It's in his eyes

My job. . . I love it. But it is also one that after awhile. . .from what people tell me, you tend to not believe and just do your job to the best of your ability. I am a paralegal and I go to court three days a week and speak with some of our clients who have not paid child support for more reasons than I care to admit to. And if I talk to just one out of the many that I talk to does what I ask him or her to do, and succeeds, then I'm lucky. There is one guy that has been in and out of jail for not paying child support. Has gone missing for a year and was just recently picked up. I talked to him as an "in custody" and there was something about him that grabbed my heart. I asked him to do several things and he did them as soon as he got out. He has continued to do what I ask him to do and has yet to go "AWOL" on me. Maybe I haven't been doing this long enough and when I told the prosecutor what I wanted he laughed. I stuck my neck out and said I believed him and I believed in him. He needs to go into treatment for his alcoholism, he has grandkids he wants to know and needs to get his life in order. That he is ready to do that and I believe in him. Well. . .after much discussion, I got what I wanted for him and he has yet to let me down. Maybe it is true, that I am naive with the stories that these guys will tell. But I have to believe in the system and this guy, who nobody has ever stuck their neck out for. He is trying and he is succeeding. And if he falls, I will be there to help him. I see it in his eyes that he means business this time. I have put faith in him and he has been extremely grateful. He said nobody has ever done that for him before. Maybe I can make a difference. I hope I never lose that. That I never look at these guys as losers and nobodies. I am not saying I agree with not paying child support. I am one of the many women in this country that had a dead beat dad for my child. I am saying that everyone deserves a second and maybe a third chance. This guy is trying and I can see it in his eyes.