Her (grinning): We've established walking out was surreal...
(With apologies to Phil Davis, Mr. Wallace and General Waverly)
It snowed on my first day of retirement...
I had dropped off everything but my cell phone, charger cord and key peg. How I still had the key peg, or more appropriately how I could still find the key peg is anyone's guess. I hadn't needed it since December, 2014. But, there it was.
I ran into one of my favorite all time co-workers on his way out. Talented, intelligent and quick witted, he wondered if I needed him to stick around, to escort me out. "So you're not tempted to stop at a computer and fuck something up." I passed - he would have been a co-conspirator, anyway.
Turned in my badge, got my ID card punched to invalidate it and...
It was surreal. I stopped to say good bye to a man I'd worked with, and for, since 1982. Then, with no fanfare whatsoever, I left.
Pat and I shared a toast, then margaritas at a local restaurant.
And we began a new chapter in our lives.
Again, what a fine man you are, as a policeman, a father, a husband, a grandfather, a cousin, a son, a brother, a writer, a friend, etc., and most importantly as a person. This piece is touching, Jimmy. And again , I am proud to call you my cousin.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol. I look forward to many more trips to see you and Ed.
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