26

 And so it begins, my last semester teaching. Truthfully, it's stressful, the ending of something that has dominated so much of my life over the last forty years and reimaging myself as having some purpose for the last decade or so, but I guess I'm coming to terms with it. My physical decline, oddly, helps with the process, because I know in my heart of hearts that I can't continue to do this. When I walk into Wick and pause before the seven steps up to the landing to marshal my dwindling resources for the climb it makes it easier to imagine a world where I don't have to suffer through that pain and humiliation. Happily, my classes were great on Monday, which may simply be that they know that it's my final semester. Anyway, at the end of the day, it was time to put up a new CFL player's picture on my door, recognizing now only 26 days until retirement.

And this is Garney Henley, an all-time Hamilton Tiger-Cats great. He was born in Elgin, North Dakota and attended Huron College (a college in Huron, SD, now, as with an increasing number of small private schools, closed). So far, this sounds like the classic CFL story. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 15th round (back in the day when the NFL draft was that extensive), but was released. Upon the suggestion of Packers coach Vince Lombardi he was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. From these reasonably nondescript origins, Henley built an almost unrivalled  career, being named an All Star ten times, the first nine as a defensive back and the last as a receiver (in a year he also won the league's Outstanding Player Award - it boggles the mind). He played in seven Grey Cups, winning four, and the Tiger-Cats retired his number this year.