Second Chances

 

During my junior and senior years of high school, I spent my summers in Buena Park California, living with my uncle, Tío Rulie, and aunt, Mama Joyce, where I worked at the Lincoln and Knott Carwash.

 

I was having a normal day when one of the guys that worked in the detailing shop drove an old Thunderbird up to me to put on the line. He told me not to turn the engine off since it would die if I did that. They’d just steam cleaned it. It was idling pretty fast. We usually turned the engines off and left them in neutral. The line was a chain-operated contraption that pulled the cars down the line of brushes and sprayers and such. We’d have five or six cars on the line at a time. 

I drove that old Thunderbird around to the line and drove it on to the next spot. I left it running as I was told. As I left the car, I slammed the door shut, which jolted the gear shift, dropping the transmission from neutral to drive. Since it went into drive and had been idling pretty fast, it jumped the tracks and kept going down the line rear-ending the car ahead, which, in turn, rear-ended the car ahead, which, did the same for six or so cars. Chaos ensued! BANG! BANG! BANG! Every car was jumping the line and running into the one in front of it! Employees, all of a sudden, appeared, I suppose to help, but more to see what the ruckus was about! After about ten minutes, all the cars had been parked out in the lot so that the managers could assess the damage. Most of the car owners were upset. Some were amused. Some had been looking to get a new car anyway so now they had an excuse to do so.

 

I walked over to the locker room, changed into my street clothes, and started to head home. As I left the locker room, the owner of the car wash, Mr Bob Burglund, came out screaming at me! “What are you doing?” he asked. He knew I was the person who had caused the problem. “I’m going home, Sir,” I replied. “You don’t have to tell me I’m fired.” “FIRED?!” he continued. “I just invested twenty thousand dollars on teaching you a lesson. Now, get your butt back to work!” he admonished me.

 

Two weeks later, I was made an assistant manager of the place. As my boss told me when he promoted me, Mr Burglund saw potential in me. He saw me as a Shining Star. He knew that I would never make that mistake again (which I never did). He gave me a second chance to redeem myself and I did. I was totally loyal to him and to what I was being paid to do. Years later, I had plenty of opportunities to give others a second chance and I did. I was never disappointed!

 

Give them a second chance!

 

Until next time,

 

Be great! You ARE!

 

HEIRPOWER!  

bob vásquez