Mistakes you only make once

I was 16 workin in a big truck repair shop. We also did car stuff for people who knew the owner. I was doin an oil change on a Grenada. Simple. Just a 302 with a Motorcraft FL-1A. Nuthin to it, right? Well, I had never known a filter O-ring to stick on the block. This one did. First time for everything. Sprayed oil everywhere when I busted it off. I cut it right off. No harm done, just a little mess. Customer was standin right there tellin me not to sweat, that it was no big deal.

Boss came out talkin about how stupid I was, how stupid my parents had to be and my whole family tree. Fired me. By this time, I had the old O-ring removed, the filter back on and the oil topped off. Customer cussed out the owner said he'd never be back because the owner was such an *** toward me.

The whole time all this was happening, the owner was following me back to my tool box still insulting me, my family and anything else he could think of. He finally shut up and went back to the office.

Once in the office, he started runnin that mouth again. I had gotten all my tools together in my box and was proceeding to load them in the trunk of my car. 69 Chevelle. 400 4 speed.

I went back for a ball peen hammer I forgot. Boss in the office STILL spewing insults. I snapped. I just turned around and flung that 48 ounce ball peen toward his voice as hard as I could. He got up out of the chair JUST in time to miss it coming through the wire reinforced office window. I turned back around, got in my car and left. Never saw the guy again. Until......

NOW he is one of my regular customers where I work, AND his son owns a fleet repair shop that is one of our biggest accounts. I would "guess" the guy is about 70 or so now. The first time he saw me, he spoke quite cordially.

Then like a week later, he came in and GAVE ME my hammer back and apologized for how he was back then. Said it had cost him his marriage and his relationship with both his children but he was trying to work on that.

Imagine that.