There is refuge in the road, A diplomacy for the mind, A going to, and a getting away, A task and a respite. There is refuge in the road. The engine roars to life And we accelerate out of the ordinary. There is refuge in the road. The hills and valleys roll past, … More There is Refuge in the Road
I decided to drop my portable digital recorder into one of the Ford’s cup holders again and give a running commentary on my commute. Hey now, that’s entertaining; Pete Patterson drives to work; some fun, some serious events. One woman in an aging sedan honks at me as she speeds past. Her bumper sticker: “Co-exist.” … More The Pete Patterson Commute
I have maintained for a long time there is a flaw in the First Amendment. Anyone can start a church. One day in my practice, years ago now, a woman blew into my office to ask me to draft a settlement between her and her boyfriend about the custody of their 2 year old. Sort … More I’m A “Full” Christian
It’s winter, and the wrecks are piling up at the Swamp Creek Interchange. The term “interchange” is the short version of the confluence of Interstate 5, Interstate 405 and Highway 525. Like great rivers meeting the tide of commuters, the crossing is dangerous. More and more it seems I find cars and trucks discarded on … More The Swamp Creek Triangle
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, it was the 1970’s. My wife and I ended up watching a rerun of NCIS on some syndicated station during a rain storm last week. A guest star was Lando Calrissian – an actor I had last seen in Star Wars. Time has not … More Return of the Jedi
My father has been a lawyer since 1963. He is 80 years old, and officially retired. But he keeps working. Every night, his caseload returns to him in his dreams. They are all bad cases. He cannot find the file. He is late for court and has not read the file. I have long advised … More The Lawyer’s Mind Never Retires
I was astonished to wake today. The Mayans said we should be dead by now. Instead it is like any other day; a commute in the rain and clients waiting in person, via e mail or telephone. Then it occurred to me the world as we knew it has already passed. We are in the … More It’s The End of the World As We Know It
My sister is a prosecutor. When she is in trial against a criminal defense lawyer who believes so much in his clients cause that he or she cannot see the flaws in the case, she labels them a “true believer”. I was a true believer of Armstrong. We already had one genuine hero, Neil Armstrong. … More In Search Of Heros in a Post – Armstrong Era
You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack, And you may find yourself in another part of the world, And you may find yourself, behind the wheel of a large automobile And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife. And you may ask yourself “Well, how did I get … More Same As It Ever Was
