Futurelawyer

Old Men And Young Boys.

Cowboys and Indians.

 

He played cowboys and indians

in the dirt

smiling a peanut butter smile

and fearing nothing.

He was indestructible

and young

and thought that pain

was for other people.

Death and dying

had no meaning for him

as he navigated a world

filled with little green plastic soldiers

marching to a beat

only he knew.

The old man

remembered the little boy.

He knew that the wisdom of youth

was lost in the knowledge of pain

and the forest filled with dying leaves

that deteriorated on the ground

like ancient animals

littering a landscape that became

more desolate over time.

Would the new growth of the forest

find a place in the world?

Would his bones become a part of it?

Old men think of things

that young boys never do.

Old men wonder whether their young souls

will come back as old souls.

Old men die

and no one knows if they return.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Have To Ask Most Of The Twelve Questions.

Twelve Questions. Execupundit's post today asks twelve questions, all of which apply to a room full of decision makers discussing the topic of the day. \

1. Who is - and is not - in the room?
2. What is - and is not - being measured?
3. Is everyone operating with the same dictionary and the same calendar?
4. What are the real and artificial constraints?
5. Which side cares the least?
6. Which side is the most impatient?
7. Have you fallen in love with a proposed course of action?
8. What is irreversible?
9. Are you solving the wrong problem?
10. Are you focusing on the "whats" and glossing over the "hows"?
11. Which benefit or advantage conceals a significant problem?
12. Have you considered the advantage of doing nothing.    

Fortunately, I am always the smartest guy in the room; although, that is usually because I am the only guy in the room. And, some of the questions need to be answered by solo lawyers as well. In any event, read the list yourself, and ask yourself one question. Which of these 12 questions do I need to answer before making my decision? 

Memento Mori - Do You Have A Will?

This is a shameless plug, since I make a living writing wills and trusts. Remember, you too will die. That should remind you to live every day. But, since you know you will die, what will happen to your carrot when the inevitable happens? Write it down. Do it now. You never know when the season will end.

 

It's 4:30 A.M. And I Am Not Working Out With A Trainer.

The Quiet Joys of the very early morning. It is 4:30 A.M. and I am at the keyboard writing about life, law at the intersection of technology, writing poetry, and generally trying to wake up with several cups of coffee. I am of an age that falls asleep before primetime, and wakes 7 hours later, whenever that happens to be, which is usually before 5:30 A.M. Since the rest of the world isn't up and being productive until 9 or 10, I have some time to kill. How better than to be productive myself? My favorite quote from this article:

"I’m never going to be one of those executive types who wakes up at 4 a.m. for sunrise yoga or meets a trainer for air squats and a 45-minute sprint on a treadmill, but I can summon the energy to wander into the kitchen, make coffee, and plop myself into a chair and type nouns and verbs at a keyboard."

So, if you wonder how I find the time to post at FutureLawyer every day, and to fill my need to get the poetry out of my head and on to paper, you now know the secret. Just don't expect me to be doing 5 mile runs before work. Not going to happen.

It's 4:30 A.M. And I Am Not Working Out With A Trainer.

The Quiet Joys of the very early morning. It is 4:30 A.M. and I am at the keyboard writing about life, law at the intersection of technology, writing poetry, and generally trying to wake up with several cups of coffee. I am of an age that falls asleep before primetime, and wakes 7 hours later, whenever that happens to be, which is usually before 5:30 A.M. Since the rest of the world isn't up and being productive until 9 or 10, I have some time to kill. How better than to be productive myself? My favorite quote from this article:

"I’m never going to be one of those executive types who wakes up at 4 a.m. for sunrise yoga or meets a trainer for air squats and a 45-minute sprint on a treadmill, but I can summon the energy to wander into the kitchen, make coffee, and plop myself into a chair and type nouns and verbs at a keyboard."

So, if you wonder how I find the time to post at FutureLawyer every day, and to fill my need to get the poetry out of my head and on to paper, you now know the secret. Just don't expect me to be doing 5 mile runs before work. Not going to happen.

#ParrotSunday - Most Beautiful Cockatoos On The Planet.

8 Years Is A Long Time In Frog Years.

8 years ago today, I was kissing frogs in Roatan. I have kissed a lot of frogs before finding my Queen. This was also the day that Verizon charged me $2,700 for one day of WiFi photo sharing, and was the major impetus to my switch to TMobile, where I have happily been for the past 8 years. Live and learn. Happy Anniversary, honey.

#PoetryFriday - Can You Dance?

Can you dance?
she said,
coyly.
He thought quickly.
Where are my words now?
Surely, they will not fail me now?

In an instant,
he knew,
that the dance he danced each day
did not count.
He thought of the many moments that his truth
danced out of reach,
and his dancing words
hung,
swinging,
from the top of the business tree.
They dangled,
like participles
in a grammarian nightmare.

Can you dance?
Of course, he thought.
I dance around my feelings
every day.
If I stop to feel them,
I know that I will surely die.

Can you dance?
Oh, yes, I can.
What kind of dance would you like?
I dance the dance of the runner.
I run away,
and still away.
I dance the dance of the dreamer.
I wish for a slow and easy pace.
I hope that the music will follow my lead.

Can you dance?
Can you teach me?

Old Man. Don't Be This Guy.

We all have things happen in our lives that are sad. Some of us lose spouses. Some of us alienate others out of a fear of seeming weak. No one of us is a perfect human. However, we control how we live our lives. When you reach the end, don't end up alone in a chair. Don't be this guy.

Old Man.

He slowly pattered to the chair,

cloth rubbed raw and chafing,

slippers worn and in their place,

pipe and ashtray next to the lighter

his wife had given him on Memorial Day.

His body bent forward

and his gaze fell on the carpet,

threadbare from walking and pacing

during illness and crisis.

He was alone now,

Slowly dying

and living slowly.

He watched the flickering television

looking for meaning,

and not looking at all.

Did he remember the President

and the year?

Or did he remember a kiss in 1947...

or was it ‘48?

He felt a tightening in his chest

and knew his end was coming.

He closed his eyes

and remembered the past

thought about the future

and prayed to whatever God

was up there.

When he died,

They removed the body,

boxed his belongings,

threw them in the trash,

emptied his bank accounts

and went on living.

Guess Who's Not Coming For Thanksgiving Dinner This Year?

A flock of wild turkeys is visiting us at our campsite.  I think they know that Thanksgiving is 9 months away.