Pulling Tassels
Originally Published in the June 2017 Kansas Bar Journal
Between my time in Iowa and Kansas, I have spent most of my life in farm country. While Kansas has long earned its nickname as “The Wheat State,” [1] my home state of Iowa prides itself on corn production.[2] As a result, part of my youth included detasseling. I have mentioned this job to a number of Kansans and am surprised how often it prompts a blank stare. For those unfamiliar with detasseling, it is the task of pulling off the top of corn plants—the tassel—to achieve cross pollination.[3]
Detasseling is undoubtedly the worst job I’ve had. We started the workday at 6:00 a.m. while the day was still brisk and the corn still wet. Those of you remembering the gossamer quality of the corn in Field of Dream as the ballplayers faded into the shadows may not appreciate that corn leaves are actually razor blades in disguise. The corn awaited our arrival to not only soak us and slice our hands, but also to inflict a burning corn rash onto any exposed skin.
A day that started with a wet and shivering chill would then give way to blistering sunshine and humidity. During my first summer of detasseling, I burned my shoulders so badly that they took on a painful shade of reddened black that makes me flinch from the memory. I was the smallest guy on the crew, which did not serve me well when walking through rows of Iowa corn that can reach 12 feet tall. I was terrible at the job and felt miserable doing it. At the end of the season, my boss, Del Tjepkes, told me the only reason he hadn’t fired me was that I had a good attitude from start to finish. Small victories, I guess.
I have thought about my first job during this past year as YLS President because it is such a contrast to my current role. There have been many tasks for the KBA that pilfer from my work with the Kansas Association of Counties. Meetings, writing, and speaking combined to take substantial time away from my typical duties. My bosses, Randall Allen and Melissa Wangemann, have responded with unwavering support and encouragement. I am deeply grateful for their generosity.
I write this column—my final piece as YLS President—to give public thanks to Randall, Melissa, and the rest of my colleagues at KAC. To be fair, there are endless thanks to give to those beyond the Kansas Association of Counties. The YLS board made it possible to do far more than would have been possible for one person. From the Mock Trial Competition, to the Judicial Externship Program, the YLS Newsletter, our social events and CLEs, our board served with aplomb. The KBA staff also gave enthusiastic support and assistance for each of these undertakings. Most important, my wife and daughters sacrificed time and gave encouragement when my schedule grew particularly busy. I owe thanks to many people on multiple fronts.
While it is easy to thank people for specific acts, it is far more difficult to live with a spirit of gratitude. In my younger days, I am certain I did not give thanks for strong legs to walk miles of corn rows. Or for eyes to squint when the unclouded sun beat down from on high. Or even for the significant paycheck that came at the end of my labor. It was too easy to focus on the long hours, the unpleasant conditions, and the seeming futility in my work.
The same is too often true in our profession. Challenging deadlines, long hours, substance abuse, and depression each earn regular attention as blights on the legal community.[4] But there are incredible elements that counterbalance the ills. For starters, people seek us out when they have nowhere else to turn. As Jerry Seinfeld noted, lawyers know the rules of the country: “We're all throwing the dice, playing the game, moving our pieces around the board, but if there is a problem the lawyer is the only person who has read the inside of the top of the box.”[5] Attorneys often have answers or at least know where to find them.
Similarly, we lend a voice—or a written word—for those who have not “read the inside of the top of the box.” The element of representation and advocacy is a responsibility that often leads to stress, but it is also a joy to work on something that matters deeply to someone. Even if the issue does not feel as grandiose as Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, someone trusts you to serve as their voice when they are ill-equipped to speak well.
This individual trust also extends to a public trust. It is the understanding of law that provides the opportunity to guide people through varied challenges. People ask us to serve on boards and run for elected office. If our country is a nation of laws, then lawyers enjoy a distinct role as authors of those laws. Our training in analysis, problem-solving, and communication affords us an opportunity to serve in a unique manner of value and worth.
My employer has given generously to me, so I can give to the KBA and YLS. We talk often at KAC about our gratefulness for the opportunity to work with leaders across Kansas at the county level and the Kansas Legislature who serve. It is my hope that our profession is similarly known as a body that lives gratefully for the skills and opportunities we possess and gives accordingly in gratitude.
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[1] Kansas Historical Society (2012). Kansas as the Breadbasket. Retrieved from: www.kshs.org/kansapedia/kansas-as-the-breadbasket/17616.
[2] USDA (2017). Iowa State Fact Sheets. Retrieved from: https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?StateFIPS=19&StateName=Iowa&ID=10633#.U8Q5wbEXtQs.
[3] Byron, E (2002). Detasseling, a Midwest Rite of Passage, Faces Extinction. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: www.wsj.com/articles/SB1028840961499455040.
[4] Krill, P, Johnson, R, Albert, L. (2016). The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys. Journal of Addiction Medicine. Available at: www.journals.lww.com/journaladdictionmedicine/Fulltext/2016/02000/The_Prevalence_of_Substance_Use_and_Other_Mental.8.aspx; Ciobanu, A., Terrell, S. (2015). Out of the Darkness: Overcoming Depression among Lawyers. American Bar Association GP Solo Magazine. Available at: www.americanbar.org/publications/gp_solo/2015/march-april/out_the_darkness_overcoming_depression_among_lawyers.html.
[5] Seinfeld: The Visa (NBC television broadcast, Jan. 27, 1993). Transcript available at: http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheVisa.html.
