Changes and Choices

So many things have happened in the past month and a half, I think I'll just make a list. In no particular order:

1. I passed the Michigan bar exam.
2. I found a legal job.
3. I moved back to Wisconsin for said job.
4. My cat survived the eight hour trip back to Wisconsin.
5. I bought a new car.
6. I started my new job and already wrote two briefs.
7. My grandma died.
8. I turned twenty-six.

It makes me realize how quickly things can change, and how much our choices influence change. I made the choice to take a job that took me away from my family. At the same time, some things happened that I didn't have any control over. Change happens, and we just have to adapt.

So, I'm in a new place where I don't know anyone. It's been good so far, but it's quite a change from living at home all summer. So far, I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. I guess I've learned to stop trying to plan everything so far in advance.

Check the Facts First

In general, I think people are too quick to state something as truth without really knowing whether they have all the facts straight.

This happens all the time with celebrity gossip. Recently, for example, it was reported that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith had broken up. The story soon blew up on the internet, and rumor was everywhere being reported as fact. Legitimate news outlets even picked up the story.

Naturally, there was absolutely zero truth to the rumor. Everyone scrambled to update and/or retract stories. I personally don't believe this type of "report first, find out truth later, retract/clarify if necessary" journalism is a good thing. It definitely would not have been acceptable for me to turn in an article for my high school newspaper without checking the facts first, so I'm not sure why real news outlets are skipping this basic step. Turns out, I'm not alone in this criticism.

I think we're so desperate for a story, for an answer, that we're sometimes too quick to respond. The problem, of course, is that there's a danger in providing a false response. Rumor and falsehood, once spread, can have the power of truth. I personally can't imagine being a celebrity and having rumors about myself posted as truth all the time. I'm highly critical of myself and my work, so I know this type of careless media scrutiny would drive me mad. Rumor is a powerful thing, and it has the potential to ruin lives.

The Salon article linked above got me thinking, why are we so impatient? Why can't we pause and figure out if something is true before repeating it as fact? 

For the media, this answer is easy - money. Scandal sells, and the first person to spit out the story is the winner.

I'm guilty of speaking too quickly myself, of course, albeit in a slightly different way. My family took a trip to Pennsylvania this past week, and we spent one day at Gettysburg. While standing on the Confederate side of Pickett's Charge, my mom asked me if I knew who had ordered the doomed assault. Without thinking, I said Longstreet.

The correct answer, of course, is Robert E. Lee. Longstreet was actually the one who predicted the assault's  failure. So what I should have told my mother was, "I'm not sure. Maybe the helpful sign next to the fence will have more information."

But I didn't. It was just such an instant reaction for me to give an answer without thinking about whether I had remembered my history correctly. Like a gossip blog, I was so eager to say something that I didn't bother to fact-check.

So, my new goal for myself is to think a little more carefully before responding to a question or talking about history/news/current events (and to stop caring so much about celebrity gossip, but that's a whole other problem). After all, I don't have all the answers, and that's okay.

I just finished reading The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, and there's a line towards the end that I particularly like: "You ast yourself one question, it lead to fifteen...It didn't take long to realize I didn't hardly know nothing." Because in the end, to paraphrase Socrates, the truly wise person is the one who knows his own ignorance.

Forget Regret

The most important part of getting on with your life is learning to live without regrets.

Unfortunately, it's also one of the hardest.

Every day, we have to make decisions based on the knowledge and insights we have at the time. (For an analysis of choice and the human decision-making process, I recommend Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide. Truly a fascinating read).

Sadly, 20/20 hindsight is a powerful thing. I know I'm not alone when it comes to questioning choices I made and thinking about things I could have done differently.

Sometimes I look back and wish I had majored in something different in college, mostly because I think intellectual property law is fascinating, but I lack the science background necessary for the patent bar. I wish I had tried out more artistic extracurriculars in college, mostly because I would love to have a broader social network of college friends.

The interesting thing about regret, however, is that we only seem to have regrets about missed chances, about decisions that led to less favorable results. When things work out, it's much easier to just move on.

Take this attorney, who now regrets getting involved in a "baby selling" conspiracy. My first thought was, "Of course she regrets getting involved in something probably illegal! She got caught!" On second thought, I wondered, "Would she have these same regrets if she hadn't been caught?"

I think it's hard to say. It's true that you almost never hear about people harboring serious regrets over decisions that led to good things. It's probably also true that people rarely harbor regrets over questionable choices that worked out okay in the end. I'd like to think that most people (particularly attorneys) would feel guilty about breaking the law, but I'm not sure even that's 100% true.

In the end, however, bad choices and good choices are both choices. We can't know beforehand how things will turn out. Regret assumes that making some other decision would have led to a better result, and but we can hardly ever know that with any certainty.

I do know that I'm working on leaving the past in the past. I need to look forwards, not backwards. As Shakespeare would say, "What's gone and what's past help should be past grief."

On Unemployment

I took the Michigan bar exam last week. So did 1000 other people.

Which begs the question: Does Michigan really need 1000 new lawyers this year? The answer is almost certainly no.

The legal market is terrible everywhere, and Michigan is probably among the worst. I think it's a combination of the bad overall economy plus more law school grads plus technology changes that make it possible for law firms and clients to accomplish more work with fewer actual attorneys. I'm not saying efficiency is a bad thing. I'm just saying it's perhaps partially responsible for my current unemployment.

Trying to find a job has been brutal. I wish I'd kept track of how many resumes and cover letters I've sent. I know I'm qualified. I just need to find the right fit.

I keep reading articles about how my generation is lazy. The other day my mom overheard an older man at the eye doctor lamenting the fact that so many "young people" are unemployed. As if it's completely our fault.

I don't think my generation is lazy. I know plenty of hardworking yet unemployed people, and I generally include myself in that group. My sister just graduated from college and has been applying for jobs all summer with no bites. My cousin was recently laid off from his job at a school due to privatization. About half of my law school class graduated without a job.

We're willing to move to a new city or state. We're willing to earn low wages and receive crap benefits. We're willing to work long hours and get little to no credit for our hard work. We're willing to hit the ground running. All we ask is that the job be somewhat related to our education, that people recognize that a college or graduate degree isn't just a piece of paper.

But everywhere, it's the same story. You're overqualified. You're underqualified. You don't already live here and we don't believe you when you say you want to live here. It's getting to the point where a lot of people looking for work are saying, "What else can I do? I'm doing everything I possibly can."

Maybe we need to recapture that "American" pioneering spirit, but most of us weren't taught that way. We were raised to join some sort of industry, to find a company/organization/etc. that fit our training and talents. We weren't taught to be entrepreneurs.

Law school in particular did not teach me to be an entrepreneur. My coursework and internships were geared towards working in a firm or for the government. That's always what I planned to do. Over the course of the summer, I've realized I need to broaden my horizons.

I know I have to make opportunity happen for myself. When I figure out how that works, I'll get back to you.

Thoughts on Independence Day

(Dear Non-U.S. Readers: I apologize in advance for the unapologetic American-ness of this post)

I read a lovely opinion piece today on the real meaning of the Declaration of Independence (HERE at The Washington Post).

The article reminds me that looking to the past for guidance in the present only works if you understand history. As the recent Sarah Palin-Paul Revere episode shows, far too many politicians use history as a weapon and/or shield when in reality they have completely messed up the facts.

I minored in Political Science as an undergrad, and my focus was on American Politics and Political Theory. As such, I've spent a great deal of time analyzing the founding documents. Granted, there is a lot of debate about the meaning and proper interpretation of these texts, and there are some obviously negative things the documents supported (slavery), but I think there are some clear takeaways from the history of the Founders.

The Founders believed in the power of the people (for good or ill). Some members of the Continental Congress were admittedly somewhat distrustful of "the mob" (hence the electoral college), but they did believe in representative government. As the opinion piece linked earlier mentions, the problem wasn't taxation, it was taxation without representation.

The Founders believed in discourse, in finding a balance. The Constitution reflects this compromise between those who wanted a strong federal government and those who wanted stronger states' rights. Behind all of this debate, however, was a desire to be one nation. Everyone who had a hand in the creation of the United States was a patriot, no matter their politics.

To that end, I am disgusted by a new study which states that people who attend patriotic parades as children (like the 4th of July parades happening this weekend) are more likely to be Republicans as adults. Here's the ABC news report I watched. To qualify this a bit, I haven't yet read the actual study. But the implication that being a patriot has anything to do with one's personal political beliefs is appalling.

I have always considered myself a patriot. As a college student, I spent a summer in Washington, D.C., and I have many fond memories of visiting the Smithsonian, touring the White House, listening to jazz on the Mall, and watching the 4th of July fireworks from the base of the Washington Monument.

Appreciating history and being a patriot has nothing to do with personal politics, but national politics is better if those in charge know where they came from.

I'm continually surprised by how many people don't know history. And I'm continually disappointed by politicians who twist history to their advantage.

I'll end with a quote from President James Madison: "The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty."

Honesty is (Probably) the Best Policy

It seems as though everyone is lying in the Casey Anthony trial. I'm curious to see what happens, because at this point I don't even know if the truth of what happened is even discernible. (For those who need an update, The Orlando Sentinel has a pretty good rundown of the case).

In short, it's a mess, and the media has undoubtedly made it worse. The case has been sensationalized to the point that the concept of a fair trial has pretty much flown out the window. People won't care about that, though, if the end result leads to "justice."

The problem is, justice too often has little to do with the truth.

For all that we talk about honesty, sometimes I wonder if people actually value the truth. We seem to like honesty and truth in theory, but in many cases other things seem more important.

For example, Joy Behar recently received a lot of criticism for stating (during a discussion of the Anthony trial on The View) that she would lie to protect her daughter. The problem is, I think a lot of people would lie to protect someone they love. I'm not a parent, but I think this is a natural parental instinct.

At the same time, we're also conditioned to question everything. Thus, even when someone is telling the truth, we may not be inclined to believe them. I can see why this Catch-22 leads people to stretch the truth or even to lie if it helps their case.

What we need to remember, however, is that lying tends to ultimately backfire. Any number of politicians can tell you that. We shouldn't lie simply because it's easy to get away with it. We shouldn't stay silent when the truth would open up lines of communication (after all, a lie of omission is still a lie). We should applaud those who do wrong and admit it up front. And we should definitely be honest with ourselves and our loved ones.

(Also, the reason I've been MIA is due to studying for the bar exam. I've been blogging about that adventure here).

Total Recall

People seem to have forgotten that elections have consequences. Efforts to recall recently-elected Republican governors are underway in both Wisconsin and Michigan. No Democrats have put forth their own ideas to fix the economy...they just don't like what the other party is doing. I suppose they figure that simple dislike justifies the recall movement, but I'm not convinced it does.

My parents recently attended a planning meeting for the recall of Michigan governor Rick Snyder. They haven't decided if they want to be part of such a scheme, in part because the people behind the recall don't actually have any alternate ideas. Michigan is in financial trouble, clearly. Unemployment is still high and the state has a cash flow problem. Even if you don't like what Republicans are doing, at least they're attempting to do something. 

Additionally, recall efforts in Michigan started two weeks after Snyder was sworn in. At that point, the recall effort can't possibly have been about any specific legislation or plan, but rather a reaction simply to the fact that Snyder is a Republican.

The effort to recall Scott Walker in Wisconsin is a little more understandable. He pushed through legislation to end collective bargaining for public employees and he did it in a way that completely thwarted the political process. The law was just struck down, in fact, for violating the Wisconsin open meetings law. It has also become apparent that this "budget repair bill" actually had very little to do with fixing the state budget. If Walker is recalled (probably unlikely given that most of the state still supports him), it could at least be justified as getting rid of someone who concealed his true motivations and ignored state law. 

I'm curious to know how many people who support recall efforts actually voted last November. Voter turnout numbers in the U.S. are frankly embarrassing. Far too many people take their freedoms for granted. If you don't vote, I don't think you have much right to complain.

Furthermore, it seems to me that simple dissatisfaction with election results does not mean that those who are elected should immediately be recalled. Furthermore, unless you have a better idea, what's the point? Might as well let the Republicans screw up and use that to feed the fires of 2012.

Home Sweet Home

"Home is where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." - Diana Gabaldon, Voyager

Moving back home with the parents is every 25-year-old's worst nightmare. It's been two days and already my desire to get out has exploded, my motivation to find a job greater than ever.

Moving back home is complicated by the fact that my grandma now lives with my family, meaning there are three people for two bedrooms. I'm currently camped out in the basement, but once the new bunk beds come in, my 22-year-old (also unemployed) sister and I will be sharing a room. Not exactly the way either of us planned to start our adult lives.

It's easy to feel like a failure in this situation. I'm trying hard to keep my head up, to move forward. It helps to know that I'm not alone - about 50% of my law school class graduated without a job. I just have to remember that eventually I'll find a job and will be working in a field that I enjoy and find fulfilling.

And really, my parents are awesome and funny, and in some ways it's nice to be back in a place where everyone appreciates me for who I am.

I do have to wonder, though, if this delayed adulthood thing is good in the long run. It's going to be years before I'm in a position to buy a house or start a family. The gap between my high school peers and me is huge - many of them are now married with kids, and I'm still living with my parents. I suppose it depends on how you measure success. I've had academic but not personal success, and my old classmates are the opposite. As to which is better for a stable society, I have no idea. A balance of both is clearly needed, but that possibility escapes me, at least for the time being.

My job search does have a necessary expiration date, though. I lose my health insurance when I turn 26, so that gives me until Halloween to find employment.

Ending the Debate?

President Obama released his full birth certificate in an effort to quiet the "birthers." Read the Washington Post article here.

Is this an end to the silliness? Probably not. Already, people are picking apart the birth certificate in an effort to analyze its legitimacy. One commenter literally said, "He got the CIA to forge this for him." Really? Though the CIA has done some questionably legal things, I'm pretty sure the Agency has better things to do with its time than create fake birth certificates.

I wish more politicians were interested in real dialogue. Baseless attacks like this one are just a distraction. Some of the Republicans seem to like the distraction, presumably because they don't have any real ideas to fix the economy.

On the other hand, people like Karl Rove seemed frustrated by the "birther" issue because it just made the Republicans look like idiots. In that way, Obama may have helped the Republican Party by disclosing the long form certificate. From the Democratic perspective, it's useful to make the opponent look delusional.

What all of this indicates, though, is that we're still too focused on things that don't really matter. Both parties love these side issues because they don't have solutions to the big problems.

I'm not saying I have solutions. I don't. That's why I vote, so I can put people in power who hopefully do have solutions. But all too often, there's a lack of focus in Washington.

We needed to move on yesterday. Let's hope that actual change is finally coming tomorrow.

The Challenge of Optimism

I am a recovering pessimist.

I have always had a tendency to assume that the worst-case scenario is likely to occur. I've been going through some personal relationship struggles, and I fell pretty quickly into a negative shame spiral. I'm realizing, however, that all this negativity has gotten me nowhere. I'm working on laughing at myself more and having more fun.

After all, as they say in Rocky Horror, time is fleeting.

I'm working on being the best person I can be, on moving beyond mediocrity. I need to take time to enjoy the little things - after all, even something inherently pointless (like building the tallest celery tower) can be fun in the moment. Maybe in some ways I've been so focused on trying to be successful in my professional and personal life that I'm missing the purpose of living in the first place.

I've been getting into positive psychology lately. It's funny, because I hated the psychology class I took in undergrad, but focusing on positive emotions is important to me right now. For anyone who's interested, I recommend this website: Authentic Happiness. It's the homepage of Dr. Martin Seligman, who founded positive psychology. It's all about awareness of self, of figuring out your own strengths and focusing on finding happiness.

I know this is different from what I usually post. At the same time, though, my critique of things I see going on around me has always been based on the idea that we all can do better. I know I'm sure as hell trying.

Children and Sex

Yesterday in my Equal Employment Law class we were discussing gender stereotyping and workplace grooming codes. One student brought up the potential harm caused by the sexualization of young women working in places where they are told they need to look a certain way (i.e. sexy or pretty).

It turns out that the negative consequences are real. Women who are oversexualized at a young age face higher rates of depression and low self-esteem.

These days, according to this article (thanks CNN), that sexualization is starting earlier than ever. This appears to be an ongoing trend, not just a passing phase. I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers the South Park episode "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset."

I know I personally have seen little girls dressed like sorority girls on more than one occasion, and it makes me glad that my parents dressed me in windsuits and cat sweaters until I reached middle school.

I probably don't have any right to speak on this topic, as I'm not a parent, but here goes. What are people thinking? Childhood is short enough. Don't make it any shorter.

Debt Sucks

UW held a financial aid seminar for graduating law students today, and boy was it depressing. As if it wasn't bad enough that student loan debt is now greater than credit card debt, the legal job market still hasn't really picked back up. If I'm lucky I'll find a public interest job and get myself on the ten-year loan forgiveness track.

Today I interviewed for a job. A fellow student, whom I know for a fact is ranked third in our graduating class, was also interviewing. The fact that he doesn't yet have a job is telling of just how bad the situation has become. It makes me wonder how many young people across America are in the same situation. Convinced that grad school was a great idea, that we had found our "calling," we now face little more than a mountain of debt. And the view from that mountain is terrible.

All That Matters is the Blame

In the words of Stephen Sondheim, "No, it's your fault!"

So, the government narrowly avoided shutdown by reaching a short-term compromise. In the hours leading up to this last-minute solution, however, I wasn't seeing much in the way of actual action. All I saw was a lot of finger pointing.

Too many members of Congress were more focused on assigning the blame than solving the problem. Does it really matter who we blame for the budget shortfall? Is it even possible to pin this on one person or one policy? Of course not.

I don't vote for people so they can spend their time and my tax dollars squabbling like first-graders about who ate the last cookie. Just bake some more cookies, already.

I've been avoiding this...

...but I feel like I finally need to get this out.

I am sick of Charlie Sheen.

Why are we glorifying this douchebag? We get it; he has problems. But really, it took a freaking earthquake and tsunami to get this guy out of the news, at least temporarily. The uprising in Libya wasn't more important. The economy wasn't more important. Even in Wisconsin, where tens of thousands of people have been protesting daily since Valentine's Day, the local news found it necessary to report on Charlie Sheen.

Are we just obsessed with celebrity culture? Is watching Sheen fall apart some weird sort of schadenfreude? I mean, even this somewhat ridiculous Chinese editorial made some good points in that this isn't the type of thing that should be splashed all over the news. Personal struggles, even those of celebrities, should be private. Charlie Sheen shouldn't have been given the opportunity to get so much press out of his bad behavior.

But in a world where nothing is private, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised.