Well, Fancy That!

A few years ago, my company hired a new supervisor, named Kim.  The male Kim, not the female Kim.

Almost immediately, I felt a connection with him.  Not in a creepy, inappropriate type of way, but as a friend and coworker.  Usually, with new people, it takes me several months to feel comfortable around them, but this guy and I hit it off almost immediately.

After his training, he was sent to second shift, and I didn't see him for a long time.  Someone had even told me he'd quit, which bummed me out, because he's really cool.  He didn't quit, but I didn't find that out until I started staying late to pay for all my dental work...um...to help out on second shift, that is.

About a month ago, he came in one morning and told me, "I'm on day shift now."   Awesome!  Every day, he'd come by my stand to speak, even though he didn't work in my area.  It's almost as if he felt as drawn to me as I was to him.  Again, not in a creepy, inappropriate way.  But there was definitely a connection there.

Skip ahead to today.  There I was at work, just a working away, wearing my Navy Veteran tag that I got from Shields Of Strength, as I often do on Red Shirt Fridays. 

He saw it, and gestured towards it with a questioning look on his face.  I handed it to him, he looked at it, and said, "You were in the Navy?"  Yep, from 89 - 94. He asked me where I'd been stationed, what my rate was, why I got out, etc.  All the standard questions.

Then he said, "I knew there was a reason I liked you."  That's when he told me he was in the Navy, too.  He retired as an E-7, which is a Chief, for all you non- Navy types.  We chatted a little more, and Supervisor Ronny walked by, looked at the two of us, and said, "Are you two talking about military stuff?"


That's exactly what we're talking about.

We talked a few more minutes, and just before he walked on, he said, "I always knew there was something about you, and now I know."

We veterans know each other.  As Supervisor Kim said, "It's like we can sniff each other out."

His parting words to me were, "Have a great day, Shipmate!"

Unless you've been there, you have no idea how incredibly excited this makes me.  Oh, I knew there were other veterans out there in the plant.  But, up until now, I was the only Navy veteran -- that I knew of.

Not any more.

I've finally found my people!