Mental

Life is really 90% attitude. Today, we had a client go completely scatterbrained on the stand today, and we couldn't get our case established strongly enough to get what we wanted. She has a huge mental block and her mind blanked when we needed her to say the things that she told us as we prepared for the case. And because she couldn't articulate her fear and intimidation, she lost her restraining order and the peace that came with it. So here we are again, back at square one. In other news, my dad had been taking a lot of shit from his employer for years. Now he's getting laid off for something stupid and he has no recourse because he never complained. It's hard to hear all this news in one day - you get tired of repeatedly seeing good people get the shaft. But now here is my challenge: to not let this stuff affect me; to keep a good attitude. In yet more other news, I chatted last night with a new friend that I made during the bar preparation course this summer, who also happens to be a classmate of mine from my law school. He's out in West Virginia clerking for a judge. Holy cow, the things he told me about being out there are downright scary. He feels like a fish out of water. To give me a feel for the area, he told me:

In response to an apparent domestic abuse problem, courthouse personnel have pinned up a poster that reads "beat a woman, lose your guns. It's that simple." Yes, that's sad on so many levels. Apparently the only way to pursuade [sic] rednecks not to beat their wives is to threaten their 2nd amendment rights. It's a whole different world out here...

But at least he's having some fun and learning a lot. It doesn't pay a whole hell of a lot but his cost of living is so much lower than here. He's renting a two-story townhome for $380(!!!). Poor thing is starved for civilized human contact, though. Civilized being defined as non-judgmental, rational, open-minded people. He invited me out there. NO, it's not like that. We barely know each other. But the thrill-seeker in me is thinking very seriously about it and feels like rising to the occasion. I've only passed through WVA once before, and that was on the way to a friend's wedding in 1998. It would be nice to actually STOP and see something, even if it is only to go hiking or biking, or to rediscover the constellation under a full and clear night sky. I learned a few things about him that I didn't know. Quite frankly, that's pretty easy since we never really conversed too much during bar preparation; everything was about the bar! He's a pianist, and played a little bit of piano for me while on the phone. He's also born in South America, in Argentina. He's half Jewish and half Argentinian. He speaks Spanish fluently. He was raised secular, but does believe in God. His father wasn't practicing Judaism, but I am not sure though if his mother was a practicing Catholic. Why am I telling you? So I don't forget. I like to remember these kinds of things about people, the little things. And if it helps me to remember, I will write here. I may strap up my bike within the next couple of weeks and go out there. Sounds pretty cool - biking or hiking in the hills ("he-eels") of West Virginia. Life can be so hard, but sometimes it can be pretty good. We just need to learn how to deal...