Because I wasn’t out-of-sorts enough this week

My line of work is good for those of us who don’t have extended family or friends. That’s because, in my particular role, you’re den mother/warden/cat wrangler/therapist/fluffer/bodyguard to the anchor creatures on your own personal Island of Misfit Toys.

In other words, “Other Duties as Assigned” IS my job description.

I learned from a dear friend and one of my top 3 favorite colleagues of all time that one of our boys passed away this week. And given that he’s probably only about 10 or so years older than me, it’s made me sadder than usual when these sorts of things happen.

Everyone always says that I do well with the weird ones … the stranger they are, the more I understand them and can get the best out of them. I like to think it’s a compliment but I never can tell with the people I meet these days.

I figure, we’re all broken and recovering from something. We all find our ways to cope. Or we embrace our inner goofball and make a character or a career out of it. I don’t care. If I find a good heart beneath all of it, then I commit to enjoying the experience.

Anyway, RIP J.L. You were such a life force, and you seemed like you enjoyed the stuffing out of every day you were here.

You were difficult and defiant and you wanted everything your way. So the fact that you trusted me and helped me to help you means that I must have gotten through to you on a deeper level, too.

I know we haven’t talked in a while but you were always someone special to me. I hope there’s good coffee and a wall of trading screens in heaven waiting for you. Those overnight markets aren’t going to trade themselves, you know. Now you’ll have sunshine all the time. Cheers, old friend.

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