The odd moment

A long time ago in a company far away - well, not really though if in context a long time ago means about 27 plus years ago. I worked about 5 years for a fledgling engineering company as a draftsman and transitman (surveyor team person who looks through the scope). As the company started up I was the second person the owner hired. It was a good job, good people to work with and a good man the boss/owner was. I left after 5 years because I'd decided I didn't want to be a 50 year old drafter someday. By then there were about 25 employees, eventually there were up 60. Drafting on a computer wasn't yet common practice. I'd given proper notice and left to work for a general contractor as an estimator/designer. As predicted by my former boss I was laid off after a couple years, contracting being a rather volatile line of work during economic downturns especially in the housing market. Not that the engineering business was exempt from the same situations. Shortly after I was hired by my present employer be it four or five buyouts ago. Bringing this tale up to recent times and the latest buyout now almost 2 years ago part of which was combining two other businesses in the area into my office's location one of which was the old company I'd left. The company had bought them out about two years earlier than us. The deal had included giving my former boss a contract to provide business development, etc. So last week as I was walking down an aisle former boss comes along puts out his hand and says "I'll be saying goodbye, they've had enough of me". I was taken by surprise of course, though he was of a good age to retire I figured he'd call his shot in his own good time. It all gave me a weird feeling how things were long ago, then though circumstances I'd been reacquainted with someone I never expected to be associated with again, then have that person shown the door. I don't feel bad for him, he's made his money from the buyout and his former business. Some of the people that came over to our location I'd worked with, My manager is one of those - I interviewed him for a entry position as a draftsman back then now he's the manager of our CADD department where I administratively reside. This whole situation I still find a little surreal. Not that any of it matters, I have more work to do than ever, plenty to keep the mind occupied and one less person to say good morning to in passing.