PTSD

Questions of the day

1. Why is it that people seem to stop (and listen) to folks asking "Do you have a moment for human rights" more often than those asking "Do you have a moment for Gay rights?" (sample size: 72; location: outside Barnes and Noble bookshop in Bethesda; ratio of people stopping 3:1)

2. If a child is screaming at the top of its lungs for (at least) 12 continous minutes, is it the fault of the Mum (who was with it), the store (where the incident occurred), the child (who was the one yelling) or the people around it (who could have gagged it, tied it up and chucked a burlap sack over it fairly easily, considering it was quite a small thing)?*

3. Why is it that, despite having slaved away at the LS for nearly a year now, people still insist on greeting me as a new student (or, in LS terms, "an incoming 1L")? I've been having various professors and students give me encouragement, talk to me about finding a place to live and tell me what a difficult (yet fun) time I will have in the next few years. After the first couple of times, the conversations have gone along these lines:

RandomProf or student: So, what type of law are you interested in?
Me: Oh, I have always been keen to defend people unable to talk for themselves or, often, overlooked by the mainstream legal system.
Them: Great--yes, me too.Are you looking at Human Rights/We have a great human rights programme.
Me: I'm actually interested in defending international criminals, preferably [those people I research on who can't be named here in case PTSD gets pulled up by BigBrother] or dictators.
Them: Umm...I see Steve looking a bit lost over there. Have to run!
Me: onwards to the [free] foods.

4. How is it possible to have loads of (fairly) free days and then have all these on in the space of 24 hours?: LilSis arriving at FarOffAirport at nearly midnight; a defence that I do want to attend; a class that I have to teach; a friend going to hospital; a Conference to be at (at a different city too) and kids to counsel. And, depending on how our Thursday meeting goes, maybe another dog to look after.**


* This is a rhetorical question. Well, almost. PTSD does not advocate gagging or tying up children by any means.

** I am finding this vastly amusing that I now get vetted by dogs for suitability.

posted by Priya @ 5:38 PM