The Strange Case of Jekyll v. Hyde

About this time of year (see 2006, 2005) I write up a list of ought-to's: a less onerous list of resolutions that both relieves me of guilt should I fail to accomplish them and which is a list that, by virtue of its clever name, must expire upon 2010, when the decade of aught's is over. (I maintain a steadfast resolution to employ puns at every turn.)

Surprisingly, my goal of working out more last year had some legs, as I began to run during the summer. I didn't like it very much, and I avoided running in the rain which, in Vancouver, is like avoiding salt in the Pacific - but the fact is I actually raised my heart rate beyond the level it peaks at during April finals.

But I suppose that ought-to came about from a need to fill a lot of spare time - a natural (and let's face it, not altogether unsavoury) by-product of upper-year law school. This year, things change: I enter the working world, where filling spare time is not going to be the issue - unless I've heard wrong all these years, and lawyers are actually renowned for their short working hours...

My fear isn't the schedule - I really have no issue with putting in long hours for a job I believe in - but only that in doing so I might transform into some hideous malcontent that no one wants to talk to. Like Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde, or if you will - Dr. Jekyll into JekyLL.B.

So in that respect, I ought to retain my sense of humour and priority when I bridge that chasm from law student to articled student, a sort of leap from carefree idealism to indentured servitude. In short, I'm looking to continue being myself into next year and beyond. I'd like to be sought after for my musical advice as much as my legal advice. FYI, this new Damon Albarn side project, The Good, The Bad & The Queen gets my thumbs up.

Of course, I'm actually not too worried about this transformation, as almost all of the lawyers I've met in Vancouver so far have been exceptional people. In effect, I've given myself a new year's resolution to make absolutely no changes. I'm OK with this.