Thoughts from the Board - Regina Walsh Adams

Autumn is upon us.  It seems a bit different this year.  The leaves are slowly changing and the temperatures are slowly decreasing.  It seems unlikely that we hit the 90’s in October but here we are.  For the past few days, we have not been able to clearly view our beautiful Rocky Mountains.  Smoke from wild fires from up North have slowly descended upon us.

Times are indeed changing.  We have a Presidential Election coming up in a matter of days.  No matter how the election turns out there will be big changes in store for all of us.  But in the meantime, aren’t we tired of the political ads?  I feel like I am getting pure meanness from both sides being shoved down my throat.  I have basically turned off the TV in order to have some peace and quiet.  It helps me get some time to focus on things that affect me.

I became a lawyer in 1983.  I never envisioned practicing so long.  I have enjoyed most of my career.  I look back on the changes in the way that things were done.  In the beginning…  First of all we never had anything more than word processors to work with.  Absolutely no computers.  This was a time beyond carbon copies where secretaries had to type of paper that was automatically copied onto the next two or three pages.  But still…

No computers meant no cell phones.  I recall going down to Pueblo one morning for a hearing that started at 8:30 and running out of gas on highway 85.  It was the dark of winter with no stars visible.  I was seven months pregnant and wearing a dark black coat.  I felt that I was in the middle of nowhere.  I put the flashers on and left my car to walk to the nearest gas station.  It was only about a mile and a half away, but I was gong to be late.  I had walked about 50 yards, and this truck started flashing its lights at me.  I stopped and looked around.  Nothing appeared and the truck kept going.  I started walking again and this State Patrol Trooper pulled in behind me with his lights flashing.  I started walking back.  There was a lot of light, and I could see the Trooper quite well.  He said to me, “Regina, what are you doing?”  I knew him.  John Hunt.  He told me he was on the way to training in Denver and that he had extra gas in his car.  I got a gallon and went to the gas station and filled up.  A Miracle I thought.  But my point is that things always worked out somehow, technology or not. 

As technology progressed, so did I and my colleagues.  We adapted and changed and became more efficient.  We like what we have because it has made a lot less work for us.  One of my first jobs involved representing a corporation in a Medicare fraud case.  This was right out of law school and my boss simply assigned me tasks.  One task involved cataloguing hundreds of boxes of corporate documents for discovery.  This was done by hand.  It got done but I often think of how quickly I could have done it today with the technology that we had.

I could go on and on with how things have changed over my career but I would like to mention a couple of things.  First, technology can be good.  But don’t let it run you.  It is there for you but not to guide you and make decisions for you.  Use it as you need and as it needs.  With the technology use it to your advantage and take time for yourself and do things that you enjoy.  Have a wonderful October!

 -- Regina Walsh Adams 

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