Member-only story
Here’s to the Bosses Who Still Believed in Me When I Failed
My parents never told me they loved me. We didn’t hug goodbye or hold hands at the store. Nobody comforted me when I was sick or congratulated me when I won yet another blue ribbon at the science fair. Perfect attendance awards and good citizenship certificates were ignored. Achievements were expected, not celebrated. Failures, though — they were never forgotten.
I figured things would be the same when I entered the business world. In my mind, I had to be perfect even though I’d likely never receive recognition for my accomplishments. One mistake could make my boss hate me forever or even terminate my employment. I knew it was important to arrive early, stay late, and never complain. I constantly disappointed my parents, but I wouldn’t let my bosses down.
But perfection is an unobtainable goal, and I eventually cracked. My first offense was a big one. I was a teenager bouncing from home to home, drinking heavily to cope with my problems. One sunny summer day, I overestimated my alcohol tolerance and chugged half a pitcher of margaritas in my friend’s backyard.
A sober friend drove me to work, where I clocked in on time and began pushing carts inside. Everything was…
