Ever since I was a kid, Batman has been my favorite superhero. Superman was too cheesy. The Hulk, too moody. Batman just seemed the most believable. He was an ordinary guy who decided to fight injustice on his own terms. No ultra-super powers, gamma rays, or radioactive spider bites. All he had was the Batmobile; an array of cool, Bat-shaped gadgets; a loyal butler named Alfred who apparently had no life or hobbies of his own; and a utility belt that would've made MacGyver drool at the mouth. What isn't believable about any of that?
I recently re-watched The Dark Knight on DVD, and with the exception of Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker, the movie itself is mediocre at best. The movie does, however, attempt to illustrate what I feel is the most intriguing aspect of the Batman character, namely, the constant identity struggle between Bruce Wayne and Batman. Is Bruce Wayne posing as Batman, or is Batman posing as Bruce Wayne? Which identity is real and which is the alter ego? If Bruce Wayne is "real," then he's just a millionaire playboy whose role as Batman gets in his way of having a good time. On the other hand, if Batman is "real," then he has somehow managed to master his creator in the pursuit of a higher calling. Personally, I'd much rather believe the latter scenario, if only because of the irony -- man creates alter ego, man is engrossed by alter ego, man becomes the real-life alter ego of the alter ego.
(Wow. Ladies and gentlemen, that's pure beauty. My college literature professor would be proud.)
The truth is, I'm not sure we can ever truly know the answer, and maybe it's better that way. What I do know is that I mention all of this only because it's the most accurate way to describe my law school experience thus far. Before I started, I lived what I considered my real life, my "Bruce Wayne," if you will. I expected law school to be my "Batman," something I did for several hours a day before I shelved it and returned to my real life. But after nearly seven months of this, the boundaries separating the two have blurred. I spend more time on campus than I do at home, more time with my classmates than my own family, and more time with casebooks than my G.I. Joe action figures. Am I a guy who happens to be in law school? Or am I a full-time law student who happens to sleep off-campus? I'm not sure.
It might sound like I just jumped into a bottomless pool of self-pity, but I'm honestly not complaining. I'm glad I entered law school. (I think I just threw up in my mouth after writing that.) It's just a little weird to witness your own transformation from Regular Guy, who still leaves the house wearing mismatched socks, to little Legal Beagle, who can't walk past a puddle on the ground without thinking about whether the property owner has constructive notice and would therefore be subject to liability for negligence.
Bizarre. Truly bizarre ...
Anyhow, so long as I'm losing my soul to the legal profession, I wonder how far I can take this Batman analogy. Will my law office be my Batcave? My obligatory black Mercedes coupe, my Batmobile? My yellow legal pad, my yellow utility belt? What if I name my future legal assistant "Alfred," regardless of his/her gender or age?
These are the things I think about. It's sad, I know.
Welcome to law school, where dreams are lost and sleep is a fairy tale.
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