The Pursuit of Justice

Happy New Year! I hope 2021 brings us all happiness and some much-needed relief from the miseries heaped upon us in 2020.

I was going to blog yesterday, but one thing and another got in my way and it just didn't happen. When I woke this morning I was given some news that makes me happy and sad at the same time. So I'm glad that whatever forces worked against my blog made their appearance, and caused me to share this with you instead of the trite crap I was ready to spout yesterday.

A little background for you. After my failed, but amazingly fun, one-year attempt at college right out of high school, I had no direction for where I was going or what I wanted to do with my life. I took a job at a restaurant, then a grocery, then a T-shirt factory. (Just to fill you in on my ambition and work ethic, before I left that factory I could do every damn job they had.) By the end of my time at the factory, I was floundering. Floundering with career decisions, floundering in my first marriage - I was ready to throw my hands up and walk away. It took some time, but ultimately, that is what I did. 

I started taking night courses at a community college, refreshing my computer skills, trying this class and that class, trying my hardest to find some career path that interested me. And while I was busting my ass, I was submitting my resume, applying for jobs, hoping that something would come along that would open new avenues for me.

It just so happens that is exactly what happened. I interviewed and was offered a position as a legal secretary at a small law firm. The attorney who interviewed me was so professional, so intimidating in the interview. I just knew when I walked out of that office that I had blown an incredible opportunity. So when my phone rang and the job was offered I was astounded.

Needless to say, looks can be deceiving. Now, don't get me wrong, the attorney I worked for was 100% professional, and very intimidating (when he wanted to be). But it didn't take long for me to see the good and caring man he truly was underneath the suit and tie. The love he had for his family and community was unparalleled.

One day he called me in his office for a chat. Now, me being me, I wondered what I'd done wrong. Goodness knows I had much to learn when it came to working in a law office. As it turns out, it was something I was doing right. So much so that he told me he saw real potential in me and wanted to see me succeed. He asked if I had any interest in taking law classes and offered to pay for any law-related class that I studied. 

I was shocked, humbled, grateful, and, damn it, not stupid. I took him up on that offer. Now, what you don't know is that I had reached a point in my marriage where I was just done. I left him, moved out on my own, and I was struggling to pay bills, pay for school, at times even struggling to figure out where my next meal was coming from. Because, yes, I left my first marriage in so much debt that I was drowning. So when the offer to take some of that burden from my shoulders came along, I clung to it like a life-line.

This man and his offer to help quite literally changed my life. I found that I loved working with the law and it wasn't long until I made the decision to turn a course or two into the pursuit of a legal career. When the time came for me to leave Kentucky, I had almost as hard a time saying goodbye to him, his law partner and the wonderful people that I worked with as I did saying goodbye to my family. Because in a very short time they had become my extended family and I still love them to this day.

(Pardon me while I wipe away the tears because this blog is draining me.)

It wasn't long after I left that his law partner was elected to the position of District Court Judge. And then not long after that, he was elected Circuit Court Judge! I like to think that in some small way I helped them get to where they ended up. I am so proud of them, to have worked for them, and proud of the work they have done since taking office.

Now, I'm sure you're thinking, what the hell? I thought you worked for immunizations and wrote dirty books. Well, I do. But the story of how I went from paralegal to that is a story for another day. (Patience padawan!)

No, today is a day to tell you why I'm happy and sad when I think about this man and my time with him. Why? After a very long career, he retired yesterday. I'm beyond happy for him. He deserves it, deserves to spend his time with his family and loved ones, and live out his remaining years in peace. But it makes me sad because there will never be anyone who could replace him, his compassion, understanding, and fairness. He has always had a true understanding of the law, its place, purpose, and consequences, and has always performed his duties with the humble knowledge that his decisions bear great weight on all parties involved.

Though I know he likely won't read this, I had to put my feelings into words. So, thank you, Tim, for the great work you've done over the years. Thank you for caring about others. Thank you for being a wonderful human being.

Thank you for helping to change my life. 

As always...

Much love from me to you!

Shelly (a/k/a Dawn Love)