Hope

Today I saw hope dim in the eyes of a man
He bubbled with enthusiasm, happy to be considered for an interview.
His answers to our questions showed us he was well prepared for the interview. He was happy to be considered and he wanted to convince us he would do a good job.
He lacked experience in our specific area, but we had no doubt he was trainable.
We gave him the opportunity to ask questions. He said he had many. I mentioned “security”. He looked puzzled and asked for clarification. We explained that our interview scoring was one thing, but we had to submit names of potential applicants to DOC for final approval.
“DOC?” he asked. “Division of Corrections”, I said. We explained that everyone gets a security check and because he was still on probation, they may be reluctant to allow entry. He listened quietly, his enthusiasm replaced by a wary look. Initially he said he had many questions but now when I prompted him, he said he had no more questions as he closed his folder with a resigned air and thanked us again for considering him for an interview.
Today I saw hope dim in the eyes of a man.