You ever wanted to trade places with someone? (I have) Usually, though, you want to trade places with someone because they have something you want: the looks, the lifestyle, the money, the fame, etc. However, today I met someone who would benefit from my lifestyle, and I would benefit from hers. She was a financial analyst at a large, prestigious financial firm in Los Angeles; but she wanted to go to law school and obtain a law degree. I am a 3rd-year law student, about to get his law degree from a top-2o law school, who wants that job. O what a deal we could make; if only there was a way we could engineer that. (Privately, I think I'd be getting the better end of the deal, but who am I to nix a perfectly valid transaction between mutually assenting parties?)
It's funny, though, thinking about it, how different any of our lives could be. At various points in our lives, we have "traded" one possible life path for another; our decisions as to where to work, where to go to school, who to hang out with determine the shape that our lives took. There's some minor decisions, but I'd say every 2 or 3 years there's a BIG decision that really presents two sides of a "tradeoff"......you can only choose one path, so in essence you trade one possible path for another. For me, a few key decisions shaped my path: 1. in 2002, I decided to stay in public high school instead of go to a more prestigious math and science academy.... 2. in 2005, I decided to attend University of Illinois rather than go to some other out-of-state school.....in 2007, I made the decision to take the LSAT and begin the process of going to law school (HUGE decision, looking back on it).... in 2008, decided to go to USC Law School specifically......in 2009, decided to stay in law school after 1L year........and here I am now. Am I happy with my decision? Well, honestly, there's some regrets, and things that I wish I could take back, but looking at it objectively, with the information I had when I made those decisions, I actually did the best possible thing for myself given the circumstances; a lot of what played out afterwards is determined by luck (there's also ability, effort, and such, but I don't think I've shortchanged myself in those departments). I think that's how most people are: Yea sure, some lament about how they "made some poor choices" or "went the wrong way," but in general people make the right decisions for themselves; you try to treat yourself right. Just keep trying to make good decisions, I guess, and eventually a few in a row will work out.
Anyway, I met the aforementioned person at an Elder Law clinic.....actually pretty interesting, I got the chance to put my Chinese translating skills to good use, as well as learn what a power of attorney can be good for (in case of health care decisions when an individual doesn't have the capacity to make decisions would be one situation).
SUPER busy the last week, but that's how I like it, I think......I need to keep myself busy in order to enjoy the downtimes, makes the relaxing times sweeter, knowing I accomplished stuff and HAVE THE ABILITY to accomplish stuff.
"We see any alcohol on the field, the tournament will be OVER. We catch a USC student consuming alcohol on the field, you will be asked to leave, and the tournament will be OVER. If you are not a USC student and you are caught with alcohol on the field, you will be sighted for misuse of public property, asked to leave, and the tournament will be OVER."
-- Heard from a USC campus security officer before the USC Law softball tourney yesterday, as a result of alcoholic drinks being brought onto the softball field without prior-approved permission. At the time it was distressing because we thought the softball game might be cancelled, but still the quote above was pretty funny. I kept wanting to blurt out, "so does the tournament still go on if there's alcohol?"
I was proud of our 3L team as we taught the 1L's a lesson in the opening round, playing all-around baseball to limit them to 2 runs in a 5-2 seven-inning victory, but some costly mistakes in the second game against the defending champ 2L's led to an 8-5 loss (we yielded 8 runs in just 4 innings the 2nd game, tough) (Also, like how I went with the John McCain political answer, "mistakes were made?"). So wanted to go out of law school with a bang and a championship belt (woulda made an epic Aaron Rodgers championship-belt gesture, o well). Speaking of which, Aaron Rodgers, if you ever want to get a law degree, lemme know and maybe we can trade places?
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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