RUBBER NECKING – IT’S NOT JUST FOR ACCIDENTS ANYMORE!

THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG REFERS TO THE CONSTANT RUBBER-NECKING (TURNING YOUR HEAD TO STARE AS YOU DRIVE/WALK BY) THAT OCCURS WHENEVER I TRAVEL DOWN AN INDIAN ROAD. “IS IT STILL THAT BAD?” YOU MIGHT ASK. WELL, LET’S JUST SAY, WHEN I’M OUTSIDE I OFTEN THINK “MAN, I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN TO COVER UP MY THIRD HEAD THIS MORNING!” ALTHOUGH YOU’D THINK I WOULD BE ALARMED BY BEING STARED AT LIKE A PORKCHOP, MY REAL WORRY IS THAT THE DUDE PASSING ME ON A MOTORCYCLE IS (1) GOING TO CRASH BECAUSE HE’S NOT LOOKING WHERE HE’S GOING, OR (2) GOING TO SNAP HIS NECK BECAUSE HE HAS TWISTED IT BEYOND THE NORMAL RANGE OF MOTION. NEITHER HAS HAPPENED YET – BUT THERE’S STILL TIME!

SO, YESTERDAY WHILE HAVING LUNCH WITH THE OTHERS IN THE OFFICE, ONE OF THE YOUNG FEMALE ATTORNEYS (PROBABLY MY BEST FRIEND IN THE OFFICE) ASKED ME “ARE YOU IN A ‘LOVE MARRIAGE’?” NOW, AFTER FIVE WEEKS IN INDIA, I KNOW WHAT A “LOVE MARRIAGE” IS (A MARRIAGE FOR LOVE RATHER THAN AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE) SO I WASN’T REALLY SHOCKED AT THE QUESTION, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS DEEPLY SADDENED. SHE WAS ASKING SO SINCERELY, AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO GROW UP THINKING THAT THERE IS NO OTHER KIND OF MARRIAGE – EVEN IF THE LOVE DOESN’T LAST, WE ALWAYS EXPECT IT TO BE THERE AT FIRST – IT WAS A STARK REALIZATION. I TOLD HER YES, THAT I WAS IN A “LOVE MARRIAGE,” AND AFTER WE TALKED A LITTLE, I ASKED IF THEY (THE 4 YOUNG FEMALES I WAS SITTING WITH) BEING HYPER-EDUCATED, AND ALREADY IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD MAKING THEIR OWN MONEY, WOULD STILL HAVE ARRANGED MARRIAGES. THEY SAID IT WOULD DEPEND – THAT DESPITE THE SYSTEM, THEY HAD RELATIVES IN “LOVE MARRIAGES,” BUT THAT YOU STILL ESSENTIALLY NEEDED TO FIND SOMEONE “SUITABLE” (I SUPPOSE BY YOUR PARENTS’ STANDARDS). ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THERE ARE POSITIVES IN THE ARRANGED MARRIAGE SYSTEM – SOCIETAL STABILITY FOR EXAMPLE, LOWER RATES OF DIVORCE, ETC., I CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL A SENSE OF DESPAIR FOR THESE WOMEN. WHEN I THINK THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN MARRIED OFF TO A “SUITABLE FELLOW” YEARS AGO - MISSING OUT ON A LIFE WITH HANK, THE ONLY PERSON WHO REALLY EVER UNDERSTOOD ME COMPLETELY - I THANK GOD THAT FOR BETTER OR WORSE, “LOVE MARRIAGES” DO EXIST.

OK, ENOUGH MUSH - ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOTE: THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN BEING THE MOST HATED EMPLOYEE IN YOUR OFFICE IS BEING THE MOST LOVED. I KNOW YOU ARE READING THAT STATEMENT AND THINKING – “HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING THE CRACK PIPE, APRIL?” BUT LET ME TELL YOU, BEING THE ONE EVERYONE DOTES ON (PERHAPS BECAUSE I’M A HARDWORKER – MORE LIKELY BECAUSE I’VE COME TO WORK HERE FROM SO FAR AWAY) IS REALLY HARD.

THE MOOD AT WORK HAS BEEN TENSE LATELY - TO SAY THE LEAST. THE ASSOCIATES (ATTORNEYS WHO ARE NOT PARTNERS) IN THE OFFICE, GOT “BLASTED” BY THE BOSS ABOUT A WEEK AGO. (“BLASTED” IS WHAT THEY CALL IT HERE – YELLING, THREATS TO FIRE, ETC.) THE BOSS HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON BUSINESS FOR OVER A WEEK AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK – WELL, LET’S JUST SAY HELL HATH NO FURY! THEN TODAY, THE OTHER FEMALE INTERN (AN INDIA NATIVE) WAS CALLED INTO THE BOSS'S OFFICE AS SOON AS SHE STROLLED INTO THE OFFICE – AROUND 10AM. APPARENTLY SHE WAS YELLED AT FOR COMING IN BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10 EACH DAY (THE OFFICE STARTS AT 9) AND TOLD SINCE SHE’D TAKEN IT UPON HERSELF TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF HER INTERNSHIP FROM 2 MONTHS TO 4 WEEKS – SHE WOULD ONLY BE WORKING AT THE FIRM FOR 3 WEEKS. (I.E. THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE NEEDED AFTER NEXT MONDAY. YIKES!) WELL THAT POOR GIRL CAME INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM TO TELL ME ABOUT IT – FIGHTING BACK TEARS – ASKING WHY THE BOSS HAD TO TREAT HER LIKE THAT, AND I FELT SO BAD FOR HER. :(

ABOUT 45 MINS. LATER (AFTER THE OTHER INTERN HAD GONE TO ANOTHER PART OF THE OFFICE TO WORK) THE BOSS BURSTS IN MY DOOR AND SAYS “APRIL, COME TO MY OFFICE!” WELL, I WAS ALREADY STARTLED BY THE “BURSTING IN” BUT I WAS THINKING “OH BOY, THIS CAN'T BE GOOD.” WELL, TURNS OUT THE BOSS WAS SO EXCITED – SHE WANTED TO GIVE ME AN ART BOOK AND A DVD TO CHECK OUT BEFORE MY TRIP TO LEH WITH HANK. SHE KEPT GOING ON ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF LEH, AND HOW EXCITED SHE WAS THAT I WAS GOING THERE. WHEN I LEFT HER OFFICE I WAS CARRYING THIS HUGE ART BOOK – MAYBE 20”X20” AND A FEW PEOPLE SAW ME WITH IT. I FELT SO BAD. THAT FEELING LIKE, I DON’T WANT TO BE MOM’S FAVORITE CHILD, I JUST WANT HER TO BE NICE TO EVERYONE EQUALLY! I GUESS I SHOULD COUNT MY BLESSINGS, BUT I JUST HATE TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE SUFFER. (AND I KNOW IT IS SALT IN A WOUND TO SEE SOMEONE ELSE BEING CONSTANTLY DOTED ON!) I JUST HAVE TO HOPE THAT THEY WON’T THROW ME INTO A PIT AND THEN SELL ME TO PASSERS-BY – LIKE JOSEPH’S BROTHERS DID TO HIM IN THE BIBLE!