Every summer, Steven found himself doing something different to earn some pocket money. This year, he had landed himself a job as a front desk clerk at a small hotel, only a few blocks away from where he lived. Steven was content. It wasn't as if he was overwhelmed by work. All he needed to do was to receive guests, do check-ins, and answer occasional phone calls.
Steven loved concerts and rarely missed any. One fine day, his favorite band was coming to town and he just had to be there. Unfortunately, the concert was scheduled during his shift. But Steven had an idea.
Steven had a friend named Roy, a wild and unruly young man, known more for his carefree and impulsive ways. Steven decided to have Roy replace him for a night, assuring his manager that his friend would be responsible and everything would run smoothly.
That fateful evening, as the guitar strums echoed in the concert hall, Roy was lounging around the front desk. However, seeing the register full of cash proved too tempting. Without thinking twice, Roy emptied the cash drawer and made his quick getaway. His disappearance was unnoticed until the next morning when the night audit started closing accounts at the end of the shift. He was infuriated to find all the cash gone and Steven was nowhere to be found.
The next morning, Steven tried to sneak in and blissfully unaware of the debacle. The manager, already mad, gave him a severe talking to. The owner fired Steven on the spot, charged with putting the hotel’s financials at risk and not showing up for work and allowing an unreliable friend to sit in. Shocked and hurt, Steven felt cornered and wrongly accused. He didn’t want to leave he sat at the computer and tries to check in the next customer.
Owner: Steven you are fired I need you to leave the property.
Steven: It won’t happen again I’m not leaving this my job I work here.
Manager: Not anymore
Owner: If you don’t leave I’m calling the police and filing a complaint about the stolen money.
Steven: (walking out the door) This not enough money anyway. I can’t support my family or myself with these wages.
With Steven being an IT technician and not leaving when he was fired he managed to disrupt the computer system for a few days. In the course of days, the hotel's operation continued as if nothing had happened. The only noticeable change was the absence of Steven at the front desk. The replacement had a vacant stare and hardly spoke to anyone.
Steven, devastated and full of remorse, sought out his so-called friend Roy. To his surprise, he found him partying away without a care in the world. This wasn't the first time Roy had caused trouble but, Steven didn’t expect that his irresponsibility would cause him his job.
Despite his grievances, Steven knew he couldn’t dwell on it and had to move on. He might have lost his job, but the experience made him more mature. In the days that followed, he not only distanced himself from Roy, but also sought to correct his wrongdoings by working multiple odd jobs to pay back the money that was taken.
Steven's life lesson cost him his job but gave him invaluable wisdom. As he looked back at his faults, he made a solemn promise to himself: to think more carefully about his decisions, not blindly trust others with his responsibilities and to face the consequences of his actions rather than avoid them. It was a lesson that changed the trajectory of his life, the loss that became his ultimate gain.