It was a Monday, and I had just checked into a hotel for a three day stay. After I found and entered my room, I dropped my bags in my room and headed for the bathroom. I walked in, turned to my right, and flipped the light switch–and nothing happened. “The light bulb must be burned out,” I thought. I tried again–and nothing. Well, I hustled back downstairs to the front desk area and told the folks behind the counter that my bathroom light did not work. The young man looked at me, chuckled, and said, “You need to flip the switch behind the towel.”
My jaw dropped and I said to him, “There’s a switch behind the towel?” He assured me that there was a switch there, as he had just used it that morning when he cleaned the room. Shaking my head and wondering about whomever had decided to install a towel rack over the switch, I went back upstairs to see if this was really true. I put my hand behind the towel and felt a switch. Bingo, the light turned on!
I thought about this for a moment… I had a low opinion of the decision to place a light switch “behind the towel”–but then it reminded me of how often in life the real answer to something is hidden from us. The obvious answer is often not the right answer–but we need to find those professional counselors, health care providers, and lawyers who know where to find the light switch we need.
Imagine for a moment that you suddenly have a diagnosis of some grave physical ailment. You will most likely consider immediately hustling off to see experts at the best hospital around. As another example, even though we are lawyers, we often hire other lawyers to give us advice in specific legal problem areas. When lawyers need to hire a lawyer, we seek out an experienced practitioner with a proven record. You see, when I need an attorney, I want the best! We do not hire just anyone who says, “I’m sure I can take care of you, but I’m going to have to do some research in the area first.” We hire legal counselors and refer our clients only to attorneys who can readily say, “Oh yes, we handle situations like yours every day.” Those legal advocates know where the hidden light switches have been placed.
When it comes to dealing with the issues of the frail, elderly, and disabled, The Stano Law Firm knows where those hidden light switches are. Our areas of concentration are elder law estate planning, Medicaid, and V.A. long term care benefits. Our outstanding team turns on the lights for our clients every day!
