No. 1073 - A KNOCK ON THE DOOR!

No. 1073

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR!

Sometime back I heard an interesting story about three friends who were taking a drive one Sunday evening out in the country. It was before the days of electronic devices, and their car had a fan belt break just before nightfall. One of the friends was a Jewish Rabbi, one a Hindu Swami, and the other was a lawyer.
As luck would have it, they were not far from a farmhouse, so they went there to seek help. The farmer, a hard-working man, was already ready for bed, but he put on his britches and came to the door. When they told him their plight he said, “Well, I am already ready for bed and I am not going to get dressed and take you to get help tonight. You can stay here and I will take you in the morning, since I am going to town anyway. And besides, I don’t have any parts or know anything about these new-fangled cars.”
This farmer had a wife and two kids, but they had a large house with two extra bedrooms, so it meant one of their guests would have to sleep in the barn. After the farmer’s wife fixed them some supper, they all got ready to go to bed, and the three guests drew straws to see who was going to sleep in the barn. The Jewish Rabbi lost, so he was the one who had to make his way out to the barn. About 15 minutes after they all turned in, there was a knock on the door. When the old farmer opened it, the Jewish Rabbi was standing there and he said, “There is a pig in the barn and I am not going to sleep in any building where there is a pig.”
So, the two remaining guests had to draw straws so they could determine whose lot it was to go to the barn. The Swami lost, and so had to give up his nice comfortable bed and go to the barn. However, about 15 minutes later, there was another knock on the door. When the farmer opened it, there stood the Hindu Swami. He said, “There is a cow in the barn and I am not going to sleep in any building where there is a cow.” Of course, the three guests were good friends and wanted to keep peace, so it became the lawyer’s turn to make the trip to the barn. In about 15 minutes, there was yet another knock on the door. When the farmer opened it, there stood the pig and the cow.
Now, I hope my attorney friends will forgive me for telling this story because they know I am just kidding. When I shared this story with an attorney friend I go to church with, he said, “I have heard all the lawyer jokes and there are only three, all the rest of them are true.” He then lamented that there was a day when lawyers were professionals, but now most simply have a job. Not being a lawyer, I don’t know how much stock to put in his statement, but I do know the ethics and morals of lawyers are changing, just like all other professions.
However, as I write these words I am reminded that there are thousands and thousands of good, honest, reputable attorneys throughout our land. These are men and women of character and integrity who serve their clients well and provide those services that are vital to have an orderly society where the rights of all citizens are protected. I might add, if you are an attorney and cannot honestly say that I have been describing you, you can become one with a change of attitude and heart; someone who seeks a “win-win” solution in contentious lawsuits and not the “I-win, you-lose” mentality. This is just something for you to think about.
In terms of the lawyer jokes, I may as well get used to hearing them, as my granddaughter has just been accepted into the Bowen Law School and will begin this coming fall.
---
(Editor’s Note: Bookcase for Every Child – Changing Lives & Futures – ONE AT A TIME. Please visit our website: www.bookcaseforeverychild.com)