City of Vacaville’s former Mayor Len Augustine

Len leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, resting them on the accommodating surface with the top arm puppeteering his fingers for me to come closer to share a quick story. I leaned in, so that I could feel each word he was about to share.

He started,a little above a whisper, as a woman walked by to bring another gentleman back that was sitting in the lobby on the other side of our  story telling post for his appointment. Len looked up and nodded to them, waved his arm then refocused,

“About a month ago a dad came up to me and reminded me of a day many years ago that I was at a school late in the afternoon way after school had got out. As I walked past a classroom with its door open, I noticed a young boy sitting by himself. I retracted my steps and went inside to ask the young man what he was still doing in there. The little boy humbly told me that he had gotten into some trouble earlier in the school day and was waiting for his father to come take him home. I asked the boy what he had done wrong and the boy replied nothing that bad but enough to get into trouble. After talking to him a bit more, I thought for a moment and asked for a piece of paper from the boys desk. I wrote a note to the boy’s father asking him to be light on the young man, as I felt a good heart from him and I knew he was remorseful. I handed the boy the note and told him to give it to his father and went on my way.

Diane Langston and Len Augustine

As I listened to the father remind me of that day, I remembered clearly how I felt as I was listening to the child tell me about himself. The father said he took my advice and did not discipline his son that day.

Recently, he visited his son in college and saw the note stuck to the wall of his son’s dorm room. He shared with our former Mayor, Len Augustine that his son has always had his note hanging up in his wall of his bedrooms to remind him that even a man of power gives breaks to those who are truly remorseful.”

When Len was finished with his story, the same lady from before placed her hand on Len’s shoulder to bring him back. Len winked at me, wiped his eye, gave me a hug and walked down a new hall.

 

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