Life Lessons Learned Along the Way: The Forest for the Trees
By Richard M. Mitchell, Esq., CPCU
We continue our series of personal, impactful stories that have shaped how we practice law.
I have been truly fortunate to have explored this giant rock we call home a fair deal in my life. Those of you who know me know that my in laws come from Australia. I always thought that was as far away as they could live and remain on the planet. I have enjoyed my journeys to that side of the world.
Recently, I was looking at pictures of one of those trips and reminiscing. It was a journey my wife and I took to Hawaii about 1½ years ago. It was the last two days of our trip. We had carefully planned our itinerary, as we always do, but I asked my wife if there was anything special she wanted on that day.
“Let’s take a helicopter ride over the island”, she replied. Immediately, I was somewhat reluctant. First, it seemed a small bubble in which to fly over the vast area. Additionally, it was anything but cheap.
“Do you know how many Mai Tais we could buy with that money?” I asked.
“When are you ever going to do this again, at least with me,” she answered crisply. She had a more than valid point. As we climbed into the flying bubble, I was awed by what I saw. The lush valleys and mountain streams were breathtaking. I cannot begin to describe them in words, but will always have those memories. As we darted from one side of the island to the other, I saw everything from up high. The tops of all of the trees and mysteries the island had to offer lay before me. When we landed, I thought that was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.
The next day was the last of our trip. We decided to go hiking, traversing the same area we had seen the previous day only from a much different vantage point. As our feet crossed the rich soil, I saw the fauna and leaves up close that I could not possibly see the day before from the sky. My mind envisioned the whole area and its vast beauty. That day, however, I was seeing the details. They were just as astounding, but in a completely different way.
It is probably not the best commentary on myself, but I recall thinking at the time this is so much like the practice of law, and life in general. It is important to see the big picture first, then understand all the mountains and valleys that exist in our paths. Only once we truly get that can we appreciate the fine details. My wife would probably think the same thing about this insight that she did many years ago when I studied for the CPCU exam on a beach in Jamaica, but that is a completely different story. Maybe I will tell that story someday, too. Then again, maybe not.
In our second article this month, Small Mistakes, Big Consequences, Jesse Roth shares a cautionary tale on the critical importance of proofreading before filing a brief.