Obladi Oblada

Diary Entry: 15 May, 2017

The tort examination was derailed by a technical failure today. We use special exam software, and in the middle of the test, mine simply froze. Twenty, maybe twenty-five, minutes bled away while I sat there.

I paced uselessly, a captive to the process, while the university’s IT team looked into the problem. In the end, the machine sputtered back to life on its own; IT had nothing to do with it. For better or worse, I wrote what I could in the time that remained and submitted.

My mind raced, weighing the options. The university’s examination policies are Newtonian, absolute; staff possess no authority to bend time. When the exam ends, it ends for everyone. And yet, the professors... they are the system’s gods, operating above the rigid laws of mortals. The question was, who would plead my specific case, especially for this “poor foreigner”?

I wrote to the administrative assistant. She was kind and immediately arranged a meeting with the assistant dean. This was the same dean, I realized, who had given that chilling speech at our oath ceremony — the one who warned us that the lawyer’s path is so narrow that a single mistaken download from the torrents could vaporize your chances of becoming a judge, or even just maintaining your license.

I went into her office. The administrative assistant stood next to me, a picture of kind support. I explained the situation, making it clear I wasn’t filing a formal complaint. But, I added, as a scholarship student — one with perhaps high expectations attached — I felt I should explain what had happened.

She looked at me with a profound, practiced kindness and began to talk.

And... it was just wonderful. She spoke about how positive it is to express one’s feelings. She stressed the “importance of perspective.” And then, the masterful pivot: “America always supports building democratic institutions around the world.”

A lightbulb clicked on in my head. It was brilliant. She wasn’t dismissing my small, personal problem with a computer; she was elevating it. She was transforming a simple technical glitch into a profound lesson in perspective. She was connecting my failed exam to the great, noble goal of building a better, more democratic world.

I was so moved. I felt a sudden wave of gratitude for her incredible insight. She didn’t see a problem; she saw a teaching moment. My anger vanished, replaced by pure inspiration.

I thanked her with all my heart for her time and her wisdom, and I left that room feeling so much better.