Thanks Gerald

Thanks Gerald

“You’re going to jail.”

“Yeah. I’m going to interview the janitor.”

“The janitor? Wouldn’t it be better to interview a guard or something?”

“No, I want somebody impartial.”

“Why would a janitor be impartial?”

“Because he works for everybody. His job is clean up, just clean up. He sees a different side of people. He knows who is sloppy and who is a neat freak. He knows who is nice and who is crazy, he doesn’t judge people by their past, he judges them by the day.”

“That’s a weird take on it.”

“Well, people change. Maybe a guy who robbed a bank and got caught did it because he was trying to get rich and lead the big life, or maybe because he was desperate to get money to save his wife who needed expensive surgery. Which one makes them a bad person? The janitor knows them all by who they are today, right now, not when they were crazy, or desperate, but today.”

“Well good luck.”

Later: “So, Gerald, you work here every day, how do you feel about the prison?”

“It’s good work.”

“And how do you feel about the prisoners?”

“They’re a good bunch. Most of them regret what they did, but some regret getting caught more. You know, regular people just like us.”

“Just like us?”

“Hey, I saw you swipe that extra doughnut. You think that’s OK cause it’s a doughnut, they thought what they did was OK because of some weird thinking. Same thing. I bet you wish I didn’t know you swiped the extra doughnut. But at least you won’t end up in jail, even if I told anyone, which, by the way, I won’t.”

“Got it. Thanks Gerald.”