Twenty years ago, I practiced law with a wonderful lawyer named Kirk Osborn. Kirk was athletic, handsome, and charismatic. He exuded confidence and kindness. I envied the way people were instantly drawn to him, especially strangers.
We tried a number of complex, contentious, and emotionally grueling cases together. No doubt, I am a better lawyer because of him.
But, that’s not why I mention Kirk today.
Kirk was enthusiastic about lots of sports, but he was (to use one of his words) “fanatical” about the Tour de France. Kirk especially admired Lance Armstrong. He wore one of those yellow bracelets and felt a kinship to others who wore them, even though anyone could buy one for a dollar.
At that time, I did not understand the Tour de France obsession. People rode bicycles for days and days and days. Kirk and our assistant, Kim, followed every minute and rehashed “the highlights” the following day.
One hot July their enthusiasm wore off on me. I watched and got hooked. As I lost my tolerance for the July heat, my love for the Tour grew.
My boys were little and still enjoyed hanging out with me. I would have one under each arm, a cup of coffee in one hand, and the newspaper in the other as we watched the early morning stages. We planned family gatherings with friends around certain stages.
It became the event that got me past the July heat every year.
And then, 2020 comes along. The Tour was scheduled to begin on June 27th and run through much of July. I had every intention of watching and could not imagine summer without it.
Needless to say, life does not always go as planned. Allowing thousands of cyclists, support staff, and fans to gather a few weeks after seeing their Coronavirus numbers recede could have been a disaster for France.
So, the Tour is postponed and scheduled for August 29th through September 20th. It won't be the same. It's not as hot then.
Who knows whether it will even happen. As I write, The Guardian is reporting a “marked increase” in the number of coronavirus cases in France.
But, we made it through July. If the Tour de France doesn’t start in August, we will survive that as well. This pandemic is a great reminder that everything is relative.
During and after this pandemic, we will continue to represent people accused of criminal offenses and professional misconduct who risk losing everything. We work to get them their best possible results and back to leading productive lives.
Call if you need us, or if you just want to say hello.
Amos
P.S. Kirk died in 2007. He would have been 78 on July 4, 2020. By my calculations, Stage 8 was scheduled for that day.