Mind Games

I really love being an attorney. I enjoy having a job where I am able to think creatively about problems and help people settle their issues.

About a year ago I took a new job. It is very exciting and has renewed my love of practicing law. I was a technology attorney for about 13 years. I worked on software, services, outsourcing, consulting and electronic trade agreements. I worked for computer companies, travel companies, Internet data providers and investment banks. I had a great time. But after a while I became bored with doing the same thing over and over again.

I decided to leave my beloved NYC and move to South Western Michigan to have a chance to be a generalist. My new job is all that I hoped it would be and more. I am working on employee benefits, employment and labor law, I do commercial transactions and I am involved with investment decisions, litigation and a smattering of technology. It is great fun.

Today I have worked on issues that involve federal codes, federal civil procedure, technology law with a bit of employment law thrown in. I really does not get much better than this in my estimation.

It is sad that most people come in contact with what I will call general criminal or commercial lawyers, and that is where they form their impression of the practice of law. I am happy that there are people out there who help private citizens with their legal problems, but I am also just as happy that I don't practice that type of law. I wonder if people who come into contact with lawyers for happy reasons (buying real estate or purchasing a business,) have a better impression of lawyers than the ones who only engage lawyers to sue others. Probably.

The Cash Cab

I don't know what it is about me, but I tend to attract taxi drivers. I used to live near New York City. I worked in the city so I took cabs often. I actually think riding the subway is the best way to get through the city, but if it was late, or I was tired, or had a lot of things in my hands, I would hop in a cab.

In the 10 years that I lived in NYC, I have had my fortune told by a cab driver, while driving, he read my palm. I also received several proposals to become a cabbie girlfriend, lover and even wife.

My favorite cab ride was one I took about 2 years ago. I was on my way to a job interview. I was in lower Manhattan and needed to get to the midtown west in short order. One thing that you can never be confident about in NYC is transportation time. The subways can be fast, or horribly slow. There can be traffic, or clear roads. There are very few certainties, so you learn to leave a lot of time for travel, and when it is important to be somewhere on time, the rule is you will cut it close or be late. Always.

At any rate, I left enough time, but I did not count on the accident we got into (we were rear ended) or the horrid late afternoon tunnel traffic. If that were not fun enough, my cabbie decided that I was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, and spent the very long traffic filled ride, trying to convince me to date him. Again, I am the friendly sort, and will talk with anyone when they talk to me.

Among the virtues that he presented me, including a cab when ever I needed it, he offered to cook for me (a very common theme for cab drivers I am finding) a lovely fish dinner, and he also mentioned that people thought he looked like Robert DiNero.

I happen to love Robert DiNero, so this caught my attention. He turned around and I screamed as he was a perfect double for Mr. DiNero. Of course this came at the end of the cab ride, and I had to run to my interview so I could not stay around and chat, though he did give me his card, and number. My friends are convinced that I was in a cab with Mr. DiNero while he was preparing for a role.

I never called.