It's official

It's official now, as far as the church is concerned: we're leaving. Due to some slipups in communication, the announcement was rather haphazard -- the pastor thought we were going public on June 11th, the week after the church's big 150th anniversary celebration. The deacon thought we were announcing it this week, the week before the celebration. By the time the pastor found out what was going on, the insert was already in the bulletin, and people were coming up to my wife.

Folk mostly took it pretty well. We're fairly well-liked here, but there were only a few people who seemed really shocked. We thought several people had already figured it out, but they insisted that they didn't know. Some are concerned about who will play the piano after I leave, but that's really a small thing for God to handle -- they were fine before I got here, and they'll be fine after I leave.

My last day of work at the bookstore was Friday night. Another quiet departure -- folk there like me too (hey, I show up for work on time, don't steal, and I'm never stoned or hung over -- tough to beat that in NYC), but they've known for a while that we were on our way out.

Ironically, the wrestlers (my coaching friends in particular) have probably taken it harder than anybody. I've seen two of the toughest guys I know looking almost disturbingly emotional. I've never been the best wrestler in that room, but I'll miss them, and I gather they'll miss me. Fortunately, the wrestlers have volunteered to help us load the truck -- we shouldn't lack for muscle on moving day.