Walking to Success

There are days that it seems impossible to get out of bed and go to work, right? Now imagine if you couldn’t jump in your car and drive to work in the morning but had to walk. And I don’t mean walk a block in the city, but ten country miles to a fast food restaurant. TEN miles. Would you do it?

Be honest, because most people would say no. Now, throw in the fact that it could be below zero, snowing, in a blizzard during the winter. Now are you really shaking your head? Imagine the surprise when Art Bouvier was asked how far away a restaurant was by a teen who stepped in through his own restaurant doors and asked the question.

That teen was Jhaqueil Reagan, who is 18 years old and had a job interview ten miles from his home. Without transportation, he had no way to get to the job interview but a determination and a dire need for employment. See, his parents are deceased and he has two younger siblings who are now his responsibility. Not walking to the interview was never an option.

Once Reagan had the instructions that he had six or seven miles to go, he stepped back out to the slushy road and kept going. Fifteen minutes later, Art Bouvier was headed in to town and saw him. Instead of driving by, he stopped and offered him a ride to the interview. But he had ulterior motives too.

Bouvier and Reagan chatted for the remainder of the drive. The interview was only so so for Reagan, but he got better news that night. Bouvier offered him a job that paid more than what he was going to get at the minimum wage paying fast food joint. Reagan accepted immediately and started the following Monday.

Why did Bouvier do such a good deed? He knew determination when he saw it. He wanted to hire Reagan because he knew he could stick to a job and finish it if he was willing to walk ten miles just for an interview. Reagan started as a busboy in Bouvier’s restaurant and things are definitely looking up for him! Good Samaritans are still alive and well in this country.