Ithaca Lawyer Tells Skunk Tales

You may not think that living in Ithaca, NY would expose you to a host of wildlife but it has. Believe it or not since this city boy has been upstate I have had many run-ins of the animal variety. In six years time I have killed Bats (see my blog on the B.A.T.) aka "breath alcohol test," Hit a deer, been stopped on the highway by wild Turkeys, and this morning went face to face or "mano a mano" with a Skunk.

It's 5:30am, and this skunk was ravaging through my trash. I banged on the back door, and he just turned to look up. Looked straight at me, no fear, not a flinch. Then he went back to eating. Brazen little ,,,, I thought, I banged again, he then turned his back towards me, and I saw the puckering. I though uh oh, this is not going to end well, so I backed off, I waited, I banged again and yelled. He then just turned, and casually walked away.

I thought dealing with that skunk is kinda like law. Sometimes you bang a little, yell a little, with words, motions, and hearings (challenges/postures) and then you wait. People back off, think it through, and then a compromise is reached.

Getting sprayed by that potent, noxious skunk juice wouldn't kill ya but it most certainly wouldn't be fun either. The skunk just wants to eat something.

Everybody wants something. They may not get all of it, in fact they may be satisfied with just some of it. I guess the key very often is discovering that place in the center. The place where everyone can live.  Yeah that skunk made me think that yelling and banging need balance too, and just maybe I'm a better lawyer because of it.

Lawrence (Larry) Newman, D.C., Esq.

Doctor of Chiropractic
Attorney and Counselor at Law

504 North Aurora Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

607-229-5184

http://www.ithacadwi.com