Because of Your Youth
Testimony★★★★WhenmysonMichaelwasinjuniorhigh,hehadasum-merjobdetasselingcorn.Hewouldgetonabusearlyinthemorning,whenitwasstilldarkoutside,andridetodesignatedcornfieldswheretheyweregrowinghybridcorn.Hisjobwastowalkupanddowncertainrowsofcorn,pullingoffthetasselssothecornwouldbreedcorrectly.Itwashardwork.Morningswereoftencoldandwetandmuddy;afternoonshotanddryanddusty.Ifthebugsandsunburndidn’tmakehimmiserable,thecornrashdid.Everydayhecamehomefilthy,hot,andex-hausted.Hesavedhishard-earnedmoneyandboughtamountainbike.Hehadbeenlookingaroundforawhile,andheknewjustwhathewanted.Whenheandhisdadbroughtithome,hecouldn’twaittorideit.Hegotonitandtookoff.Hewasonlypartwaydowntheblockwhenthebikepracticallyfellapartrightunderhim.Helostcontrolandcrashed.Hewalkedthebikebacktothehouse.Itwasclearthathehadbeensoldabikethatwasn’tassembledproperly.Loosescrewscameout,partsseparated,anditcrumpledduringtheride.Hebroughtitbacktotheshop,toldhisstory,andwaspromisedabrand-newbike.Hewaitedandwaited,andcalledtheplaceforweeks.Whenhis”new”bikefinallycamein,hewenttopickitup.Uponarrivinghomewithit,henoticedsomethingstrange.Thiswasnotanewbikeatall.Itwashisoldbike—whichtheyhad”fixedup.”ButMichaelcouldstillfindthesamescratch-esherecognizedfromhiscrash,andthedentsthatwerepoundedoutandrepainted.Hewaspromisedanewbike,notthesameonepatchedup.Hefeltcheatedandtricked.Andhethoughttheyhadtriedtotakeadvantageofhimbecausehewasayoungteenager.Hedidn’tthinktheywouldhavetreatedanadultthatwayAtfirsthewasangry.Hedidn’twanthisdadtogoinand”straightenthingsout”forhim.Sohethoughthehadnochoicehuttoacceptthisbicycle. 26IifeWork«
Butthenhedecidedtowritealetter.Wedon’thaveacopyofitanymore,butitwasverysimple.Hetoldthefactsofthestory.Hesaidhewasgivenabikethatwasn’treadytoberidden,hehadcrashed,andthenhehadbeenpromisedabrand-newbike.Whathehadreceivedwastheoldone,patchedupandrepainted.Hesaidthathehadbeentaughttoalwaystellthetruth,andthathehadtrustedthisbikeshopanddidn’tunderstandwhytheyhaddonewhattheydid.Heaskedforanexplanation.Notlongafterthat,hegotaphonecallandanapol-ogy,andanotherpromiseforabrand-newbicycle,whichhedidreceive.Everyscrewwastight,andheneverhadanytroublewithit.Whenhisbikecrashed,Michaelhadseveraloptions.Hecouldhaveactednasty,hecouldhavegivenup,hecouldhavesoughtrevenge,buthedidnoneoftheseim-maturethings.Hewashonestandupfront,andhetoldhisstory.Hewaspolite,buthewantedwhathehadbeenpromised.Andhegotit.Hewasagoodexampleofhowallyoungpeopleneedtoactwhentheythinktheyarenotbeingtreatedfairly.Andhegotresults.
The point
A boy detassels hybrid corn for a hot, grueling summer job, saves his earnings for a mountain bike, but receives a defective assembly; he writes a simple honest letter and gets his promised replacement.