جوجه

高級高齢学生

Students of Exclusively Elite Age

     On the first day of studies I wandered into the mass collective of unfamiliarity milling about the law school courtyard and struck up a conversation with a fellow that, coincidentally, happened to be my age.

     "Everybody seems so young!" We both observed. Not to say that either of us felt particularly old, but surrounded by so many faces fresh out of undergrad or only a year two removed, we could certainly sense a gap between ourselves and the majority. A few years employment, time abroad, life experience; it all adds up pretty quickly and changes perspective a great deal. 

     As it turns out, we are actually part of an elite group. We learned during orientation that we're in the top 10% of our class!  ...(in age)... 10% of the class are 28 and older.

     Half tongue-in-cheek, half curious, I sent out a message to gather all those elites interested in hanging out with fellow members of the top 10%. About a dozen people showed up, and we've been in regular communication since week one. Although we're all in the same school, we're in different study groups which can actually make it difficult to see each other without making specific plans.

     Everyone in the school has an interesting background or at least a sharp mind, most people are even rather adept at conversation, but the old folks, man, they've got the stories. Having spent years far away from law school, we're not as prone to academic tunnel-vision as we would have been had we jumped into this straight from undergrad. Time with this group is proving to be a great way to escape the drudges of law school (hey, we've got other things to talk about!) while still being around people who understand the experience. 

     The backgrounds are varied: business, construction, education, philosophy, real-estate, travel, trapeze, translation, and on and on.

Can't seem to get this guy to talk much about his past work, though it does seem interesting.

     Also, catering! We have a caterer. While the جوجه*, as some of us affectionately call the young folk, spend their Thursdays "pre-gaming" with plastic cups, ping-pong balls, and Pabst; we participate in cocktail parties in a lovely home with actual furniture and framed artwork. Yes, actual furniture. 

     At the most recent cocktail party, I noticed someone who seemed underage and asked to confirm. "I'm 24," she confessed, "but I have back issues, so it's OK." There actually was an interview, apparently. Do you really have back pain? How much? Where? Since when?

     We are an exclusive people, after all.

*That's a Persian word. جوجه (juje) No, it's not profane. Look it up in Google image search if you want to know what it means. Living so close to "Tehrangeles", as the area just South of me is known, it'd be a shame not to pick up something.