The old Italian

It seemed simple enough.

I recognized him as he came through the Starbucks line and so did he.
Five foot 7, bald head with a driving cap on. Piercing blue eyes and a sort of sloppy walk.

Somehow our lives paralleled as we worked through the same district.

He joined the district about 6 years before I did.

We even went to Lamaz training at the same time. We both have daughters the same age.

He was always in management, most of the time at district office.

His wife worked as an independent Studies teacher, he lives within three blocks of us. He is a concept man like me, married to a details wife.

He retired about four years ahead of me. He retired on the golden handshake. He was a little bitter because he was promised it a year a head of when he took it. When he got to the end the district personnel manager pulled it out from under him. The next year he produced the figures and proved that the district would make money with him gone and a golden handshake in place. It went to the board and all five board members voted to provide an incentive for his retirement.

He was always a talker. That kind of hurt him throughout his career. He was able to do good things however because he took the initiative and held on to his principles. At one time the district was hot to have him fired. This resulted in a recension as his supporters crawled out of the woodwork and supported him. As he talked I was able to fill in the names he was missing. We all lose the names of the pincipal players in our work life when we are not longer working. Sometimes even when we are working. Its a fact of getting older in life.

I remember him most as he helped me write my initial mentor proposal way back in the 1980s. Some teachers that did not reach out for help were too far out to get a serious look when their proposals were forwarded. That proposal launched 6 successful mentor projects back in that era.

It was nice to see him again. He was in Starbucks because the house cleaner was on her way and he could not be in the house with her cleaning. As he sat there he got a text message that she was not coming.

Happy Weekend!

Pat