It's All Over Now

The long and winding career came to an end at 12:30 P.M. on Friday. I couldn't be more pleased with how it ended. The departmental retirement party had been last month, and it seemed that most of the emotional doubt peaked about then. January has been a month of smiles and laughs, satisfaction and anticipation, free breakfasts and free lunches (there is such a thing!). One more party awaits in May, but by then both it and I will be afterthoughts.

On Friday, I gave a deferred exam to three of my AP students, coincidentally three with whom I feel a special bond: Ivy, whom I recently wrote about; Eileen, a member of the group who toured England and Scotland with me last April; and Lisa, who raided the bowl of chocolate candy in my office on a daily basis. My protege Rob was named my successor, and his place will be taken by Kate, another favorite hireling who has been out on leave. We gathered for cake at twelve, and I headed for the door.

My last class waves good-bye.

I am proud that the people who made the biggest fuss about my leaving are the same people whom I regard as the highest quality professionals. The poseurs, posturers, and layabouts were, I'm sure, happy to see me go. I have never suffered them well.

The question that I kept hearing, "How does it feel?", will have to go unanswered for a while. Kathleen had me at a book lecture and buffet on Friday night and a charity ball on Saturday night, and she has me preparing for a February 10 trip to Cancun. Today, Monday, is the first day I'm actually not going to work, but I got up early to avoid her asking the question I've been dreading:

"Are you just going to lie there?"