The downtown Albany cafe scene is doing us all proud – with Cafe 66, Alias, and two locations for Stacks (three if you count the Outpost in my office building). It’s a far cry from the monopoly that Dunkin’ Donuts had over this area when I first started working for the state of New York 25 years ago.
Holy shit – that just struck me: yesterday’s date marked the 25th anniversary of my first day at a state job. I’ve worked in this state career for a quarter of a century. What hits me most profoundly when I think about that now is not how much I’ve already learned, but by how much more there is and always will be to grow and improve to be better. That is a long way from how much I thought I knew 25 years ago. The path to wisdom is traveled quicker by those who accept that there will always be more to learn.
For obvious reasons and ample evidence (see the bulk of all the blog posts on this site) I’m not yet a wise man – but slowly that’s where I want to head. Be patient with me on the journey – and be patient with yourselves if you’re attempting a similar trip.
This timeframe, couple with my recent birthday, now puts my retirement eligibility date at five years from now. Let’s see how much damage I can do in that time…
