Anyone who happened to see the honors for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg including her lying in state at the Supreme Court and then being the first woman and first person of Jewish faith lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, has to think of how great America already is. Regardless of who your candidate for President may be, the symbolic nature of the past few days honoring Justice Ginsburg should make us all proud of the democracy which this country is and, please God, will always be.
Years ago, when I was still practicing law in Connecticut, I had the good fortune to be the legal counsel and one of the incorporators of an opera company. The Stamford State Opera, Inc. was formed by true opera lovers – yet, we all knew, we would do friendly battle with the wonderful offerings of opera in New York City – a mere one hour one way. The Metropolitan and, to an extent, the New York City opera presented excellent productions and great voices and orchestral accompaniment. Instead of seeing this as a reason not to go forward, it was rather, an inspiration to great possibilities for our relatively little opera company in Connecticut. As counsel, I had the good fortune of handling contracts including some for great singers of both Metropolitan and New York City opera.
Now, I live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I do not practice law – anymore. I am a writer, a teacher and a mediator. I have never met Justice Ginsburg. My wonderful wife, Bryane, met her some years ago and said she was lovely, friendly and unpretentious. Also, many years ago, I was a federal law clerk (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia). When I was sworn in as admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, my certificate was signed by Alexander Stevas who was a fellow alumnus of the same District Judge (Alexander Holztoff) for whom I later had clerked.
My late mother was born in Canada. She became a naturalized citizen well before I was born, and I have never met a person who was a more patriotic American than she was.
So today, like so many of us, I mostly stay in my little study, I write books, I mediate on rare occasions and I listen to music - including opera. I also contribute to this Blog to share thoughts (as you can also). I am so thankful to still be alive, be of good health (even with so many people being sick or dying of the Pandemic), to being with my wife and to being a citizen of this great country.
Charles Lickson
