He was heading back north to Mississippi State University the following day. The campus is far enough upstate that the climate is a bit different. He anticipated the approach of a cold rainy season.

We were walking out toward the parking lot. It was 68 degrees at 1 in the afternoon, the skies were deep blue, there was a gentle breeze. I had to remind myself privately, repeatedly, that it was January 20th.

A small group of us had spent the morning doing some volunteer work. It was his first time, and he wouldn’t be back anytime soon given his school schedule.

When he said goodbye, I was reminded of the way that Southern speech can be surprisingly elegant and personal, all in one flash.

He turned to shake hands and said, “It’ll be awhile before I’m back but I’ll promise you it’s not the last time I’m going to shake your hand.”