William's soccer team won the championship of a tournament this past weekend!

Shoulder pads

On Friday evening we watched a family movie about an ordinary kid determined to play with Notre Dame football team.  William loved the football playing scenes and he imitated them all during the movie.  

At some point he changed into his football jersey, and after the movie was finished, I noticed that his shoulders had pads of some sort.  I said, "William, what are those pads on your shoulders?"  

"Socks," he said. 

While driving home from work today and I passed the office buildings and shopping mall in Tyson's corner, I suddenly thought of my best college friends and a single thought crossed my mind:  I wouldn't recognize who I've become--traveling as I was in a business suit from work as a government bureaucrat.

These startling words came to me, I suppose, because yesterday I attended a retirement ceremony for someone I've known at work for almost my entire time in my job.  She was retiring after 28 years, and I've been working for 27 years at the same agency....