What it's Like to Love You

Issue 4, Semester 1, 2019

ANONYMOUS

You are a law student. That’s all you are, because law consumes your life. Explaining what it is like to be dating someone in law school is as hard as describing the colour orange to a blind person. It’s difficult to articulate how much it pains me to see you, my significant other, torture yourself over readings and revision and it’s just as hard to find a way to help you when all you want is peace and time to study.

I’m forced to watch as your health slowly disintegrates. You become sleep deprived, moody and anxious. The worse thing is that no matter what I do, nothing helps. I couldn’t tell you how many times I have locked myself in the bathroom – crying at the pain of seeing you slave away at law. All the while feeling secondary in your life.

But I’m not going to be Debbie Downer ‘cause let’s be honest, law life is miserable enough as it is. So I’m doing to dig deep to find a few things where dating you, a law student, is rewarding.

Here goes: 

1.    While your law friends were intimidating at first, they’re pretty darn cool. Your course is filled with kind, intelligent and downright hilarious people and it’s a community in which you all support one another. Although law jargon litters your conversations’ which leaves me nodding and smiling on the sidelines, it doesn’t bother me. People watching has always been a hobby of mine and watching you converse with your friends is like being in the audience of Judge Judy – you don’t really talk, you all just passionately yell on top of one another. I’ll be bringing a bag of sweet and sour popcorn to your next hangout. 

2.   Your appearance doesn’t matter to you, so it doesn’t matter to either of us that I’m leaving the house in an 11 day old coffee stained tracksuit pants. Look, I’m not saying that I’ve let my appearances go, but when you’re dating someone who is consumed with law school, they don’t notice the small stuff which makes it easy for me to get away with minor discrepancies such as dirty socks. 

3.   You appreciate everything that makes you happy. Experiences or encounters that bring a smile your face are a hundred times more rewarding because they come in rare and small packages. When you’re sitting down to have dinner over an episode of Game of Thrones, you truly cherish the moment. Seeing the relief and appreciation etched on your face knowing that the next 54 minutes will be filled with dragons, incest and prostitutes instead of Contracts, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory is beautiful to witness. 

4.   You get to where you need to go a lot faster... you take a quick break, get in, get out and we’re both immensely satisfied. You know what I mean.

Dating someone in law school isn’t easy – there’s no question about that. Sacrifices are made, arguments are inevitable and emotions are always high. But let me tell you this: even when you come home from uni angry and stressed, when you lock yourself in your room for 12 hours every Sunday to study, and when you’re distracted with law instead of listening to me, you somehow make it worth it.

Anonymous is the partner of a Melbourne JD student

This piece was originally published in De Minimis in April 2015.

Other articles in this issue:

• Let's Call a Spade a Spade
• Hearing the Strength of Survivors Around Us
• ​Book Review: The Master and the Margarita