Still At It After All This Years

Posted on Apr 21, 2019 by TanGental

I was accused the other day of ‘still being a lawyer’ even though my official retirement from that career was six years ago. I gave it some thought and realised the evidence is plain. Here are 15 reasons why you can take the boy out of the law but never the law out of the boy.

  1. I find I still say ‘whence’ and ‘hitherto’ and ‘wherefor’ when talking to my family
  2. I cannot avoid defining things as in ‘When you say you’ll be late, what do you mean exactly?’
  3. If I buy something that has a set of terms and conditions I look at them from a distance, sigh and mumble ‘I’m sure they’ll be fine’.
  4. Then I make someone else sign the contract
  5. When I write a shopping list it has a list of exclusions on the back
  6. I insist on things being in writing: so if there’s chocolate in the fridge with no name on it, I think it’s fair to claim squatters rights since  it obviously doesn’t belong to anyone.
  7. I can bullshit for longer and with greater fluency than all my friends save those who are also lawyers.
  8. I enjoy dressing up in gowns
  9. In any family discussion I am inclined to say, ‘But you said on the 27th March….’ and have a contemporaneous note of the conversation in my journal.
  10. I am happy using expressions like ‘contemporaneous note’ and don’t feel a dick when I do.
  11. I keep a note of how long things take to do though my attempts to introduce time sheets into our daily routine have thus far floundered.
  12. I am aghast when, having cited a clearly binding Authority, the precedent is ignored: as in ‘but I always watch the rugby/cricket/football/golf on Saturdays’.
  13. I feel more comfortable if I’m allowed to include a simple errors, omissions and indemnity clause on the back of wedding presents, birthday cards and invites to dinner parties. It’s like checking the tyre pressures before a long journey.
  14. Like well trained members of the judiciary, I have the ability to sleep while appearing to be awake.
  15. I can be utterly convincing on all subjects (save incest and Morris Dancing) even though I know absolutely nothing about them.

I expect everyone will laugh at this; after all most people do these things anyway, don’t they? I mean, I’m not that odd.

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline. I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy. I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
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40 Responses to Still At It After All This Years

  1. Ritu says:
    Apr 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm

    And I’m sure all would agree, we’d not change you one bit!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. Jennie says:
    Apr 21, 2019 at 2:41 pm

    Delightful post, Geoff!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Paula Light says:
    Apr 21, 2019 at 3:50 pm

    I especially like how you redacted number 16. 😂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. John W. Howell says:
    Apr 21, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    You stand alone, Geoff. By alone I mean with the particular habits and idiosyncrasies that make unique. By unique, I am, of course, referring to a single exclusion from a generality. By generality, I am, of course, referring to a broad statement that oversimplifies the subject or subjects contain therein. Super post. By super, I mean excellent.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. thecontentedcrafter says:
    Apr 21, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    😀 😀 😀 And I just found out I could have been a lawyer but failed at #4 and probably also #16 because I never know when to stop……….

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth says:
    Apr 21, 2019 at 10:30 pm

    I am the daughter of an attorney and know of what you write.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Gary A Wilson says:
    Apr 22, 2019 at 12:26 am

    … and I married one in the making only to have her make her escape early to raise the kids after she saw what that world was really like. It proved to be a better option anyway, but there are habits that persist.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Norah says:
    Apr 22, 2019 at 7:26 am

    Very clever, Geoff.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Molly Stevens - Shallow Reflections says:
    Apr 22, 2019 at 11:09 am

    Haha! Very funny. Number 14 is my favorite. Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. derrickjknight says:
    Apr 22, 2019 at 1:39 pm

    I would hope you don’t feel a dick whatever expression you use

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. willowdot21 says:
    Apr 22, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    No Geoff you are not odd at all. Intact hubby is very much the same especially with the infamous contemporaneous notes. You did forget one point of law all Cows and Horses and possibly mules and Donkeys must have exclusion orders on them as far as you or I for that matter are concerned. 🤭💜

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  12. Rebecca Moon Ruark says:
    Apr 22, 2019 at 9:04 pm

    Ha, I love this. Ah, we parents of young children do a lot of precedent setting and warning the partner not to do the precedent setting. No candy before dinner, no video games weekdays. Oh no, now, he’ll think this is the rule of law!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Widdershins says:
    Apr 23, 2019 at 1:53 am

    Oh dear, unfortunately I think you still have lawyeritis. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  14. Jennifer Barricklow says:
    Apr 24, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    I especially admire the shopping list with the list of exclusions on the back. May have to start doing that myself… 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. noelleg44 says:
    Apr 24, 2019 at 8:58 pm

    Umm, err, I beg to differ. You are that unique!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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