Sunny

About ten years ago, the Professor was not the cheerful, happy-go-lucky type that exists today (even though he has a disconcerting habit of writing death-blog posts). Down at the lab, every day was unrelenting torment. Everybody was cranky and/or uncommunicative, and Batty WAS going batty. One day a new employee started, and things began to change. Was it something she said? She was fun to talk with, but not a Shakespeare. Was it her disposition? She was generally upbeat, but not always. But as their working relationship developed, his disposition gradually improved. It was fun to go to work. He no longer dreaded Monday. As he got to know her, he realized, from her example, that his approach to work had been wrong-headed. She was not a philosopher, not a comedian, not a psychologist. She was honest. She was pragmatic. But the most important thing was that she saw the worth of living fully, and did not let petty circumstance bring her down.

Ultimately she did leave, however, our Minnesota winters were not to her liking. She moved to Hawaii, and then worked her way up to a better job and a home of her own. Some people in the lab thought they were lovers, but they weren't. Just good friends. He kissed her just once, when he kissed her good-bye.

“… we sang in the sunshine, you know we laughed every day...we sang in the sunshine, and then she went away… ” ~ Gale Garnett