Today has been a grand day.
The sun rose in the east this morning. The sky is blue. The air is calm. The temperatures are balmy.
And some colleagues of mine sprang for lunch for my wife and me. They wanted to treat us to a goodbye meal. We had a retirement party at a local restaurant.
Why is that a big deal? It is because I received something I had wanted to get from my employer in a previous life. Circumstances beyond my control precluded a retirement party from the Amarillo Globe-News. The guy who runs the newspaper decided in the summer of 2012 to “reorganize” his news/opinion operation, forcing everyone to apply for whatever jobs they wanted; I applied for the job I’d done there for 17-plus years, but they decided to hand that job to someone else.
I had two choices: apply for another job for less money and a demotion or resign. Since I was uniquely qualified to do the job that was delivered to another individual, which gave me virtually zero chance of staying employed at the Globe-News, I chose to walk away.
Then I began a new life that led me in July 2013 to Street Toyota in Amarillo, where I worked for more than three years as a service department concierge. The job was a blast. My job description was simple: Just greet service customers with a smile, make them feel comfortable and try to turn their visit to the dealership into a pleasurable experience.
That job comes to an official end Tuesday. Full-time retirement awaits. My wife and I — along with Toby the Puppy — plan to hit the road for points all across North America.
Today, though, we had a wonderful lunch with several of my auto dealership colleagues. We joked about the ups and downs of the past three years. They said some nice things about our relationship, wished my wife and me good luck and Godspeed as we prepare for the next phase of our life.
And they gave me a going-away watch. Hey, it’s not a solid-gold Rolex, but it keeps good time!
These sweet colleagues not only made my day, they delivered to me a certain kind of closure I had hoped to receive in that prior life.
This one, though, feels just right.
So happy for you, John. You were always a favorite of ours when we lived in Amarillo. That news organization you worked for made a bad decision in your case–and in others, too!
Thank you for that. I thought they erred, too … at the time. I’ve learned that there truly is life even when one’s career ends in a way one doesn’t expect.