“I want to be a film director.”
Dad: “OK.”
“I want to be a biologist.”
Dad: “OK.”
“I want to be a lawyer.”
Dad: “NOOOOOO!!!!”
People say father knows best, but I didn’t think so during this conversation I had with him when I was on the verge of adulthood. I assumed he would approve of my latest career goal just like all the previous ones. On the contrary, he disapproved of my latest aspiration. I asked him why and he replied, “because lawyers are liars.”
He had a point. I wasn’t familiar with what a lawyer was until I watched Liar Liar in middle school. Nevertheless, I was astounded by his response. But the rebel in me decided to stick with this career path and prove to him that I’ll be an honest lawyer who does good in the world. After what I thought was much persuasion, My father quickly turned his opinion around and began telling everyone I was going to be an international civil rights attorney. I never planned on being the next Amal Clooney, but I’ll let him think it.
Now with only one year left of law school, I would like to think it was my rebellion that brought me closer to the law, for the sake of ending this story with irony. But a few months ago, I found out that while others mocked me when I was a toddler for speaking gibberish (I didn’t speak a real language until I was four), my father told them off, claiming that one day they’ll see me speaking so eloquently that I’ll end up being a great lawyer.
At first, I was shocked. The person who I thought didn’t want me to be a lawyer wanted me to be one all along, but it all makes sense now. He’s always had my back and my best interest at heart. He also knows my rebellious nature and exercised reverse-psychology at its finest so that I’d pursue my true passion without tossing it as another one of my monthly career choices. So what people say is true — father does know best, and there’s nothing ironic about that.
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The original version of this post appeared on Caffeinida, the blog of Nida Siddiqui. Siddiqui has since graduated from UC Davis School of Law last year and is now a licensed attorney. She currently works at her alma mater as the California International Law Center Postdoctoral Law Fellow. In her spare time, she enjoys tweeting law-themed versions of pop songs and movie plots.
