Last week I met with about a dozen former colleagues of mine from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for dinner at Lauriol Plaza. I like this place, but I don’t understand the mania around it. If the weather is nice, everyone goes there and it is not unusual to be told that there will be a two hour wait. We were lucky that we didn’t have to wait two hours. After dinner a few of us went over to Kramerbooks for dessert.
After we finished I asked our waiter if he would participate in the Year of Giving, but he said he was slammed and didn’t have time. So I wandered inside and through a small door that leads to a cozy café / bar where I found John sitting by himself fidgeting with his phone.
A patent litigation lawyer from Irvine, CA, John is in town for a law conference. He started his own practice with some partners in 2006. He handles all kinds of cases, although the examples he mentions are mostly in the area of technology and biotech.
When he is not practicing law, the 35-year-old says he enjoys sports, movies, and photography. In fact he had a nice Nikon camera placed in front of him at the bar.
John and his wife also are involved in giving. They help the Teen Leadership Foundation. Specifically he tells me about one set of kids that are with a foster family where the mother has cancer. In fact he says that he is going to give the $10 to her.
I asked John if there was anything you could help him with for the Lend a Hand section. He said no, but then thought for a minute and said, “Actually I really could use a responsible, hard-working personal assistant that I can trust to handle confidential materials.” So if that sounds like you or someone you know and you are in Irvine area, let me know and I will connect you with John.
We shook hands and thanked one another and I started walking home. About half way home I realized that I never gave John the $10! Oh no! I hustled back to the café hoping to find him still there. Sure enough he was there and was totally cool about it.
Year of Giving 
Lol – oops!
Too bad that ‘oops’ didn’t happen on April Fool’s. Would have been epic!
Re: Lauriol Plaza … I’ve often wondered the same thing and would never wait two hours to get in … but here’s my theory:
Most of the people who go to LP don’t live in Adams Morgan or in the surrounding neighborhoods so it’s an adventure for them. It’s kind of like standing around in a bar while you wait for your table, chatting it up with people.
The big plus for “out-of-towners,”though, is that LP has a parking service. People can drive in and drive out without having to circle 15 minutes or more for a place to leave their car.
it’s amazing, though, how big the place is and how packed it always is. Glad you were able to find John and give him the $10.
I love this project. Let us all continue the circle of giving.
Please let John know that I would love to interview for the position he is offering for a personal assistant. I have been a small business owner, as well as working in the Staff Judge Advocates office in the Navy processing Courts Martial.
I just moved to Laguna Hills California a few months ago and have been looking for work. I lived in New York for most of my life and there is always someone asking for money everywhere you look. A yogi friend of mine suggested that we should give a dollar to the first person we encounter with his or her hand out, without any thought or judgement, and do this every day. It may not change the world, but I have done this ever since.
I just sent John an email. Hopefully he gets in touch with one of us. -Reed
Too bad I’m not in Irvine, a personal assistant position sounds good. A virtual assistant would be even better!