There was an old dude at my gym who was retired DEA or some other type of law enforcement (years ago, cant recall) who i used to small talk with. You could tell he was a bad ass, but was really nice and sociable. If I ever saw him before a holiday like new years or st pats I'd ask if he had plans, he always told me no, and would refer to said holiday as "amateur hour" and tell me to be careful.
That's always stuck with me, as has his memory. Not sure if he is still with us, but he was a damn good man. His sons were a testament to that.