Today is World Autism Awareness day. My Facebook profile picture is my 8yo son Dylan, showing you, and me, what he thinks of autism. I imagine it’s something along the lines of “I just want to do what I want and have fun like every other boy. Sometimes it’s just hard.” Other times I imagine that’s it’s a hearty “fuck autism,” like when he’s scrambling up the rock climbing wall better than any 8yo in the place.
But he probably doesn’t think about it. He just moves through life, doing what he can and frustrated when his reach exceeds his grasp — just like the rest of us.
So, be aware, be supportive, and perhaps this year you’ll take some action, however small.
Awareness only gets you so far. I’d venture that Dylan is unaware that he has autism. He just acts.
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autism
Here’s one of my favorite quotes, from Alice in Wonderland:
I can explain all the poems that ever were invented — and a good many that haven’t been invented just yet.
- Humpty Dumpty
Unfortunately, as good as I am, my skills do not extend to all contract provisions. I read at least one this month that didn’t have *any* conceivable meaning. I don’t know who wrote it, and I certainly don’t know why. Lawyers spend a good chunk of time, especially at certain law schools, learning how to both live in and construct hypotheticals, forwards and backwards, to understand the law and the facts and that intersection of the two that we call legal advice.
So when I can’t even come up with a hypothetical situation or meaning or intent for a provision, it’s really, really broken. And while that usually means nothing bad will happen, I wonder: what was the client or lawyer trying to do that didn’t get done? What’s the opportunity cost of that?
And that’s one more reason great lawyers don’t sell forms: forms don’t give you advice.
