Tough Decision

Remove all ads!

I concur with everyone else, good choice Aldeth. I once thought of law school too, practicing law did seem to be an interesting and challenging career, as well as financially rewarding. But I know of no lawyers who work less than 70-80 hours a week. Either it's expected of you as a new member of a firm, to prove your worth, or it's required of you if you decide to have your own practice.

I chose another interesting and challenging, though much less financially rewarding career: teaching. During the school year we are very busy, but we've just spent a great two and a half month vacation with our daughters.

 

Aldeth, DO NOT beat yourself up for making a decision based on money. Providing for your family is a basic instinct in males of the homo sapiens species. In today's society, greater salary means providing better (at least that is the popular myth). Besides, you don't have to be passionate about your job as long as you're passionate about your family -- and take great vacations.

Don't even go there -- take that thought from your mind. We are all constantly trying to improve ourselves in one way or another. That is what you were trying to do, it's just the timing wasn't right yet.

 

Always remember one essential thing - a job is what you do to earn money to pay for the important stuff in life. There's a relevant quote in the jokes thread, about someone whose life is his career actually doesn't have a life. Sure, liking what you do makes the time you have to spend working go faster, but that doesn't mean your job has to be the most important thing about you.

If you're still feeling guilty about your decision, go listen to Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle a few times. He says it all, right there.

 

I too say good choice, Aldeth. You said that by becoming a lawyer you wanted to provide a better lifestyle for your family, but would your family really benefit from not having you around? I know a few lawyers and all of them work 75+ hours a week, as Scot mentioned. Sure, they make a lot of money, but they're basically never home. That doesn't sound like what you want at all.

As far as being passionate about work goes, in my experience, a lot of it has to do with where you work and with whom. Sometimes you don't necessarily need to go work in another field to find what you're looking for, you just need to switch teams/companies/branches/offices/whatever and suddenly it's fun again. Easier said than done, I know, but it worked wonders for me.

Good luck buddy.

 

Being in my 30s, I am already familiar with the lyrics. It's the young-ins on the Boards that probably don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

21.
[sing]
When ya comin' home, dad? I don' know when.
But we'll be together then, son.
You know we'll have a good time then.
[/sing]

Besides, I've heard being a dad can be a much harder (and more rewarding) job than anything, including law.

 

Good choice, Aldeth!

The world needs more lawyers like a moose needs a hat rack (no offense, dmc, or any other legal eagles out there ). More good dads are always welcome, however.