365 # 50: Stephen C.

You provide a perfect illustration for why I should never be allowed to be anyone's boss, ever, no matter what the environment or the circumstances. It's not that I can't effectively tell people what to do or move a group of people towards accomplishing a collective goal. It's just that I always seem to end up caring about the people in my charge, even if it is just a stupid call center job. And that caring shit sucks sometimes. I knew you had been into all that gangster culture in the past, and that you'd done some stupid shit here and there, but that was the past. And in the present that was then, you were gainfully employed and doing an absolutely outstanding job. You were one of the best members of my team, so good in fact that people started requesting you when they called because they felt like you knew how to get things taken care of. It was great having you around.

And then you started missing work. And then you were gone for several days at a time, and we all started wondering, "Where the hell is Stephen? Has anybody heard from Stephen?" But nobody had. And then one day you called me at work, rambling practically incoherently about how sorry you were, and how you wanted to be a good person and do the right thing and get right with God. I hadn't the slightest idea what to say to you.

And then a few days later, we heard you'd been arrested. Armed robbery. I can't even begin to express how disappointed I was. And in the back of my mind, I felt this slight twinge of guilt for not having had more wisdom to drop on you when you called me, like I'd failed you somehow. I don't know if you're still locked up or what, but I hope you find your way.