You know, you see the same people everyday, work with the same people everyday, get to know their stories, their origins, their personalities, their laughs, their demeanors, and even though you may not see every person you know and work with every consecutive day, when you do meet them and work with them again, it's like you can pick right up the conversation, the memory, the funny story, the grievance, the how've you been's, the good to see you's, the how's the family's, as if you'd just worked with them yesterday, despite the fact that seasons and years have passed over the same three hundred mile stretch of rail you all work and spend much life on since that last yesterday.
And then one day you learn you won't be seeing one of those familiar faces anymore, one many knew from the beginning, worked well and fondly with, who always had a great demeanor and nature, who you know everyone always thought and spoke well of and always will, and who you personally will lament and always miss, in spite and because of the fact that seasons and years have passed over the same three hundred mile stretch of rail you both worked and spent much life on.
Today's one of those unfortunate days for one of our own, and I say goodbye and thank you, Mr. Vigil. Thanks for keeping our way smooth and strong, that it let us all get home safe to our loved ones, season by season and year after year. Go tie up, my friend.
"...they shall be one with the man in the wind and the west moon;
...they shall have stars at elbow and foot;
though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
and death shall have no dominion."
- Dylan Thomas
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