I was sitting in a federal appeals courtroom, listening to a case being presented to a judge. At first I was standing but then I sat down on a metal bar which was behind me about waist high, and put my feet on another metal bar below me. Just as I was beginning to feel at ease, the judge called out my name, "Mr. Collier."
I was unnerved to hear him calling me, but I stood up and tried to maintain my composure as much as possible. He had just finished ruling for one party in the case, and he wanted to know what I thought should be said in a letter to the other party. I quickly thought back over the case. It seemed to have to do with a government entity being able to use the land of an individual person for something. I knew that in the case the parties had often been referred to as the lessor and the lessee. And I thought the judge had decided that the government unit would be allowed to use the property. But I didn't know what letter he was talking about. So in as calm and composed a voice as I could muster, I asked the judge if he could clarify which letter he was referring to. Was he talking about the original letter that should be sent as notice to one of the parties saying the land was going to be used? I was careful not to use the words lessor or lessee since I really didn't know which was which in the case.
The judge seemed to think my question was reasonable, but said that wasn't the letter to which he was referring. I quickly inferred then that he must be talking about the letter which would be sent after this hearing which would explain the ruling of the court. I began considering how I would start the letter by saying that a judgment was rendered of even date herewith.
Copyright 2004 by luciddreamer2k@gmail.com
