Note: this was originally posted to Ben Around the Block on May 15, 2014 as "Benjamin Fischberg: Ace Intern." I have made minor changes.
Alright! I have officially started work!
In the last few days, I’ve done more to settle into Gamma House. This has involved learning how to do laundry here and trying to cook more things. For example, instead of dry pasta, I made some tortellini!…I really need to add more variety. I’m considering trying out a few new simple recipes, such as hard-boiled eggs. Only time will tell if I become a master of the kitchen.
In my spare time, I’ve continued watching plenty more movies, some from Hatfield Library and others from my personal library. Since my last blog entry, I’ve seen Castle in the Sky, Gladiator, Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 2 (making the title of said last entry eerily prescient). I’m not sure why, but when I see movies nowadays, it always feels like their messages are directed right at me. Maybe it’s because I’m at an odd place in my life where stress and excitement go hand in hand. Maybe it’s because I’m experiencing the independence that comes with adulthood. Maybe it’s because I’ve become (semi-)wiser and more observant. Or maybe it’s because I’m on my own and the messages aren’t being directed at anyone else.
Anyhoo, that’s enough philosophizing for now! On to the main event!
This morning was quite the event, as I woke up early, solemnly ate breakfast, and dressed in formal attire I am certainly not used to. Finally, it was time to go out and embrace my responsibility.
I had a blast!…OK, not quite. Work is work, even when it’s a dream-come-true, like the Marion County Public Defender’s Office. I’ve only ben (er, been) on the job for one day, and I’ve already found myself scanning closed cases, checking up on databases, helping with delivering documents to the circuit court and DA’s office, handling mail, and learning how to send reminder calls/letters. It looks like it’s going to be a busy summer…
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my time there! On the contrary, the whole experience seemed rather exciting for me. I was actually seeing cases being prepared, overhearing conversations about trials, and reading the story contained in each case file as I scanned and sealed them. Furthermore, I spent my free time reading up on Oregon criminal statutes, as someone had left a book of them out in the open. Now, I know the different classifications of felony and misdemeanor in this state and the differences between escape in the first, second, and third degrees, information that I will probably be sharing with any poor sap within range (Have I mentioned that I’m a looooot of fun at parties?). Most importantly, I feel that I’ve been handed a mighty responsibility, and I look forward to meeting the challenge and doing my best to help out in the next three months.
All in all, I expect my job to get harder for a bit, as they’re preparing me for all kinds of responsibilities, but I expect it to eventually get easier when I work part-time.
One thing’s for certain: I am now much more involved in the law as of tonight.
Notes from Future Ben:
While this wasn't my first time working in a legal capacity (I worked as a file clerk in the summer of 2012), this was my first time working within Oregon's criminal law world. It's weird looking back and seeing how everything started 11 years ago.
Little did I know that my plan to learn how to make hard-boiled eggs would launch into a new hobby: cooking! Once I'm living by myself with a kitchen to call my own, I hope to get back in the swing of it.
Little did I (also) know how much the Spider-Man movies would mean for me this summer. Suffering from loneliness and feeling a need to watch something comforting, I'm pretty sure I watched Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3 a combined 30 times over the summer, usually while eating dinner. They helped quite a bit, and I still watch them any time I'm in a slump or the world seems scarier than usual.
I originally had a photo of myself dressed in a formal shirt and formal pants from my first day of work, but that photo has become lost with time. No matter: there are a few comparable photos from that time I still do have; they will show up in later Fischberg Flashbacks.
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