Vol. 32, No. 2, 5. From the President.

• Author: By Rick Lavery

Wyoming Bar Journal

2009.

Vol. 32, No. 2, 5.

From the President

Wyoming Lawyer Issue: April, 2009 FROM THE PRESIDENT . . . By Rick Lavery

My son Chris graduated from college last May with a degree in marketing. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do--go to graduate school, get a job, or hike around Europe, etc. At his parents urging, he ended up taking a job as a purchasing agent with a regional industrial construction company. He's been living at home. I think it's a great job with lots of opportunity. He, on the other hand, has dreams and dreams upon dreams that don't necessarily jibe with being a purchasing agent. When you're 23, that's how it should be. So he's been trying to find a way to get going - somewhere. When it comes to my kids, I'm nervous by nature, and in this economy, I'm nervous, cubed. Ann and I have talked him out of leaving a couple of times, but the call to, "go west young man," is just too strong. To him, there's another gold rush going on. There isn't any mining involved, but it's the riches that come with finding something one loves to do and figuring out a way to do it! His college buddy, Mike, passed through and spent a night with us in January. He's left a good job in Milwaukee and is heading west as well. We had a great visit and believe me, I get it. I know what they are looking for, but I'm the dad and I'm nervous. This isn't the right economy to be unemployed and looking for work.

The morning Mike left, we were eating breakfast, watching the news and reading the paper-that's my morning ritual. I don't remember what channel we were watching (I know television stations want us to think that they offer a distinct perspective, but please, television journalism is the new "trash novel, err.short story." They all say the same thing, and "newsworthy" has become an oxymoron in a single word. It's not news and it's not worthy.) Anyway, a story popped up about Caylee Anthony, the little girl who was first missing and subsequently found murdered. Her mother has been convicted by all of the television news mavens. Mike looked at me in disbelief and said, "Have you heard about this?" I told him that it had been all over the news for the last six months and started to give him my view of the garbage that poses as news. He looked at me and matter-of-factly said, "Oh, I don't watch the news; it's too...