#209 - ER

#209 was a few years behind me in school.  He was not super popular, but I knew who he was because he was a gymnast.  Those of you who are from my small town know that this is not a huge group in high school...male gymnasts.  He may have been the only member of the team.  Anyway, I remember him being really good and winning a lot of awards for our high school gymnastics team.
Fast forward a few years.  #209 comes to my office to apply for a job as a therapy technician.  He wants to return to college, but is taking some time off to earn some money first.  He was such an asset to me and our practice in the few years he worked for us.  He had a quiet confidence that patients loved.  He knew when to talk and when to listen.  He was respectful and kind...in other words, his parents raised him right!  At the time, we were contracted to do pre-employee physicals for McDermott.  I remember days that we would return from lunch only to find twenty offshore deck-hands who had to pass a physical before the next day so they could be sent to work.  #209 was a valuable employee and helped us with this many times until after hours...all without complaint.

After a few years, he resigned, and decided to return to college to pursue a nursing degree in Mobile.  He kept up with us and came by to say hello whenever he came back to town for a holiday to visit his family.  I think it was about his second year in college when we got the news that he was killed in a car crash.  Driving back from a friend's house after staying up late cramming for a test, he wrapped his car around a pole on the highway.  Unbelievably tragic and sad.

Before we moved into our new building, we spent a lot of time cleaning out our old one.  It was then that we found a pack of pictures that we had taken for some advertising.  #209, helping us with the physicals was in a lot of them.  I debated for several days about what to do with the pics.  I could not make myself throw them away, but I wasn't sure if I should send them to his parents.  In the end, I wrote a short note about how much we enjoyed the time he worked with us and what a great guy I thought he was.  I included the pictures and mailed them to his parents.  Right decision.  His dad stopped by our new office a few weeks later and told me how grateful he was.  He and his wife loved the pictures and the kind words had really made them feel good...that their son had done such a good job.  His mom also wrote me a thank you note expressing how much she appreciated us giving him a job and how much he loved working here.  A win - win for both of us.

Moral of this post - (a couple of them) -
1.  I want to teach my kids self-confidence, and the courage to pursue whatever they want and not to let the fear of what others think or what is not the norm hold them back.  I also want to teach them tolerance for people's differences.
2.  I want to go home and hug and kiss my kids and let them know how much I love them.  Tonight we are heading out to eat and I will be sure to make them turn off their electronics and talk to them.
3.  I am glad that I took the time to write the note and send the pictures.  All it took from me was time and a stamp and it's effect was well worth the effort.

BE THANKFUL!!!!!