The Pursuit

So yesterday I found out that I'm one of the 300 or so people who passed the Ateneo Law School entrance exam. I guess I should be satisfied, if not deeply exhilarated. Yet, two words, one question, bugged me after finding out that I'm one step closer to being a law student: what now?

I know, I know. You may think this isn't something worth talking about, considering how the obvious next step to take is to register, then attend the orientation seminar, and finally immerse myself in the troubling affairs of law school. But, in light of the uncertainties surrounding my future (which, by the way, I take very personally), this question remains to be significant. Deep down, I know that I'm still far from being mentally and emotionally prepared to delve into the study of law. In past blog posts, I've mentioned how sometimes I feel like I'm entering law school because it's my responsibility to continue a family legacy. I've asserted how I was, and probably still am, annoyed by suggestive comments about how being a lawyer is my destiny. Still grappling with these feelings, one thing is clear. I need an approach to life that I know would genuinely make me happy. And perhaps law school should not hinder me from achieving this elusive thing they call happiness.

...and it depends upon ourselves.

I need to understand that happiness is not merely a passive state or a feeling. It is a constant pursuit. Having read Aristotle's Ethics, I know how happiness, as the penultimate goal of man, can only be 'achieved' by living a life of virtue. I won't deal with the specifics, but being virtuous obviously involves acting in relation to other people. Upon seeing the list, I immediately called some of my college friends who passed, hoping to rekindle a relationship that is perhaps on the brink of being less solid after graduation. I saw some of my fellow Ateneans who visited ALS to check on the list so I struck up conversations with them. I even had a couple of beers with a college friend who was around the area. These things, which may seem trivial for some people, have nonetheless triggered a realization within me. Instead of being overly melodramatic about my future, I should continue to live life and build relationships.

Don't get me wrong. This isn't me saying that I've given up to the persuasions of the people saying that I should be a lawyer, and a successful one at that. My view of success is still from a perspective of someone constantly pursuing happiness. Instead of being a hindrance, however, I must look at law school as a stepping stone. It could actually be a chance for me to prove people wrong, given the fact that most lawyers, especially here in the country, are deeply disdained because of how they use their field to earn big bucks coming from not-so-decent clients.

Yup.

This is an opportunity for me, and my fellow aspirants, to be men and women who seek justice. My experiences in college, particularly those which involved helping the oppressed and the marginalized are things that I would carry with me through law school and for life. Not only should I build or strengthen relationships with colleagues, I must always remember to give priority to the voiceless who live in this world driven by a justice system which continues to serve those who are in power. With this approach of constantly pursuing true happiness, I hope and I know that I can recover from this current state of lethargy and start living life once again.

So there it goes. This knucklehead is going to law school.

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