Jack and I have been friends for nearly 40 years.
We grew up on the same street and fence all of our school years in the same grade.
Jack has two sons that are in their twenties. One of those kids works in an accounting firm downtown, but the other child is constantly in and out of jail. A few months ago, Jack’s son got out of prison after spending three years behind bars. My friend came to me and asked for a really big favor. Little Jack needed a job and my friend wanted me to hire him to work in my HVAC company. I told Jack that I would think about the proposition, but I was not going to risk by business. I gave Jack the bad news the next day, and he begged me to reconsider. He brought up a few things from the past and I knew that I had to give the kid a chance. The kid has been here for 6 months and he is a good worker and a smart guy. He never complains about any task and he does not mind cleaning the men’s room. I really thought things would turn out badly, but Jack Jr has been a nice addition to the HVAC company. I told the kid that I would help him obtain his HVAC certification, if he can stay clean for 12 months. I know he leaves work early on Wednesdays and Fridays, and he goes to a meeting at the church. Another one of our HVAC technicians attends the Friday night meeting. I think he is trying hard to make a change.