By Judge Thomas Wyatt, Chattanooga

“To every thing there is a season…” Mine is ending soon, and a new chapter will begin.

Many practitioners are aware that I became a workers’ compensation judge on July 1, 2014, with the original group of judges. (See below; we haven’t aged a day.)

Working with Bureau staff and interacting with the lawyers who practice before the Court has been the singularly most enjoyable and rewarding experience of my 45-year legal career. I will truly miss every one of you when I am no longer working.

When my torts professor at UT Law School asked our class how many of us would forgo practicing law if someone was willing to pay us $100,000 annually (a lot more then than now) to go ahead and retire, I think the 24-year-old me raised my hand.

The passage of time has curbed my enthusiasm on retirement somewhat, although some things about the practice of law (interrogatories, competition for cases, returning phone calls, client financial crises, etc.) I would gladly forego.

But all in all, I think the present me would advise my 24-year-old self to practice law, especially if you can end your career as a workers’ compensation judge. If nothing else, a long career in law gives you many good stories to tell (if not so many people who want to hear them).

I haven’t decided exactly what to do when I ride off into the horizon of Social Security and the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System on June 30, 2026. I have five grandchildren, and I hope to be more active in their activities than I have been. I’ve some plans for work through my church and the local ministries of my denomination. My wife, Linda, and I will travel some, although I’ve become more of a homebody than I might’ve thought. Also, I hope to dedicate more time to maintaining my health than I’ve done in the past.

For all of you who remain in practice after I leave, I really don’t have any advice you don’t already know. Here are a few truisms that have been confirmed in my experience.

• Your children grow up really, really fast, so do those things with them that knock around in your busy minds from time to time.
• Look after your health, and don’t put off nagging aches and pains as natural parts of aging.
• Carve out time for faith, and give thanks to God and all those who poured into you. Join a church, attend regularly, and maybe take on a position of responsibility.
• Make friends in and outside of the law.
• If you’re married, make sure your spouse is your very best friend.
• Also, make friends with other couples. You and your spouse need to take time to share bits of your lives with them.
• Find one to three really good friends that you can tell anything to and do anything with.
• Finally, remember the old song, “The Cat’s in the Cradle.” For most of you, there will be a day when your parents won’t be around any longer to talk to.

Until June 30, I look forward to making the most of the final weeks of my career. Thanks for helping to make my job so rewarding.

Note: Direction regarding the application process to fill this vacancy will be announced in the coming weeks.

The original eight. This seems like just yesterday.