So Long Friend

I had a great time today at lunch.

Earlier in the week.... out of the blue.... I got a text from my former manager (4 managers ago) to go out for lunch with he and some other guys.

I hadn't seen him since last September, during his last few days at work.  Shortly after, he moved on to that next big stage of life... retirement.

Now, he and his wife are packing up and leaving central Illinois:

Decatur house sold.

Relocating out to the East Coast.

He showed us pictures of his new house, and it is absolutely beautiful.  It will suit them very well as they enjoy their "golden years".

I worked with/for this guy for over 10 years.  

He was more than my manager or my boss.

He was a great example for me to follow.

He was a mentor who taught, coached, and challenged me.

He stuck up for me and had my back when I screwed up.

He was a leader... a leader that I looked up to and respected.

He was a friend.

I have many great memories of working with/for him.  A few I'll share......

- I didn't take my first airplane flight until I was 27;  with great fortune, it was on a Corporate jet;  he (along with others) were sure to give me plenty of ribbing about being nervous of flying

- playing darts up at the Wooden Nickel in Marshall Minnesota

- travelling with him out to San Francisco on a business trip;  getting the opportunity in evenings to eat at great seafood place on the Pier, ride the mass-transit under the Bay, and attend a Giants baseball game

In all likelihood, today was quite possibly the last time I will ever have the opportunity to have a face-to-face chat with my friend.  We'll do our best to stay in touch by e-mail, but with him from Minnesota and having no strong connections to Decatur any longer, it's not overly likely that our paths will cross again.

However, my life has been richly blessed and enriched to have known him.

I pray that my life is making a similar impact on someone I know.

Out for now.....

Matt