What I Learned ...from the law

Robert Hruzek's writing challenge this month at New Middle Zone Musings is: what I have learned from the law.

I honestly don't know what to write about with regards to this challenge because I have had little cause to think much about the law, especially in a personal context. There was the time I had to rescue my son from the police station for being a mischievous teenager but apart from that, my family is very law abiding.

So I am going to be a little rebellious and change the title to: what I have learned from lawyers.

A few years ago I was privileged to become involved with an amateur dramatic production. The play was called "Jerusalem, Jerusalem" and was about a renown New Zealand poet called J.K.Baxter. It was written by Mike Riddell and directed by his wife, Rosemary who is now a family judge in the North Island. I played the part of a middle aged woman who had lived in the commune with Baxter as a young woman. I had never acted before.

I had always thought that lawyers were stern, cold people but Rosemary is the exact opposite. She is warm, funny, incredibly articulate and caring. More than anything she taught me that I had to follow my dream and that I was capable of doing what I had always dreamed of...acting. She gave me confidence and made me believe in myself. Whilst I haven't done any acting since, I will always be grateful to her because she gave me the chance to fulfill one of my life's ambitions.

Thank you, Rosemary.

The significance of the photo is that Baxter had his commune 'Jerusalem' by the side of the Whanganui River, New Zealand.

Image: 'Whanganui River'
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