1990s Emily

Do you ever think about your younger self?

I grow more nostalgic with age.

Yesterday, I turned on Deana Carter's classic country album: Did I Shave My Legs for This?

I bopped to it in my office--dancing and singing as much as you can in an office with a glass wall.

I have very vivid memories associated with this album.

I recall sitting with Jenn Deal's sister on their driveway listening to it on repeat, on a boombox, while we played cards, enjoyed being outside, wrote in our notebooks--typical, 90s, middle school girl things.

The pre-technology age (we had internet, but it wasn't everything yet).

What a time.

And then, I think, "Would that Emily be proud of this Emily?"

And, "Would she be surprised at where we are today?"

With a smile on my face, I thought: yes and yes.

In middle school, I still wanted to be a meteorologist or news anchor or journalist or writer--lawyer was somewhere on the list, but with two lawyer parents I had started to internally fight that.

I don't think middle-school Emily would be surprised that I moved away from Georgia--but Wisconsin, ha. Never! I probably could have placed it on the map, but nothing more. The Midwest isn't a thing they focus on in Southern classrooms.

On paper, much of my life has transpired in the traditional and expected way.

I succeeded in school, went to college, built a resume, got selected for Teach For America, went to law school, was editor-in-chief of the journal, got a clerkship, landed at at big firm.

But, that's not the whole story.

Those "gold stars" actually tell so little of the story.

It's been quite the adventure.

Some ups.

Some downs.

A lot of lessons.

And: I'm really proud.

I think late 1990s Emily would agree.

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