VeryfewpeoplewerecomingtoeattheWhiteRoseRestaurant,anditsowner(1)didnotknowwhattodo.Thefoodinhisrestaurantwas(2)cheapandgood,butnobodyseemedtowanttoeatthere.
Thenhedidsomething(3)thatchangedallthat,andinfewweekshisrestaurant(4)wasalwaysfullofmenwiththeirladyfriends.Wheneveragentlemancameinwithalady,(5)asmilingwaitergaveeachofthemabeautifulmenu.Themenus(6)lookedexactlythesameontheoutside,buttherewas(7)animportantdifferenceinside.Themenuthatthewaitergavetothemangavethecorrectprice(8)foreachdishandeachbottleofwine,whilethemenuthathegavetothelady(9)gaveamuchhigherprice!Sowhenthemancalmlyordereddishafterdishandwineafterwine,theladythought(10)hewasmuchmoregenerousthanhereallywas!
Iliveinasmallvillageinthecountry.MywifeandIrunavillageshop.Wehaveaverypeacefullife,"boring"somemightsay.Butweloveit.Weknowallthepeopleinthevillage.Theyhaveplentyoftimetostopandchat.Ihaveplentyoftimeformyhobbiestoo—gardening,fishing,walkinginthecountryside.Ilovetheoutdoorlife.Itwasn'talwayslikethisthoughIusedtohaveareallystressfuljob,workingsolateintheofficeeveryevening.Ioftenbringworkhomeattheweekends.Theadvertisingworldisverycompetitive.AndwhenIlookback,Ican'timaginehowIstoodit.Ihavenoprivatelifeatall.Notimeforthereallyimportantthingsinlife.Becauseofthepressureofthejob,Iusedtosmokeanddrinktoomuch.Thecrisiscamewhenmywifeleftme.ShecomplainedthatsheneversawmeandthatIhadnotimeforfamilylife.Thismademerealizewhatwasreallyimportanttome.Italkedthingsthroughwithheranddecidedtogetbacktogetheragainandstartedanewandbetterlifetogether.Igaveuptobaccoandalcoholandsearchedfornewhobbies.NowIamafraidoflookingbacksincethepastlifeseemedahorribledream.