Big Mike “Cheeks” Paquette…a Marine Corps brother of mine retired yesterday.  He’s 2 days older than I am…. I am very happy for him …..and wish him all the best,  but I’m envious of his new retired status.

At the end of his last day, I received the following text message from him:  “Just had a Ferg moment”.  Retired today came home and am enjoying a nice cigar ( I know he enjoys Romeo and Juliet’s brand) and some Black Bush Irish whiskey.  Then he says… three blue jays came into to the yard and it reminded me of your three swans blog story.  (The reference was actually about a post I wrote a while back where I mentioned three ducks… but no matter, I knew what he meant and am flattered he read and remembered it).

He went on to say…..Two birds together tells the tale of the 1st two parts my his life that are now passed…. And the third represents the start of the my next “enjoyable” part….

I’ve never been a cigar smoker but there are times when I wish I could reap the reward of a celebratory cigar.  Being from Boston I grew up watching the Boston Celtics Coach Red Auerbach, the architect and mastermind behind one of the most dominant franchises in professional sports history light a celebratory cigar after every victory.  Everybody knew it was a special day when “Red” lit up his stogy…  Mike and Red are what I call stogy men…  Stogy Men light up to celebrate life!

 

Mike also likes a spot of Black Bush Irish whiskey when he’s dragging on his stogy.  The combination to me seems a bit overwhelming but leads to their mystique, like the most interesting men in the world… Cheeks is no man of mystery …but he does have a secret.  He’s found a way to enjoy his days with style… He has an ability to promote a smile on the faces of people he meets…  He makes me laugh…and helps me to laugh at myself… I guess I’m envious of more than his retired status…  I envy a guy who loves the things I don’t….but makes me yean to love them as he does…  I will be watching his retirement with interest… I know he will take something I think about as overwhelming and make me want to love it…  When that day happens I’ll sit on my deck, light up a Juliet, swig on some Black Bush and push out a smile from the Cheeks….