My Dictionary
This story was written 61 days before Retirement.
This is my Dictionary. It is my only Dictionary. It has been with me since the start of my career in 1980. It is – like I am – a little worn around the edges.
My Dictionary was not originally in ‘two volumes.’ It’s missing two pages so don’t ask me to spell anything between “insurance” and “interdict.” Still, it’s saved me from looking uneducated – or at least careless – hundreds of times over the years.
It was about 20 years ago that I first realized that I still had my original Dictionary. So I started rooting for it to survive. There were times when I worried – like when it morphed into those two volumes – but I never stopped using it, that would be cheating. In its later years it had an assist from ‘spellcheck’ from time to time, but who among us doesn’t need help on occasion?
Now that we’re both near the finish line, I think of all the things we’ve been through together. The places we’ve gone – from Arizona to Georgia; Texas to Ohio. The technology we’ve seen – from manual typewriters, to the blazing speed of my first IBM “Selectric.” From desktops to laptops, tablets to smart phones. All the news stories, all the reports, all the presentations. Through it all, my Dictionary has always been by my side – ready to help the moment I needed it. Never letting me down.
Well done, good friend! You have performed exceptionally! I thank you and I honor you for your faithful service.
This is a companion article to -> What will Matter Most at the End of Your Career?
