Sickness

I have been feeling sick this past week, with coughing and general fatigue. I have been getting better, which is good. One effect of sickness is a lowered desire to be around other people. I am generally a social person, but not when I feel ill.

The thing is, most people probably would not be able to tell that I am sick from first glance. I had a friend say "Sorry to hear you're sick! You don't look sick. I hope you feel better." I was thinking about some of my friends that have chronic illness, such as autoimmune disease or joint pain. From the outside, people may not know that they are sick or how that sickness impairs them. I will eventually get better and return to full health, but some of my friends may face years of illness. Not every disability is visible, and even this short bout of sickness was a reminder that some people live with that reality.

Portraits in the Hallway

The classroom hall of my school is lined with portraits of distinguished faculty, deans, and trustees. All of the portraits are covered in glass. All, that is, except two: the portraits of Richard Posner and Richard Epstein. Their portraits are not under protective seal, but are exposed. Why is that? Is it because they are the only people portrayed that are still alive? My hunch is that the subjects of all the other portraits have passed. Does this mean that at their (hopefully distant) death, their portraits would be encased in glass? Why not just cover the portraits now? Are the portraits exposed so that they can be altered if their subjects change in appearance? If Richard Epstein were to change his sex and go by Rochelle, would that be captured in this painting?

Meeting Dean Badger

This morning, as I was waiting for the bus, I saw one of the administrators (Dean Badger) walk up. He gave me that slight nod you give to someone you recognize, but don't really know that well. We had never talked before, but I thought to myself "I can either just stand here and we can wait silently, or I can say hello."

So I said "Hello, Dean Badger!" He responded "Oh hi! I didn't recognize you!" Which he probably really didn't, considering this was our first interaction. I quickly introduced myself. We ended up having a great conversation on the bus. He told me about what it was like serving as Assistant Dean decades ago, when he served as Dean of Students, Admissions, and everything else. We talked about the international students at the school and their experience. We talked about his children in DC and Japan and how he is looking forward to seeing them soon.

All in all, I was glad that I said hello.

Reflection on the past year

First week of second year is done. When I started first year, my mom told me: "My biggest concern for you is not that you will do poorly in school, or not get a job, or have difficulties with your classmates. My biggest concern is that you will get stressed, stop exercising, and get fat. Then you would never get married, get diabetes, and die."

Well, first year is over, and I haven't gained weight. I'm working out most every day and watching what I eat. The biggest challenge has been to maintain focus and clarity during a very stressful time. It is easy to lose sight of why I came here, the purpose of all this studying, the world outside the law school walls.

Still need to get more sleep, though.

On Roots and Horticultural Metaphors

A lesson on roots. Adapted from a sermon given by a Korean preacher in a church in Mongolia:

"I have been growing flowers in my yard to prepare for our church's anniversary celebration. I planted them in the soil and watered them for a few weeks before transplanting them into pots to bring to the church. I noticed that some of the plants had healthy roots and some had weak roots. Both kinds of plants were flourishing in my yard, because I had good soil there. When the plants with strong roots were transplanted, they continued to thrive even in new soil, because they had sturdy roots. Yet the plants with weak roots became frail in the new soil. These plants had been flourishing because of the soil they were in, not because they were strong themselves. Transplanting showed their weakness."

"In the same vein, if you feel strong and healthy, you need to ask yourself: Am I strong because I have strong roots, or is it because I am in good soil, but my roots are weak?"

In a season of transience, as I am in a different city, it is useful to think on this question. I may be surrounded by good people, but am I myself rooted? Community is necessary, but the strengths of others can mask my weakness.

Forester

I was a Forestry major in undergrad, although I don't plan to pursue that career path. People ask me what Forestry majors do. Many of my classmates have gone on to pursue a career as an RPF, or Registered Professional Forester, which involves a rigorous licensing exam. Here is an example annotated posting for an RPF job:

Area Forester

We are seeking a forester to help manage our 73,000 acre tree farm in Northern Sonoma and Southern Mendocino Counties in California. This new position is designed to provide hands on management of our southern timberlands as well as assist the forestry staff on our northern properties.

The forester will develop THP’s (Timber Harvest Plans) in conformance with TCF management plans and guidelines and see the THP through the approval, operations, and completion process. Oversee road construction, improvement and decommissioning projects. A good understanding of forest inventory systems and road construction techniques is also required. Additional duties may include any or all of the following:

• Road and Sediment Source Assessments—evaluate potential erosion sites and road maintenance needs;

• Forest inventory-- install and measure fixed and variable radius plots for out forest inventory.

• Biological surveys—direct, conduct or participate in surveys or habitat assessments for Northern spotted owls, red legged frogs, anadromous fish, and other species of interest;

• Silvicultural projects—Develop and monitor silvicultural activities such as pre commercial thinning, tree-planting, brush-clearing, invasive weed control, and other similar projects;

• Public access—Assist the North Coast Program Manager to develop and implement low impact public access programs, and monitoring trespass;

• Demonstrated ability to supervise various sub-contractors including logging supervision, road construction, inventory and silvicultural activities

The qualified candidate will have:

• Bachelor of Science in Forestry or related field.

• 5 years’ experience with forest management, THP preparation and/or logging supervision. (The successful candidate should have the necessary experience to perform the above mentioned duties and be eligible to take the RPF exam within 1 year of the hire date.)

• Be a motivated individual, eager to learn and to contribute to the overall success of our forest management program. Strong work ethic and time management skills.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to productively engage with contractors, customers, stakeholder groups and the general public.

• Computer and basic statistical analysis skills, including MS office, ARCGIS (mapping software) are a plus.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team.

• Current California Driver’s license and clean driving record.

• Conversational proficiency in Spanish or willingness to learn.

This position will regularly require the ability to safely travel to and perform field tasks at distant work sites in variable weather conditions, at remote locations and sometimes in difficult /hazardous terrain.

Some folks ask if Forestry majors go on to become park rangers. Although some of my classmates have gone into recreation, the realms are pretty different. An imperfect analogy would be that park rangers are to foresters as traffic police are to urban planners.

Miguel and the Piano

A story inspired by true events:

It was 9 PM, and Miguel was tired. He had woken up that morning with a sore back from work the day before, which had made the hour long bus ride to his job at the hotel difficult and uncomfortable. He had been working since 8 AM that day moving carts, unloading boxes, and carrying away dirty plates. He had been working at this job in the cleaning crew for 5 years, and it had not been easy.

But it was 9 PM, and an excited grin crept across Miguel's lips. As tired as he was, he looked forward all day to this part of the day. He was about to clean the ballroom. The ballroom was the largest room in the hotel. It was reserved for conferences, events, and dances. This week, there were rows and rows of tables and chairs set up for an education conference. During breaks in the sessions, Miguel and his coworkers had scurried through the ballroom, replacing water glasses, refilling pitchers, and taking away platters of dirty plates.

But it was 9 PM, and the ballroom was empty. As Miguel and his coworkers entered the ballroom to clean it one last time, Miguel walked over to the piano. Without a word, he sat down, and as his coworkers began to clean the room, he started playing.

It was a simple song, nothing remarkable or amazing. But it was the song that Miguel's mother had taught him years ago. His mother had been a piano teacher for many years, and had taught Miguel a few songs as a child. This was the only one that he remembered. After his mother had died several years ago, he had started playing this song again. He couldn't afford a piano at home, so he would play this song every night in the ballroom. Every night. To remember her.

His coworkers finished clearing the room. Miguel closed the piano and stood up with a smile. On the bus ride back, he didn't think about his aching feet, his sore back, or his tired hands. He simply closed his eyes and remembered.