Yet even here, the decor and the appearance of the people manning this small office didn’t come close to reflecting what popular culture and business practices of the day dictated. Instead of establishing an air of formality, aloofness, and authority that bordered on the impersonal, GO Thomas’s personal office had all the quaintness of a living room. To many entering this place for the first time the tranquil, disarming sense that such a setting evoked was unsettling.

On other days, when there was nothing that demanded his immediate attention, Thomas would leave his kitchen and head for the rear door. There, in a small anteroom, he would slip on the appropriate footwear, select whatever outerwear he would need to brave the weather, and head off into the early morning air. A short walk took him to a public park.

Were this a few years earlier, GO Thomas would have broken out into a slow, steady run that he would maintain as he wound his way along the well manicured gravel paths of the park. Age and premature wear and tear on his body, however, prevented him from doing so. GO had weak ankles. While they were not bad enough to be considered crippling, they served to remind him that he was getting on in years and that his body was beginning to serve notice that it was time to slow down a bit. Still, GO did not give in completely. He walked at a brisk pace until he felt sufficiently limber. Normally, this was at the one mile mark at the far end of the park just before the trail looped around and began to wind its way back. Here, if all was going well, GO would break into a slow, deliberate jog. His goal was always to keep running until he reached his start point a mile away. Sometimes, when he was well rested and felt razor sharp, he made it. Of late, however, he didn’t. Not only were fifty-two years of hard work, service to his country, and commitment to his community taking their toll, but the concerns of the state of his beloved country weighed heavily upon him.

Regardless of his pace, he often used his time alone in the park to look back on where he had been, what he had achieved, or where he was headed. The state troopers detailed to accompany the governor knew enough to keep their distance while, at the same time, remaining close enough to intervene should there be any attempt made on his life.