Futurelawyer

#ParrotSunday - Savannah - RIP

Savannah has been gone a couple of years now; but Facebook and my computers keep reminding me that she was beautiful, and loved only me. While it isn't rare for a parrot to bond to one human, she was unique, in that she loved me; but hated every other human on the planet. No one else could go near her. Connections are about souls, not necessarily the human kind.

#ParrotSunday - Savannah - RIP

Savannah has been gone a couple of years now; but Facebook and my computers keep reminding me that she was beautiful, and loved only me. While it isn't rare for a parrot to bond to one human, she was unique, in that she loved me; but hated every other human on the planet. No one else could go near her. Connections are about souls, not necessarily the human kind.

It's Monday - Time To Play The Greatest Movie Ever Made.

I fluctuate between Casablanca and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I think maybe it's a tie. But, you may disagree.

 

Even Stoics Need To Step Out And Smell The Daisies Now And Then.

I spend a lot of time trying to live my life as a Stoic. I try to have purpose, and be rational, and seriously live by making choices that show an understanding that my reactions to the world are the only things I can control. I read Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and all of the Greek and Roman philosophers. It is difficult to imagine Marcus Aurelius taking time from his journaling, and leading the world as an Emperor, and fighting serious battles against the barbarians, in order to do something silly or unserious. Opus has tapped into that side of the most famous Stoic of our time, Spock. The only time we ever see Spock acting irrationally is during the Vulcan mating ritual; and even that is for a serious purpose. I am going to try to take a day every now and then, and pick daisies and go to the park. We all need, on occasion, to get in touch with our inner child.

 

 

#PoetryFriday - Florida Spingtime.

As I float in the pool,

I shield my eyes from the afternoon sun,

which brightly heats my skin

to tanning temperature.

 

I think about you.

 

As the water

laps at my toes,

cooling them briefly,

before the sun retreats behind a cloud,

 

I think about you.

 

As I lazily contemplate,

my inward looking navel,

I clear my mind of all distractions,

and still,

 

I think about you.

 

I wonder whether

I will ever again

think about anything else.

Florida Lawyers Need To Know This.

Taking effect tomorrow is a new tort liability statute that makes substantial changes in Florida's legal system dealing with negligence. Previously, a claim for negligence carried a four year statute of limitations. Florida now provides that negligence claims be brought within two years. For decades, Florida has been a comparative negligence state, in which a Plaintiff could collect damages based upon its jury determined percentage of fault, even if less than fifty per cent (50%). Now, if a Plaintiff is found by the jury to be Fifty-One percent (51%) or more at fault, no damages may be awarded. Other changes which limit liability of Defendants are also made. These changes have been universally opposed by Plaintiff attorney firms, and supported by business interests. It should be an interesting next few years in personal injury law.

 

RV Lawyer Needs A TV Break While Traveling.

I don't work all the time when I am on the road. In fact, I love thinking up cool ways to use my gadgets for entertainment. Watching TV in the coach is a nice way to relax; and with the Starlink and Roku, I can watch Rays baseball, Bucs Football, Lightning games, and Diane can watch anything else she wants. But, sometimes, it is nice to get outside and sit in a portable chair, with scotch in hand, and watch TV. But, I am not a rich person, so these outdoor entertainment centers on the big motor homes aren't in my future. But, where there is a will, there is a way.

Projection screen - $60

Backup smartphone - $700

Pico Projector - $250

Portable Bluetooth Speaker - $50

Relaxing outside the RV under Florida skies - priceless.

 

#PoetryFriday - The Road Goes On Forever.

Poems are often inspired by simple comments or remarks. My good friend, Shawne Park, inspired this one this morning, with a comment he made to my post about the implications of a sign marking the end of a sidewalk the other day. In his words "the road goes on forever, and the story never ends". It occurred to me that everything actually does end for a single human. But, over the vastness of time, will there be a lone, solitary human who exists at the end of time? Are all roads unending?

I walk the road,
staring at the pavement,
oblivious to the beauty around me.
I feel the breeze
passing through the bushes and trees,
on its way to me.
The pain in my back
and joints
reminds me that I am brittle,
and that someday I will break.
But, the road goes on forever,
unimpressed with my journey.
I try to remember
the first steps I took,
and the beginning of the trek;
but I can’t recall what I felt,
or what I was thinking
when there was no pain,
when there was no breeze.
What if I had strayed from the pavement?
What if I had walked
on the grass?
What if I had taken a detour
along the way?
Would I have been able to find the road again?
I passed so many signs,
some in bold letters
and some hidden by bushes
that required a closer look.
I wonder whether some of the signs
would have changed my path.
The slower I walk,
the more I wish I had
taken the time
to alter my path.
The pavement was the easy way
to walk into the future,
unencumbered by distractions
and choices.
Now, I know
that no road goes on forever.
It just feels as if they do.

The Gift.

He tried to choose his gifts carefully.

He went to all the right stores.

He saved up his money.

He travelled, in person,

to expensive retailers,

and spent time in meaningless conversation

with counter people

who would rather be somewhere else.

He read the fashion magazines,

and scoured the Internet,

with a business style focus.

He spent more money than he should,

trying to impress her.

When the day came,

and he presented his gift to her,

he was happily pleased

that she was pleased.

He felt the satisfaction

of the giver,

and the joy in her happiness.

His joy, however, belied the empty feeling in his soul.

He struggled to form words

that described the unsettled feelings.

As he grew older,

he tried to reconcile these feelings.

He realized that the greatest gift of all

required no effort,

and no money,

and no skill.

He would give her the gift of his time,

and that much limited resource

would be the best gift of all.

Time flashes by in an instant.

He would try to give it away before it was gone.

We All Get Old...But, Do We Look Good Doing It?

I have a dream, that, despite the odds, I will be one of those old lawyers who practices law for over 75 years. I have 25 years to go, at which time I would be 100. Of course, I will need a nurse to tell me how good I look doing it. Old lawyers never die. They just sink into a chair in their briefs.