Lost Horizon

I stopped for coffee this morning at the new Starbucks in International Place, or whatever the old Centrust building is now called. Strolling down near Wachovia, or whatever they are now calling that building, I saw the shoppers with bags, the pretty people going to holiday events, the lawyers on their crackberries, the women in sweaters and cold-weather boots, and the same homeless people I see every day, working the same patch of sidewalk they panhandle on every single day.

Does their rap ever work?

At the office, lots of holiday cards, a few bullcrap motions, a couple of meetings, a few loose ends wrapping up, but otherwise mostly quiet.

Then I got that wonderful verse from Coleridge in my head, and I couldn't let go of it:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree

I love the way that rolls off the tongue; why can't I write like that?

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree

We're blessed, aren't we? Despite the headaches, the tensions, opposing counsel, judges, clients, partners, staff issues and the annoyances of our daily practice, we are truly blessed. We live in our own forms of "pleasure domes," our Lost Horizons, with our Lexuses, our gadgets, our suits, lunches, cigars, wine, gyms and all the other extravagances that take up such a large portion of our working day.

Think of those less fortunate today and this holiday season, and give so that others can share in our bounty. I may post sporadically next week and once or twice more this year, so before I lapse totally into Bill Murray's closing speech from Scrooged, let me just wish each of you, and yours, a peaceful, joyful, and prosperous holiday and a fantastic 2008!

We will be back posting as usual on Monday, January 7.

In the meantime, thanks for sharing, and for reading.