New life direction... for this week.

I have found yet two more things I wish to add to my list of what I want to do when I grow up. The past two days I have attended a workshop in relation to my work, and part of this has been an introduction to the legal system on the first day and viewing a mock trial on the second. The Judicial Justice of the Peace was a woman who was terribly cool. She was everything you might idealize in a judge (no, I did not know there was such an ideal, until I saw the trial.) She was hearing an applicant who was in an abusive relationship applying for a Protection Order. She was formal, rather terrifying, I imagine, and yet, in her formality gave room for the human within the strictly cool rationalism which judges are apparently supposed to approach their cases with. Watching her I found myself feeling for the first time that the whole legal system was really quite a fascinating structure. I suppose I had dismissed it as a vestige of patriarchy at worst, and at best a human construction created to help organize and deliver justice, but which really only helps deforest large portions of rain forest with all the paper work they use.
Well, as of today, I would like to be a lawyer and then a judge. I think I will even go so far as to look into courses and processes of how to become one. I have an application to be a Commissioner of Oaths. I am trying to understand why it is I have just discovered a hitherto unknown passion. Now that the legal system has my attention, I am beginning to see that it is an important institution which, like all human structures, has its rather dark side, but also has the potential to create order and deliver justice. I would like to participate with the later, if only that means being a responsible and informed citizen. I have assumed the somewhat reactionary opinion that the courts are here to control people, and occasionally, like politicians, make a few good decisions. But my recent engagement in both the MS rally as well as the Human Trafficking walk led by MP Joy Smith, have showed me once again that even within the most macro system there are small humans working away towards creating a just society. Thinking along those terms I become not a disengaged critic who takes no action and withdraws from society. Rather informed and hopeful, I engage myself as a little person whose small voice adds with other small voices to help enable democracy. I see that only as such it is then possible to make the most helpful critiques where the system fails. Having been on the other side for so long this feeling of cooperation is very new, and rather pleasant.

So, until further notice, not only am I going to be a gardener who dances, contributes to the Gaelic literary world and runs a nonprofit coffee/craft shop, I will also be a lawyer for women and planet and eventually, in my wise old age (when I am old enough to have a rose garden) I will also act as village sage (referred to as JJP).