You know, I am a most fortunate man. I don't mean only in having survived a severe stroke, and in how well my recovery is going (I mean, yes, it's slow and arduous, but there is continued progress.) I just got a letter from my pre-stroke employer notifying me of my retirement (the last information I had previously led to me believe that at some point they would consider me to have voluntarily resigned.) I am enormously pleased that I have retired rather than resigned (plus there is some modest exit compensation which goes with that distinction—I didn't know that, either.) So in ways which are (frankly) surprising for a financial corporation, my erstwhile employer was really humane to me through all this.
Today, I had a lovely phone call with Jack Gallagher, the composer I studied with at Wooster. I have mentioned this here on GMG before so I needn't be cagey here now. It is a blessing to have such a warm friendship with a former instructor.