Last night we celebrated Ken’s retirement.  He’s been with the company for 48 years.  You read that correctly – 48 YEARS!  He’s the guy who spends his days talking to people.  It used to be he spent his days talking to people suffering from mental illness, now he spends his days talking to people who fund the care we give to people suffering from mental illness.  And, he’s very good at both.

He is beloved at my company.  He’s guided so many young people into the career of mental health social work and supported them through all the emotional hardships that career choice demands – no small feat.  Several times a week he eats his lunch in the kitchen, with the staff, and actually enjoys it – again, no small feat.  He’s a vice-president, mind you.

Last night we celebrated Ken’s retirement.  Great with people, all kinds of people:  sick, healthy, stubborn, biased, rude.  As someone said last night “he could talk a dog off a meat cart”.   The result of all his talk has been so many lives saved, so many people who would have given up the fight against mental illness believing survival, a life with meaning, or recovery wasn’t possible.  Because of Ken’s efforts, we know it isn’t easy but it certainly is possible.

So, is it any small wonder he’s not so good with computers?  I mean, he’s a people person, a hand-shaker, a storyteller.  Last night was Ken’s retirement party so he got to do what he’s been wanting to do ever since we installed the stupid thing in his office.  He really wanted to throw it across the room – we were afraid he’d hit someone – so we let him smash the “damned” computer to smithereens.