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Law in Contemporary Society
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I am not “I”-- By HarryBajwa - 23 May 2025The Office Hours RealizationOn Thursday, January 23, 2025, I walked out of Professor Moglen’s office hours with my shirt damp with sweat, not from the temperature of the room but from the weight of the realization that had sunk in. While the other three students asked questions, I stood near the door, thinking I would not draw too much attention—I was wrong. By simply observing how I stood for almost an hour and asking some questions, Professor Moglen uncovered something I had never acknowledged, or perhaps feared to acknowledge: the existence of another version of “Harry.” The visit did not just reveal something deeper about myself but also made me question how often we miss the hidden truths in others, even those closest to us.The Harry I KnewThe Harry I knew was someone who drew energy from being around others and was an extrovert at heart. He was ambitious to make a difference in the world, particularly in the sectors of education, healthcare, and technology, using a lawyer’s skillset as a tool for impact. He saw himself as someone who freely pursued his passions, such as his interest in early childhood education pedagogy, completing a certificate in Early Years Education while simultaneously earning his Bachelor of Commerce degree. Sports brought him joy, with field hockey being one of his most cherished activities. Harry played for Canada’s Junior National Field Hockey Team and aspired to compete at the Olympics, but he ultimately stepped away from the sport to focus on academics and other pursuits.The Harry I UncoveredWhen it was my turn to speak, I asked how to cultivate courage. The conversation shifted to my interests, and I mentioned my passion for technology and how I reconciled it with being in law school. When Professor Moglen asked about my family’s roots, I replied, “India,” but when he asked for more detail, I specified, “Punjab.” I didn’t understand the relevance until he asked if my family had been affected by the substance abuse crisis in Punjab. He was spot on. Alcohol had taken many lives on both sides of my family. It was why I never met my grandfathers and many uncles. I have never once tasted alcohol in my life, and in that moment, I realized why, along with other unsettling insights that Professor Moglen uncovered before me. I realized those family tragedies not only kept me away from alcohol but also instilled a quiet, risk-averse nature I had never acknowledged. That fear, I now recognize, shaped more of my life than I understood. Until then, I could not figure out why I had no desire for alcohol, despite growing up all around it. In hindsight, this realization was right in front of me, yet I failed to make it. This blind spot reveals something deeper about my own nature. For instance, my subtle undercurrent of risk aversion likely led me to leave field hockey, not just to focus on school, but out of fear I might fall short even if I gave it everything I had. Maybe this is why I came to law school, to have a path that felt stable and safe. Maybe I’m not as purely optimistic as I once believed. During this conversation, and as these realizations sank in, I stood absolutely still, as Professor Moglen pointed out. Before this, I had been shifting my weight from one foot to the other, passing my jacket from hand to hand. It was as if, by uncovering this hidden version of Harry, I no longer had to struggle for balance, standing face to face with a side of myself I had never dared to see.The Harry I Seek to BeIn recognizing a part of myself I had long ignored, I experienced a shift that transformed not only how I see myself, but also how I approach understanding others. That office hours session sparked a heightened awareness of the deeper forces that guide my thinking and decisions. While these insights into myself were eye-opening, what was just as, if not more, fascinating was how they were uncovered by Professor Moglen. With only limited context and observation, Professor Moglen revealed something I had never acknowledged. It taught me that genuine perception often lies beyond words and what is immediately visible. Since then, I have realized that understanding myself and others is closely intertwined. The deeper I dissect the forces that have shaped me, such as family expectations, repeated narratives, and environmental conditioning, the more easily I recognize their reflections in others. I now approach every interaction with a mindset of curiosity, asking myself what I might be missing rather than accepting what someone says or presents at face value. This new perspective has already influenced how I navigate discussions and interpret what is said. I find myself tracing the roots beneath each argument, seeking the conditioning and assumptions from which it grew. Moreover, adopting this stance has fostered a genuine sense of humility; I’ve become more patient with uncertainty, less quick to assume I fully understand someone’s perspective, and more open to asking questions and adjusting my view. Even acknowledging that uncertainty exists feels like a meaningful step forward for me. Fittingly, I came to that office hours session to ask about courage, thinking it meant bold action. Instead, I learned that one of the hardest and most essential forms of courage is turning inward. Facing myself honestly has become the foundation for understanding others. It's a skill and a path I began to develop this semester, one I intend to keep strengthening. It’s a subtle kind of bravery, but in many ways, it feels like the prerequisite to the external courage I admire in others and seek to cultivate in myself.You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable. To restrict access to your paper simply delete the "#" character on the next two lines:
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