Tonight on the way home from Spork the husband and I were imagining what our lives would have been like if I had gone to law school. I toyed around with the idea right before I finished my undergrad, but opted out because I was too intimidated. I can still be such a cowardly lion, searching desperately for a badge of courage. I would have loved law school, but I didn’t know it then, so I can’t be too hard on myself for not trying. Besides, I still have a lot of time, and I wouldn’t trade my experience with my master’s degree in public administration. Perhaps someday I will make a great city attorney.
Anyhow, as we drove home the husband was envisioning how his med school live would have been with his lawyer wife: no debt, a decent home, and me having to go by my maiden name so just incase I was in the business of medical malpractice (which I wouldn’t have, but the irony is just awesome). Then I reminded him that I may not have scored high enough on the LSAT to score a spot at a school in state—and then where would we have been? Wedded partners studying law and medicine in two different states. Yuck.
But he refuted my logic, “You would have scored enough easily…plus you’re a woman.” Great. I was really enjoying the boost of hypothetical self esteem until he reminded me that I’m still just a woman, struggling for air below a glass ceiling. But I’m not really mad at the husband. He’s just a poor, practical man, thoughtlessly sticking me in a smaller economic bracket because I’m a girl.
If he could have read my mind he would have been scared stupid by such poisonous phrases shaping themselves into blow darts. But instead, these words stumbled off my lips, “What? You’re saying that I would have made it into law school here because women are stupider?” Yep. And as soon as I spit out that last little ‘er’ we both started laughing. I didn’t even have the composure to pretend like I meant to say it.
To the women of the world: sorry I screwed that one up.
My husband is starting law school in the fall. Didn't get accepted into the U of U. I told him the same thing: if you were a woman, you'd have gotten in. Ironic... but true :-)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I am so glad we became friends during the MPA program; good times :-)
You would have been the mostest awesomest happeningest law woman around. :)
ReplyDeleteWe all need a few more lives to live all of our dreams, don't we?
Good luck to your hubby Tricia! Where will you be headed to?
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