RIP Bob

Read this morning that A.C. "Bob" Guhl died. He was, at one time, a Georgia state senator but randomly we met years before when we both worked for Dover Elevator Company in the SF Bay Area. My dad got sick and passed away during my tenure working for Bob, which is probably why I remember working for him so clearly: it was safer to be at work, concentrating on anything other than my dad in the hospital. I was 18 and hired as a temp to be his executive secretary and he would retire in three months time. He was tall, white-haired, serious, and barely said a word directly to me as I handed him papers, took dictation (yes, everybody - that's a thing, and I don't mean euphemistically), scheduled his life. On his last day, I was walking out of his office and he stopped me by actually calling me by name. Honest to god, I didn't even think he knew my actual name. He asked me to sit, folded his hands atop his enormous empty desk and said, "You probably think I don't care since I'm about to retire and we'll never see each other again. Anne, tell me what you're going to do with your life." I remember telling him, I remember him listening and asking questions, but honestly don't remember exactly what I said. I guess what matters is: he was very kind to me for a blip in time, and for that I am thankful. RIP, Bob.