Volume XV, Issue I
January/February 2001

The Editor's Page: Out on a School Night

by David Berger

Not all of us quote-unquote young lawyers are all that young anymore. You know who you are. I, myself, am nearing the end of young lawyerhood, as designated by the bar association, with each page of my desk blotter calendar that I tear off at the end of the month. As such, although I am not proud to admit it, on a typical night during the work week, after about 9 o’clock you will find me at home, cozy, remote in hand, thankful of the simple things--like not yet having to endure the all-Regis-all-the-time network.

Now, I know there are those of you fellow young lawyer types out there who might opt for more lively distractions after-hours. I know so because I have watched Ally McBeal. It seems that she and her colleagues regularly dance the night away at their local pub regardless of what night it is and with little or no good reason to do so. So that must be the way it is…because TV doesn’t lie. Anyway, I suppose there are also a lot of people like me who, in fact, look forward to going home at the end of the day where you can happily remove the suit or the corporate casual, be surrounded by your own stuff, and not breathe florescent-lighted office air.

Recently, I was provided with an excuse to dislodge myself, if for just one night, from my dreary but otherwise comfortable post-work routine. Allow me to elaborate. I have some fairly deep roots in the local music community. In a past life, I was a musician who held onto the delusion that one day I would be hobnobbing it with the likes of Bon Jovi…green rooms, world tours, drug addiction leading to an untimely but well-publicized death…wait, strike that last one… Actually, I was more interested in the less main stream scene, but you get the idea. Well, during the course of a recent week, I received an e-mail from one of my music pals alerting me to an upcoming but hastily booked show at a local club where some other friends would be playing in two of the three bands on the bill. Being so called upon, I was prepared to fulfill my unwritten duty to my fellow music-types and go out to see the show, even if it was on a - gasp- Sunday night. I actually needed little arm twisting due to the fact that the people I knew on the bill are eminently talented and well worth the cover charge.

Being the punctual sort that I am, I arrived in time to catch the opening act. It…better, he was a singer/songwriter from New York who, as far as I can tell, is basically unknown in these parts. Much to my delight, he played a set that was captivating, soulful, and all around pretty groovy. After his performance, I caught up with him to express my appreciation for his show and purchased one of his CDs. What a pleasant surprise it was not only to see my friends play great music, but also to discover some new music that I might otherwise have never heard. How pleased I was, and remain still, to have made the effort to go out on a Sunday night.

I was rewarded, indeed. For a fleeting moment and for one glorious evening, I was Ally McBeal. My social schedule would not be overshadowed by concerns about being tired the next day or how irresponsible it might be to hang out in a smoky bar on a school night. In fact, I assess the experience as truly worth while. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Would I recommend it? By all means. Give in to your wild impulses! Body slam your inhibitions! Laugh in the face of conventional wisdom dictating that you be sensible and stay home to work on that unfinished brief! Monday morning court appearances be damned!

In the end, I found it relatively painless to apologize to those that I might have been short with at work the next day due to lack of sleep. And even at my advanced age, recovery after such a late night outing only requires a few days.

--David

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