Commentary: A now, now, now mentality cuts both ways

Wow, this whole new-kid, wife-off-work, running-a-business stuff didn't get any easier with the celebration of our nation's independence.

I guess I should've expected it.

I would love to speak today about the latest developments in the legal world, and give them a little of my acerbic twist for a funny column, but I have no idea what the latest developments include.

Did they bring back the rack in lieu of lethal injection?

Do all criminal defendants have to be medicated while at trial, instead of just the "crazy" ones?

Will they begin to hold Guantanamo tribunals on the sunny shores of Key West, Fla., to make sure lawyers' rights are not offended by the socialist hotels in Cuba?

Probably not, but since I think I've barely watched five minutes of CNN in the morning lately, it's kind of hard for me to tell what's going on in the big world.

I did finish my CLEs on June 30 -- which is good, as I am in compliance with the Supreme Court's requirements.

Though I must say, I have never sat through a more boring few hours of general updates about the law.

I think CLEs should be more than just showing pictures of my kids to old law school buddies and talking about the economy taking a bite out of the business.

Not the bite it is taking out of the housing and mortgage business, but a bite nonetheless.

I guess I should be doing more to get some foreclosure business in the door.

Oh, well, the only banker my family knows already has a "buddy" in the loop on that business.

Such is life -- the ebb and flow, that is.

I just wish I knew what the heck the ebb was going to be before the flow.

I mean, I saw the ebb coming with my wife taking time off work and all, but she was supposed to get a portion of her salary.

Now that that isn't working out quite the way she wanted, I am getting the ol' speech about how I need to get the "flow" going faster.

I understand, but what a bad time for the speech.

Here you are, taking the maximum amount of time away from the office as possible to be supportive of your young family and mom's recovery, and then mom tells you that you aren't bringing enough money in the door, so maybe you should get a second job.

Just when will I find the time to get a second job?

What my wife fails to understand is that every second I am not in the chair, waiting to answer the phone or working to close files, is a second we are not going to make any money as a family.

So, while it's nice for me to take the morning off and go to the zoo with the 2-year-old while mom and the month-old sleep and take it easy, there are consequences for that.

The guy who calls in and is just as excitable about solving problems now, now, now as my wife is, will not leave a message. He will call the next lawyer on his list and get his problem taken care of now, now, now.

Man, I thought after three or four years of this tug-o-war my wife would have gotten all this, but alas, she did just have a baby.

But alas, I can't blame anything on that.

Know anyone who needs a good bartender who falls asleep at 11 o'clock whether he likes it or not?

Craig Napier is a member of White & Napier in Kansas City, performing litigation for small businesses and families throughout the metro area. He can be reached at craig@whiteandnapier.com.

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