What's the talent for attracting Mentors? Mystery to me.

[UTUSN]

2. You and me both. Am gone from it, thankfully. Hope you are. Ran into my old boss.

A few years ago at a doctor's office. The reception area was empty and I didn't even notice a spousal couple sitting in a corner. When I got to the exit, the male called out my name and ran up to me with his giant smile. He grabbed my hand to shake. I said, "You're still smiling, arncha." He dropped the smile and said, "Got to."

He knew I never kissed up but expected me to be glad to see him and somehow to retain the boss-employee paradigm, both of us retired. I turned away and walked out.

Incredibly, a few days later, two friends of mine and I walked into an empty, dark restaurant - and THERE HE WAS, sitting alone. We had to pass by him, and he said, without the smile, "We meet again, (name)." I said, "Yeah-yeah," and walked past.

There was a booth/cubicle thing setup in the place and after awhile a woman joined him. I peeked over the barrier and sat down to say to my friends, "It's not his wife." Later the skinny got to me that he had gone back to the job. He had been interviewing with somebody from the headquarters. He had recouped his smile for the interview.