Closing Argument

As law school commencement draws nearer, I have found myself attempting to justify attending.  For what? We get our pieces of paper shipped to us.  For recognition?  I don’t want it nor do I really care for group recognition anyway; if everyone is getting recognized, my “accomplishment" cannot be THAT special.  By no means do I wish to devalue my classmates' sense of accomplishment; however, I am entitled to my feelings.  I knew I could do it and I did.  I’ve hardly made the world a better place, and I certainly have left with more questions than answers.  Honestly, this is just another ceremony during which I’ll end up playing Words With Friends (hit me up: mpindo3). 

However, when I think about what really matters to me, this IS an accomplishment.  This is an accomplishment for everyone.  Even if you may have only shared a kind word or offered encouragement, this is for you.  This is for my father, whose sacrifices have afforded me opportunities he never could have never imagined.  To a man born in public housing in a small farming town in Italy.  A man who had to leave his country to avoid the army, a man who had to live in a Boston basement with no electricity or hot water just to sniff "freedom," this is his accomplishment.  For my nana, the strongest woman I know, who had to raise my mother and my uncle (two of the most amazing people I know and love) by herself, this is her accomplishment.  For my mother, because I know my sharp tongue and quick wit doesn't come from the guy who gives us the punchline before he finishes the joke.  To my brother, who will certainly need a (copyright) lawyer sometime in the future, this is his accomplishment.  To my family and friends who have been with me every step of the way, this is your accomplishment.

This is not my accomplishment, for I could not have gotten through law school without all of you and your love, because that’s what’s really real.  If I never see another case book, court room, or even an episode of Law & Order again, it wouldn’t matter.  Because I have you guys.

As for me, I do not feel accomplished, nor do I wish to be celebrated as such. This is for y’all. This isn’t for me.  You will KNOW when I feel accomplished, because you will FEEL what I have done.  When it’s over, if the world is a better place because of me, then and only then, will I feel accomplished.  I love you all and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for I know with you, I will continue to thrive as a friend, a brother, a son, a man, and, above all, a human being.  Because that’s what’s real.  I love you.

MP