Prospects

Last night I went to someone’s retirement party. It was for someone I worked with years ago (when I worked with A) and I was somewhat surprised to be asked, but it was a personal invitation and it also wasn’t at a pub, so I decided to go along. I had a really pleasant evening catching up with old colleagues (a few of whom I see anyway actually, so it was also an excuse to see them) and the head of unit came bounding and chatted to me for ages and it was really nice to see him. I always massage his ego a bit and I was suggesting what he could do as a future career when it was his turn to retire which was to become a Lord and we spent a bit of time trying to decide what his full title would be. I have no idea how you actually become a Lord (beyond being a hereditary peer), but if there is some kind of nomination process for life peers I may have given myself the task of getting him his peerage…

I was slightly apprehensive about going because I didn’t know if A might be there, but as it turned out that would never have been the case as apparently A has been off sick for he last couple of months. That made me feel rather sad because although we may have had our differences I wouldn’t wish anything bad on A and in other circumstances I would have hoped that I could help in some way. I think it makes me feel sad that I am so utterly powerless to do anything to help someone who was once such an important friend to me (and the friendship was always the more important thing to me than anything else) and that A is in a bad way. But I guess it is none of my business really.