Day 1 of a new life. Why do I feel so sad?

Well, as of 6:00 pm yesterday afternoon my life as a heavy-duty mechanic came to an end. And although I won't miss the work very much, I found out yesterday that I will indeed miss the people involved.

I worked for K & P Drever for just over 4 years and in that time I came to meet and know alot of people. Because I was the least experienced person in the shop, I was responsible from early on in my career for going on parts runs when the other mechanics needed parts. Over the years of doing this I made some great connections at the different parts places the company had accounts at and I even made some friends. There was always somebody somewhere who had my back and went out of their way to get me the parts I was looking for. These guys took care of my parts needs, and a few even became interested in my life. Yesterday I was able to spend the better part of my last day searching for parts for the other mechanics, and this allowed me to say some goodbyes to those who I will truly miss. And it was good to know that I'll be missed right back.

I'm not the most emotional person you will ever meet, but some things do get me worked up a bit. "Goodbye guys, thanks for all you've done for me over the years." Seems like a simple enough thing to say, right? Yesterday it was incredibly hard to say. With every hand shake and every "Good luck Rich, I'll miss you pal" I had to choke back the tears. I never realized how much seeing these guys everyday meant to me. So if there is going to be any adjustment in my new life, this will be it.

Thanks to all the guys at Traction, Gregg Distributors, and Fleet Brake for making 4 dificult years of work a little more bearable. Getting to know you guys made getting through my days at K & P worth every minute.