Tonight was the last time that I’ll work for the Virginia ABC. No more. No mas. I’m going to miss my peeps to whom I peddled whisky but not as much as I’ll miss my good friends with whom I’ve worked; it’s going to be lonely without them all. I’ll still stop by and see them from time to time; send them text messages and e-mails, call from time to time…
They gave me a nice card complete with sincere notes… The newest employee, Alia, gave me a copy of “On The Road” by Jack Kerouac; I mentioned that I would have liked to have read the book when I was younger. I saw her reading it whenever she took her lunch breaks, and we struck up conversations regarding literature, music, travel… I kept asking her, “Where were you when I needed you?” when we struck a chord with one another. But then I would remark that her momma and daddy probably hadn’t even met yet when I needed her…. She would laugh…
Alia made a unit of delicious cupcakes for my sending off, El Jefe made a batch of his famous cookies too, and all of my co-workers gave me the card with warm wishes and tender notes penned within it. I’m deeply touched. El Jefe said that he wishes that he could have paid me enough to keep me on because I have been such an asset to the operation, and he isn’t yanking my chain on that one; for this I’m certain. Over the years many customers told me that they shop at the C on Willie-D rather than at a store closer to their homes because they enjoy conversing with me and my humor, also. I’ve congratulated them on milestones and offered condolences at times of grief. Kind words, kind words indeed! I’m always touched. Many of them I’d asked if I could take their pictures so that I’d never forget them after I leave. I would have liked to have taken more, like a picture of Tony One Shot, but these folks didn’t stop by. A few people such as Mr. Wallace were in a hurry and couldn’t stay for a photo-op (although, Mr. Wallace did say that he would e-mail one to me…)
I’m going to miss the people and customers at the C on Willie-D, but it is time to move on, much as Ulysses did after each trial encountered on his journey home from the Trojan Wars. And like Ulysses, I’m on the next leg of the journey, a Contract Process Engineer on a short term contract. Where will my sojourn take me? What is the destination, for that matter? Maybe I’m on a never-ending voyage like ‘The Flying Dutchman’ an overture on an endless loop on an 8-track tape? Who knows but God himself…. Yarr, Mateys! Monday we cast off the lines and set sail for….
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