There I was...

So there I was.......
So begins so many aviation stories, especially among the military fighter comunity. While mine may not be nearly as exciting in the retelling, it is nonetheless a personal bombshell. Let's let the story play out.
So there I was, sitting at my desk in the office. My partners and I affectionately call this the 'penalty box' aka clinic. Yes, we surgeons like surgery and it should thus not come as a striking revelation that non-operative professional pursuits are granted perjoritive monikers. Don't even ask what administrative meetings are termed. There was, however, to be a silver lining viewable to the patient. The phone rang in from the front desk stating that a certain Dr. X desired a moment of my time. Given the seniority of this particular personage my attention was suddenly focused like Copernicus at the telescope. He was not in the habit of calling for advice, referrals, idle chat or, for that matter, anything at all. In fact, recent memory does not recall his voice on my handset. I was suddenly experiencing a feeling not remembered since walking steel 14 floors above the sands of Gulf Shores, Alabama, building condos. In an effort to keep this rated G, let's just say that there was a combination of nausea, giddyness, terror and an indescribable tingling in the nether regions.
With the pleasantries out of the way, I set about trying to glean the exact purpose of this unexpected communication. Initially all thrusts were parried as if I were at swords with a Musketeer. This man was in every loop that now mattered to me. If anyone knew my fate as relates to the recent 'quiz', it was he. The official results are not due for 6 days and they are attached around the nape of a lion cub with mama lying at her side. Any attempt to view said results before the official date are met with deadly force. Was I being tortured or teased? I was more than willing to be toyed with, I had already been brought to heel in a most auspicious way. This was no great stretch.
And then suddenly the he let it slip.....your scores were fine...you passed . Yes, there were bells ringing and angels singing. You must understand, I have invested 20 years of my life in this pursuit. Imagine being in the arena with the Emperor's hand perched shakily between life and death. I had just received a thumbs-up. A grant of professional life with a huge mantle of responsibility. You have been approved by the ultimate powers that be but are now expected to shoulder a heavy mantle of responsibility and tradition. Time itself ceased to flow. While the hands are spinning now, their rate remains slower than yesterday. I look back on those who have passed this same trail and realize that my feet rest on the shoulders of the proverbial giants. I am thankful to those who took the time to train me and all those who put up with me. My family has been patient beyond belief. My gratitude knows no bounds. I think I'll just let this percolate through my consciousness a bit.