I first heard about this from my old law school buddy D, who works for the Bar and was tasked with dealing with the graying population of baby boomer lawyers who have either been retiring, losing their marbles, or dropping dead, leaving their clients at a loss.
Imagine finding out that the lawyer you hired to handle an important matter got COVID and passed away before helping you resolve that important matter. Sure I feel bad for the deceased lawyer, but what about me and my case?
The Bar has been pushing us older lawyers to start designating someone to be a “custodian” for the case files until the clients can get new counsel. It makes sense: it’s kind of like having a will for the death of your practice. Dying intestate (without a will) makes everything so much harder for the survivors. (If you don’t have a will, get one!)
So when the opportunity came up, D asked me to step in and do thirty minutes on this topic, plus the topic of selling your legal practice (my short summary of that part: if dentists can do it, why not lawyers?)
I use PowerPoint for my presentations and work really hard to make them informative and fun. My son would roll his eyes if he read this, but I’ve been playing with the animation functions more. Nothing obnoxious, but I have figured out how to make excerpts POP OUT to emphasize important concepts.
(Man, I just re-read what I just wrote and I’m rolling my eyes. I guess I am now like those old people who announce their discovery of computer tricks that were new twenty years ago.)
Anyway, I got the slides turned in, along with a scholarly paper written by my friend L, and that’s another thing off the desk.
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New clean sheets on the bed and I feel like I am a freshly toasted Reuben sandwich wrapped snugly in butcher paper. If I ever become really wealthy, newly laundered sheets on my bed every day.
Wait, why do I have to be rich? I know how to do laundry. I know how to make a bed. I am mostly retired.
I think I have a new purpose in life. Plus now I can have breakfast in bed and then wash the crumbs out of the sheets!
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Nothing for breakfast today, but I had a good lunch at a place called Mama Ritas on I-45 South with my longtime friend J. We talked about the old days at the office, which I used to think was indulgent and schmaltzy when I was younger, but now realize is a way of re-experiencing a special time with someone who was there with you. Remembering good times is like playing golf in some respects: if you play alone and hit a good shot, you kind of enjoy it, but if you hit a good shot while playing with someone else, the moment is so much sweeter. We each remember different events and different people and weave a much more detailed tapestry. The recollections may all be wrong, our memories having faded over time, but who cares? It is the remembering that is the fun part.
After I finished the presentation slides, I ordered takeout for me and my son from Texas Roadhouse. They make a good chicken sandwich, so that is what I got.
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After dinner, we got into the backyard hot tub and I curated the playlist with a bunch of indie bands and old friends. Thanks to Apple Music, I have a list:
MJ Lenderman - Dancing in the Club
Waxahatchee - Be Good
Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness
Nickel Creek - Destination
INXS - Don’t Change
Rolling Stones - Moonlight Mile
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand (yes, that’s the Peaky Blinders song)
Courtney Barrett - One Thing at a Time
Radiohead - Karma Police
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Spoon - The Underdog
Talking Heads - Making Flippy Floppy
Pulp - Spike Island
The Hives - Hate to Say I Told You So
Lucy Dacus - Night Shift
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
The Lumineers - Hey Ho
That’s some pretty good music.
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Tomorrow, basketball and Easter preparations!
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