Graduation Day

Fine afternoon in the city on Thursday. After checking in with my shrink ("Your eyes are sparkling. You sound good. Here's your prescription." Yes!) in the East Village, I rang up Kristina for a catch-up. We took a nice walk around the nabe, and then I came up to the office for the first time since I made my final exit March 25.

Last week, when Donna Mae and I got off the subway to head to happy hour, I felt surprisingly emotional, sentimental and a little regretful that times had changed. I also felt a real disconnect from the time and space where I had made a living for the past 14 years. So consider my visit therapy.

It was a grand little reunion. Lots of fond shout-outs, nice conversations , hugs and handshakes with former co-workers and a 20-minute sit-down to catch up with editor "P," which felt warm and familiar and very positive. I even decided to share my blog address with him for the first time.

In all, I wandered around the office for a good half hour, unaccompanied, as if I still had rights and privileges there. I think the best way to describe it is visiting your high school the year after you graduate: still overtly familiar and yet somehow you no longer quite belong. All said, though, thoroughly enjoyed it.