- Joined
- Aug 27, 2005
- Messages
- 43,602
- Reaction score
- 26,256
- Location
- Houston, TX
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
This is really hard for me to post, but I have to look at myself pretty hard in a mirror, and you know what? I am not sure that I like what I see. I am about to change that.
For many years, I have been bashing illegal aliens, and to tell you the truth, there may have been some racism involved. I have seen so many illegal aliens here in Houston that I have been kind of pissed at them. There are a lot of people living under bridges, while illegal aliens have been taking jobs that they could have done. So I have taken an extremely hard line with them.
Here is what has happened to me in the last few days - For almost 18 years, I have managed an Iranian owned HVAC company, and the owner and I have become very close friends. I made excellent money, and we were rocking and rolling. About a year ago, my boss sold the company and retired. The new boss is not a good businessman, and has run the company into the ground. I can't blame him completely, as the downturn economy hit pretty hard. Small HVAC companies have been dropping like flies, but I didn't think it would happen to my company. After all, during the last 6 years, we won 6 BBB Awards for Excellence, which included 2 Pinnacle Awards. Out of thousands of companies in East Texas, including the Houston area, only one Pinnacle award is given out in any given year, and only 2 or 3 Winners of Distincion Awards are given out. We were on top of the world. But a perfect storm of economic conditions and mismanagement from the new owner hit us.
As a result, the company is about to close its doors. There was a layoff about a month ago, and this week, I was informed that I was also about to be laid off, in a last ditch effort to keep the company afloat. It looks like all the cost cutting is for nil. The company that I put so much effort into is about to fold, and most likely will be out of business by the end of the year.
When I got the news that I was about to become unemployed, I asked for permission to hit the bricks and look for another job, which I was given. Although good jobs, even here in Houston, are tough to find, I lined up an interview for a sales job with an industrial solvents manufacturer for the next day, and this is where my story begins.
I had some time to kill on my way to the interview, so stopped at a restaurant to get something to eat. After that, I was going to shop for some new clothes, so that I would look as presentable as I could. I refuse to take unemployment compensation, so doing whatever I had to do to get a new job was my number one priority. On leaving the restaurant, I got into my car, started the engine, and then shifted into reverse to back out of my parking space. Nothing happened. The cable to my transmission had broken, and I was dead in the water. Needless to say, if I didn't make my interview, then my chances to get this job were also dead in the water.
Across the street from the restaurant was a used tire place, run by Mexicans. After saying a prayer, I went across and asked if anyone there knew anything about mechanics. I told them that I knew what the problem was, and that I needed to get to a job interview in the worst way. They called a guy named Enrique, who met me in the restaurant parking lot, and looked at my car. My transmission cable was definitely broken. He repaired the cable, and when I attempted to pay him, he told me it was OK. I insisted, and he then said "10 dollars". I negotiated with him, and finally got the price up to 130 dollars. If I had gotten my car towed to my regular mechanic, and then repaired, the price would have been well over 300 dollars plus the tow, and I would have missed my job interview. 10 dollars was not fair at all. Anyways, he repaired the cable and I paid him. The last thing he said to me before I left was "Good luck with your interview, and God bless you". Those words hit me like a ton of bricks, and made me take a hard look at myself in a mirror. You know what? I did not like what I saw. That is about to change.
I didn't have time to shop for clothes, but I made the interview with about 5 minutes to spare, and guess what else? I got the job. I start in a week. Not quite the pay I was getting at my old job, but I am employed and that is what counts. And it was all because of a Mexican who couldn't speak English well at all. I could hardly understand his speaking, but now I understand his heart. Mexicans are not animals. They are human beings, more human than many who speak perfect English. I have to be honest. If I were in his shoes, I would have said "Transmission problems? Sorry to hear that. Too bad". So here I am, taking inventory of my life, and thanking God that, when in an hour of crisis, it was a Mexican who couldn't speak English well, that saved my sorry ass.
I know that I come off here as someone who people believe mocks God. I don't mock God. I just have a problem with some people, mainly televangelists, who tell me how God is supposed to be some kind of a cosmic gofer, who will give you whatever you ask for. I believe that God teaches lessons, and this week, God taught me an important lesson, and I humbly accept his teaching. It was an illegal alien who made me see that God loves everyone, no matter their station in life. No longer will I bash illegal aliens, but will from now on support any program that gives them a chance to become American citizens.
To me, God does work in mysterious ways.
And, for those who feel like bashing me because I am changing my stance, have at it. I won't change my mind. If illegal aliens want a chance at the American dream, I would like to give them a chance, as long as they do it legally.
BTW, this is the reason I have not been online much this week. I hope that everyone congratulates me on obtaining a new job, only one day after losing my old job. I have been paying employment taxes for more than 40 years now, and guess what? I don't need the government to help me out at all. I did this all on my own, with a little help from an illegal alien, God bless him.
I now put on my flameproof suit.
For many years, I have been bashing illegal aliens, and to tell you the truth, there may have been some racism involved. I have seen so many illegal aliens here in Houston that I have been kind of pissed at them. There are a lot of people living under bridges, while illegal aliens have been taking jobs that they could have done. So I have taken an extremely hard line with them.
Here is what has happened to me in the last few days - For almost 18 years, I have managed an Iranian owned HVAC company, and the owner and I have become very close friends. I made excellent money, and we were rocking and rolling. About a year ago, my boss sold the company and retired. The new boss is not a good businessman, and has run the company into the ground. I can't blame him completely, as the downturn economy hit pretty hard. Small HVAC companies have been dropping like flies, but I didn't think it would happen to my company. After all, during the last 6 years, we won 6 BBB Awards for Excellence, which included 2 Pinnacle Awards. Out of thousands of companies in East Texas, including the Houston area, only one Pinnacle award is given out in any given year, and only 2 or 3 Winners of Distincion Awards are given out. We were on top of the world. But a perfect storm of economic conditions and mismanagement from the new owner hit us.
As a result, the company is about to close its doors. There was a layoff about a month ago, and this week, I was informed that I was also about to be laid off, in a last ditch effort to keep the company afloat. It looks like all the cost cutting is for nil. The company that I put so much effort into is about to fold, and most likely will be out of business by the end of the year.
When I got the news that I was about to become unemployed, I asked for permission to hit the bricks and look for another job, which I was given. Although good jobs, even here in Houston, are tough to find, I lined up an interview for a sales job with an industrial solvents manufacturer for the next day, and this is where my story begins.
I had some time to kill on my way to the interview, so stopped at a restaurant to get something to eat. After that, I was going to shop for some new clothes, so that I would look as presentable as I could. I refuse to take unemployment compensation, so doing whatever I had to do to get a new job was my number one priority. On leaving the restaurant, I got into my car, started the engine, and then shifted into reverse to back out of my parking space. Nothing happened. The cable to my transmission had broken, and I was dead in the water. Needless to say, if I didn't make my interview, then my chances to get this job were also dead in the water.
Across the street from the restaurant was a used tire place, run by Mexicans. After saying a prayer, I went across and asked if anyone there knew anything about mechanics. I told them that I knew what the problem was, and that I needed to get to a job interview in the worst way. They called a guy named Enrique, who met me in the restaurant parking lot, and looked at my car. My transmission cable was definitely broken. He repaired the cable, and when I attempted to pay him, he told me it was OK. I insisted, and he then said "10 dollars". I negotiated with him, and finally got the price up to 130 dollars. If I had gotten my car towed to my regular mechanic, and then repaired, the price would have been well over 300 dollars plus the tow, and I would have missed my job interview. 10 dollars was not fair at all. Anyways, he repaired the cable and I paid him. The last thing he said to me before I left was "Good luck with your interview, and God bless you". Those words hit me like a ton of bricks, and made me take a hard look at myself in a mirror. You know what? I did not like what I saw. That is about to change.
I didn't have time to shop for clothes, but I made the interview with about 5 minutes to spare, and guess what else? I got the job. I start in a week. Not quite the pay I was getting at my old job, but I am employed and that is what counts. And it was all because of a Mexican who couldn't speak English well at all. I could hardly understand his speaking, but now I understand his heart. Mexicans are not animals. They are human beings, more human than many who speak perfect English. I have to be honest. If I were in his shoes, I would have said "Transmission problems? Sorry to hear that. Too bad". So here I am, taking inventory of my life, and thanking God that, when in an hour of crisis, it was a Mexican who couldn't speak English well, that saved my sorry ass.
I know that I come off here as someone who people believe mocks God. I don't mock God. I just have a problem with some people, mainly televangelists, who tell me how God is supposed to be some kind of a cosmic gofer, who will give you whatever you ask for. I believe that God teaches lessons, and this week, God taught me an important lesson, and I humbly accept his teaching. It was an illegal alien who made me see that God loves everyone, no matter their station in life. No longer will I bash illegal aliens, but will from now on support any program that gives them a chance to become American citizens.
To me, God does work in mysterious ways.
And, for those who feel like bashing me because I am changing my stance, have at it. I won't change my mind. If illegal aliens want a chance at the American dream, I would like to give them a chance, as long as they do it legally.
BTW, this is the reason I have not been online much this week. I hope that everyone congratulates me on obtaining a new job, only one day after losing my old job. I have been paying employment taxes for more than 40 years now, and guess what? I don't need the government to help me out at all. I did this all on my own, with a little help from an illegal alien, God bless him.
I now put on my flameproof suit.
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