Sometime between 5:30 and 5:40 pm

[timepiececlock]

I was driving South on Highway 85 (San Jose), somewhere between the Saratoga exit and the 17 junction, wading through traffic, when I realized what I wanted to do with my life. What I wanted to study.

It came with a sweeping sense of satisfaction. All through school, since 1st grade, I've never had a clear thought on what I wanted to be. It was always at least four or five different things, sometimes as many as seven. No matter how many times or by whom I was asked, it was the same vague answer, all the way up to yesterday.

I want to study political science. I want to study sociology. I want to have a career in the political arena in some form-- be it a lobbyist, a consultant, a speech-writer. Any number of things. I want so badly to affect the world around me and to help change the things I think are wrong in the world, and to further the things that are worth keeping, worth defending.

And I'm good at it. I'm good at presenting my opinions, good at convincing people to see things my way, good at arguing a case that's worth arguing.

At one point I wanted to be a lawyer. I've had people tell me I'd be a great lawyer. At one point I wanted to be in the FBI. But I realized I want to do more expansive things than that-- to affect things in a bigger way. And I'm so passionate about politics. I want to be involved, in some way, in how my society is run, in how things change.

I'm still four years of schooling away from a career of any kind... I get that. But at least now-- now I know what I want. My problems in high school were from not caring about what I was learning-- not knowing what I wanted, and thus not feeling any deep down need to study for it.

But I want something now. I have ambition.

This is a Good Thing.

Comments

*forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

This was four years ago. Is this still your goal, and have you worked up to it, in any way, shape or form?

Re: *forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Wow. How odd to reread that.


I'm graduating with a Political Science degree in the next few weeks, so the answer to that is yes. The interesting thing, though, is that I have decided to be a lawyer. It's another avenue toward the same end goal of civil service. This came after a few law classes which made me realize that law is something I enjoy.

Re: *forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on your graduation! It's interesting, though, to see that you stuck to it after all, with a few alterations; I was partially expecting something different ((no offence meant, of course; but you understand that human beings are fickle)), but since that is not the case, this means something. Dunno what, but it does.

It's admirable, to say the least. ^^ Well, what sort of law? I don't think you mean 'corporate', but that would depend on the company, really; probably 'criminal', but there are more types aside from those two.

Re: *forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Well, I originally wanted to double-major with English, and I did drop that.

"Corporate" is catch-all word. Most organizations, even nonprofit ones, can fall under the umbrella label of "coporate". I could be a lawyer for a charity and be referred to as a corporate lawyer.

If you're asking whether or not I want to be a lawyer for a financial business, the answer is "mostly likely not." I'll be considering it as places to work or get internships along the way toward becoming a lawyer, but it's not my end goal. I'm very driven by civil service, whether in the governmental sector or in the private sector. I've considered groups like the ACLU as potential goals to work toward. I've considered criminal law, international law, public policy, and lots of other kinds. About the only thing I don't want is family law. That would tear my heart out.

I could have very easily been an art major. I never entertained the idea of switching once I had discovered political science, but I've always taken art classes so initially that was a carreer option for me.

Re: *forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

Well, I originally wanted to double-major with English, and I did drop that.

You dropped it? Well, was it difficult to juggle with your other major, or was there any particular reason?

I'm very driven by civil service, whether in the governmental sector or in the private sector. I've considered groups like the ACLU as potential goals to work toward. I've considered criminal law, international law, public policy, and lots of other kinds. About the only thing I don't want is family law. That would tear my heart out.


For the first part, I understand what you mean, if only in the barest sketches. (I don't know very much about law; I'm a pretty sheltered child, and it never interested me enough to research) But after seeing ACLU is for 'civil liberties', it does look like a worthy goal to work up to. ((Strangely, though, it has its own anti- site... I don't know much about it, though, so no judgments here.))

And I agree with you in regards to family law. There are enough problems of that sort in one lifetime; and while it is a feat to try, I don't know what shouldering even more of that could do to a person.

Art, eh? I wouldn't recommend it as a career, really; no fixed income ((unless you're distributing your art to some company or other, with deadlines)). But it's nice to have on the side, something to turn to when everything else gets heavy.

((Am I pestering you with the snooping? If so, I apologize - but I am genuinely curious.))

Re: *forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Well, you're not really pestering. You are being very polite. But I'm rather tired of answering questions about it so I think this will be the last time. :)

No particular reason for not double-majoring.

The American Civil Liberties Union is a legal nonprofit organization with offices in every state, devoted to the cause of defending the constitutional rights of Americans in the law. They appear more times in the Supreme Court cases than any group other than the U. S. government itself. They are awesome because they exist solely to go to court and say "You can't do that shit, because it violates our civil rights."

They are regarded as a progressive group, though given that they are based around the law and not party lines there are rare times when a position they take on an issue might not be the typical "liberal" side.

There's quite a few anti websites, given how large the ACLU is and the fact that it takes on thousands of cases across the U.S.

Re: *forgive me for the unnecessary lurking*

[rasielle.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I see what you mean; so I suppose the ill-feeling towards ACLU is out of disagreement, more than anything. Well, I have no reason to suspect that they could have hidden motives, as you say they don't actually step out of their 'civil liberties' role, even when it's suggested otherwise.

I think I'll do some more research on it later, instead of pelting you with all these questions. *chuckles weakly* Sorry about that. I'm not a spectacular conversationist, so sometimes I ask questions to make up for that, but in this case, I was actually interested. Like I said, I know near nothing about law.

Again, I'm sorry I had to interrogate you so late at night... but yes, that was the last of it. You're actually the first person I've met ((in a way)) to be involved with political science, so it's interesting to see the reasoning behind it. Good luck with your career in future, and again, congrats! ^_^