sent me to the airport to pick up a World War II hero, Lieutenant Ralph, who had been invited to give a speech.
He fought desperately to save his comrades in World War II, for which he received the Bronze Star Medal.
Lieutenant Ralph was only a few years older than me and loved baseball and rock 'n' roll as much as I did.
After introducing each other, I accompanied Ralph to the airport lobby to pick up his luggage.
It was only a 5 minute walk from the boarding gate to the lobby, but we walked for at least 20 minutes because the lieutenant would say please wait a few steps.
The first time he said wait was because an old woman's luggage fell off the trolley, and when Ralph used to help her put it away, he lifted the two little children up separately so that they could see the planes on the runway outside the window that were ready to take off The third and fourth times were to pull me to admire the two Impressionist paintings on the wall The fifth time was to stop and talk to a funny airport cleaner and each time after a little wait, Ralph would have a sweet smile on his face, as if he had just eaten the most delicious chocolate cake.
To be honest, I've been to Stewart Airport near the military academy more than once, but I've rushed by every time.
The impression is that it is a simple and crowded airport.
I didn't even know that the walls on both sides of the aisle were covered with paintings donated by famous artists.
Following Ralph, I first noticed that there were so many people around me in need of help, and for the first time I noticed so many interesting things around me.
Curious, I asked the lieutenant: Have you been like this since you were a child? Did I know how to enjoy every moment of life early on, you ask? Ralph shook his head, no, before joining the army, I also felt that people grew up, and even if they missed something, there was always a chance to make up for it later.
But war taught me a different attitude.
The lieutenant then explained that his squad was responsible for clearing mines, and many times he had seen his comrades who had just walked around him being blown beyond recognition.
At that time, our lives were measured in the length of one step, and each foot could step into the territory of the god of death.
Slowly, I learned to enjoy life in the few seconds between lifting one foot and falling the other, and I learned to take a hard look at the world around me before taking the next step, because this step may be the last step in my life.
As long as you want, each step is the beginning of a new life and will bring a new world.
