Fabricated Darkness

The Defendant . . . 

This is not the DWI driver that hit us a few weeks ago. This is a client of my lawyer friend from Houston. Our offender was a white 36 year old male.  But both these citizens have shown equal amounts of class.  It's hard to believe you would show up for a hearing dressed like this.  Whatever crimes you have committed and whatever their punishment--you are also hereby sentenced to wearing a belt--indefinitely. 

We missed the hearing for our guy. On purpose. It was Wednesday. I imagine his trousers were in much the same fashion. The City of Eagan attorney called to let us know that our guy pleaded guilty to DWI, hit and run, and he didn't list the other charges, but they must have included driving without a license and driving without insurance.  Not one of our outstanding Eagan residents.  You know it's gonna be tricky when the defendant doesn't have an address.

This is what he got from the judge. . .
5 days in jail
45 days with an electronic monitor
2 years probation
a chemical dependancies rehab evaluation
visits to MADD victim impact panels
no use of alcohol (good luck with that. . . but he will be subject to random testing)
restitution to us (from an affidavit we filled out with our expenses. . . good luck with that too. . . )

Other highlights of the week included my brother-in-law's daughter getting beat up by her husband and the death of the young niece of one of my friends.  Darkness. . .

I'm thinking about all the magnificent women I know who battle darkness everyday.  While Casey walks into a courtroom on behalf of those who can't afford an attorney, and my sister teaches frustrated adolescent special needs kids to read. . . I sit one on one at the piano with suburban sweethearts all of whom's parents are deeply involved and all of whom are deeply cared for and loved.  The only darkness I have right now is that which I create for myself with sleep deprivation and the habit of overcommitment.  Fabricated darkness.  So--prayers of peace and light to all the women in particular who are battling the real thing.

I found myself wondering about my lack of anger toward the DWI guy, I know his name--but it's not on the tip of my tongue.  I hope he's thinking about things a little.  Would I be singing the same self righteous song if Calvin had been hurt?  Then I would have been subject to the real darkness.  The real test.

Well.  I'm looking out my big window to a sunshiny deeply snow covered hill.  It's hard to not be filled up with intense light.  My family is safe.  I'm looking at a week off.  I even got my car back in one piece.  I'm not being tested, and I'm thankful for that.