The Old and Wise

There are some folks in life who elevate you. When you spend time with them, you always come away from a meeting thinking you've learned something, that you were fortunate to be in their company. I feel that way about Judge Murray.

My law partner calls him Murray, since he's been retired from the bench for years. I always call him Judge, since to me, once you earn a title, you get to keep it.

The Judge is a mediator, and has been for 20 years. He was a Judge, practicing lawyer, mayor of a city, and policeman. He is 78 and widowed. He has no children.

He has been there, done that, and had a corned beef sandwich with everyone else who has. Still, he loves to hear folks' life stories, and never stops learning.

My partner and I ran into him at breakfast next to the Courthouse today. He and my partner share a love of Las Vegas, and always compare notes. The Judge's trips include some gaming, and visits to the singles areas, where he always approaches a lady with the same line: "Have you ever danced with a perfect stranger?"

There is little doubt that His Honor gets more action than virtually anyone else his age, with the possible exception of Hugh Hefner.

We talked about politics, and he told us that alwthough he's been a lifelong Democrat, he'll probably vote Republican in this presidential election. He thinks both Clinton and Obama are too left leaning. We talked about vice presidential selections. "Vice PResident is a job no one wants, yet no one turns down." He always has some chestnut like that to share.

The Judge recently mediated a case for my firm, and settled it, as he usually does. My client, a 30 year old Black working woman, would seemingly have little in common with a wealthy semi retired Jewish white man. Still, at the end of the mediation, she was asking me about the Judge's marital status. She had, like so many others, succumbed to his charms.

So, here's to many more years of Judge Murray. Next time I see him at Joe's Stone Crabs, I'm picking up his dinner tab.