Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

My next look for a job was with the Veteran's Administration in the Insurance Division.When we went into the Service, the Government offered each inductee life insurance. It was optional and one could sign up any time. At the time I had ten thousand dollars worth. I filled the long application and a short time later I was hired. At 26 years of age I began working for the Government.

The previous summer I got talked into taking courses by Mary. I wasn't so sure that I would go to college. I took two law courses. Your mother suggested that I go to college and see if I would like it. I knew I would.Reading and learning were things I enjoyed doing.

Mary and I talked things over and she thought I should study law and become a lawyer. It wasn't my wish as I still thought I would like to be a social worker.

I signed up and went into the law school. It was called Portia Law School Today,, it's called New England School of Law. Eddie Dressler also went there where we met and became friends.

I had completed my pre-law requirements when I when I worked in Waltham. 

In the day time I worked  at the Veteran's Administration and at night I would go to the law college. The professors were all practicing attorneys. They knew their business. Uncle Vincent [ed: a lawyer] when he learned that I was studying to be a lawyer said if I made the Bar, he would help me.

I worked for the Veteran't Administration for 8 years. I got promotions and also an increase in salary to train a section leader who spent more time in a bar room than at the office. He was a political appointment.

I also was selected to be one of the people who would work the the auditing group and certify the amount of the insurance and interest to be paid.

Of course, my going to law college made my parents happy, my in-laws, and Mary who thought it was great. And my father-in-law, since I was at night school, would set my dinner to one side. No one in the family could eat until he set my portion to one side.[ed: This was done so Dad would not have to eat the leftovers as he got the very first portion]

I was also doing well with my grades. I had a to do with one of my teachers. When he marked me absent. I told him that I was there because I could not afford to miss a class. When this came up prior to this incident we had a test. And I had created the impression I wasn't that intelligent. He said for a student who isn't smart you did very well on the test. I asked if he could tell me what I got. As it was a tricky sort of test on the giving of and applying the law of another state in your own state. He said 100.

Later after I graduated I met him on the street. And he asked me how I was doing. I said I got my first case, a tort, but I'm waiting for my cousin to help me once he finishes with what he is working on. He said do you have any of your letterhead? I said yes. He had me go to his office. Talked to me what the matter was about. And he dictated a letter to his secretary and I mailed and kept the copy.

The fact that a person is a lawyer means nothing. You need additional training in the real world.