A funny thing happened to me on the way to the office. To put this note in proper context, you should know that I typically take a bus to work, a bus that spans the various socio-economic demographic areas of Chicago. I also usually carry an American Bar Association tote because it’s lined and wide – good for lunch, heels, and files. …
On this day, I sat in a seat facing other passengers, one of which had boarded shortly after I did. He was obese, somewhat cognitively challenged but not as much as one might think. But the only way to know that was to either talk with him or associate with such people on a long-term basis. My mother told me to always “be nice” to strangers who speak to you, and I have had occasions to associate with vulnerable individuals people for years at a time. So …
This large, huffing, puffing, scraggly-looking, strange-noise-making, gentleman finally puffed out rather loudly, but pointing softly at me, “Excuse me?!”
“Yes?”
“Your bag…It says (huff) ABA… Do you know (huff)…are you with…do you work for the ABA?”
“No. I’m a lawyer.”
“Oh. (Huff) Really?! So did you hear about that case in California where the guy beat up his girlfriend she hired an attorney, and he beat up the attorney, too, and then the judge let the guy go?!”
“No, I didn’t hear about that…”
“(Huff). Oh. Okay. Well, does the ABA recommend judges?”
“Yes. The American Bar, Illinois Bar, and Illinois State Bar Associations rank judges as qualified or unqualified.”
“Do you know where they keep the list? Where I can get a copy?”
“You can phone the associations or go online. Also, I know the Chicago Sun-Times and Tribune typically publish the list before election day.”
“Ok. Since Chicago lets your vote early will the list be out now?”
“It should, but that’s a good question, which I don’t have the answer to.”
“Ok. Thanks. I usually vote but skip the judges, which is wrong. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
No, I didn’t forget to include the huffing. The gentleman actually calmed down as I looked squarely into his eyes and shared a meaningful conversation.
Eventually, he moved to a seat in the very back corner of the bus and started making sounds again. A woman setting a few seats away from him moved even further away. This is not a statement of judgment – I don’t know her story either. Other folks also occasionally turned around to see who was making the noise.
A few minutes later, it was my stop. As I got up to wait at the back door, I looked at the gentleman, thanked him for asking me about the voting process and also for asking good questions. We then wished each other a good day.
Was he delusional? I don’t know. I’m a lawyer, not a psychotherapist. However, I do know that our conversation was one of the best I’ve had during this election season.
