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My father, as many of you know, used to own gas stations. One of the things he would do is hire kids from the neighborhood, to work at the station.
He grew up working and felt it was great to get a job as a teenager and earn your own money. We still stay in contact with some of the kids that worked there.
During that time, one of the teenagers that worked at the gas station was stealing customers' credit card numbers and had racked up thousands of dollars of false credit card purchases.
My father became aware of it when the credit card company contacted my father.
The credit card company figured out that the credit card theft must be coming from our station. And then my dad figured out who it was.
It was this teenager that was pumping gas, who was stealing the numbers and my dad confronted him.
The kid confessed to the crime and my father called the police. The police came and asked if he wanted to press charges.
This kid's father came to talk to my dad and asked him not to press any charges. His father explained that his son had gotten in trouble several times before and that this time, he would be sent to jail.
He said that if he went to jail, he would come out worse. His dad told my dad that he intended to send him to the army to get straightened out. So my dad did not know what to do.
My grandfather worked with my dad and was a very tough guy. My grandfather expressed that this kid was rotten and was only going to get worse. He told my dad to press charges.
My father was very conflicted. He was very angry that this kid had stolen from his customers, but he felt the anguish from the kid's father.
My dad then told my mom of his struggle and asked her what he should do. My mom’s answer to him was…"What would you do if he was your son?"
My father never pressed charges and paid the credit card companies the money that was stolen. The boy was sent off to the army and my father never heard back from the boy or his family.
Ten years later, the boy who stole the credit card numbers appeared at the gas station. He was now a man and had learned to do construction in the army. He now owned a construction company and owned several buildings as well. He came by to thank my dad for seeing something in him and not pressing charges.
Having empathy for others and putting yourself in other people's shoes is something my parents do well, especially my mom.
It's a quality that I have learned to appreciate and try to practice myself. It’s something that we apply to our dental office. The question I always ask myself, when planning dental treatment for a patient is this, "What would I do if this was my son, wife, parent or sister?"
That’s how we look at each and every patient. Treat everyone as if they are family and treat them in a non-judgmental way.
If you are looking for an office that is going to work with you like family and treat you in a non-judgmental way, please visit us at mydente.com or call 773-292-1911 to schedule your appointment.
Floss Like a Madman!
Emilio "Gas or Cash" Couret
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