[Opinion] Beautiful World Because of You

I can`t remember clearly what I had dreamed of becoming. The dream could have been about becoming a painter or scientist, or a writer.

I wanted to become a lawyer when I was a high school student. I wanted to become a lawyer who could help needy people and who could defend those falsely accused. I became a lawyer that I had dreamed about. However, I did not become such a lawyer whom I had imagined.

When life is busy, childhood dreams are often buried into the daily lives. Life is war and is difficult to survive. Life is too busy even to dedicate everyday to making money. Life is heavy, and the world is not that naïve. More frankly speaking, ambition to become successful lawyer might have blinded my eyes, while my childhood dream remains only in my memory.

Anyhow, I struggled with legal issues of corporation all day. I devoted myself to issues, such as how I could recover the property of the corporation and how I could reduce the loss.

However, pro-bono defense or counseling was only a small portion of my work. Nonetheless I did my best with the work I was in charge of, and self-justified that the recovery of property of a client was justice.

There was a movie called `Indian Summer`. The main character of the movie is a lawyer who works more for the court-appointed defense case for the needy people despite the fact that the law firm where he belongs does not like him doing such defense. He is indefinitely just.

There are senior and junior lawyers who try to live justly, even though it may not as romantic as in the movie.

One of those lawyers became a full-time lawyer in a civic organization after completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Although he is being paid less than one third of the general payment for lawyers, he always looks cheerful. Although he does not have a room, which is given to the most lawyers, but a desk, his place does not look shabby at all. Although he goes to the court by taking subway train because he does not have a car with chauffer, he always walks with dignity.

A junior lawyer whom I like chose a small office which deals with the labor cases, turning down great offers from many law firms that guarantee money and prestige. Her office is busy with laborers rather than with people with clean suit and necktie. She did not deal with a case of corporation merger or a case of inviting foreign funds, which attract the media attention. However, she always looks happy.

There was a TV program called `Good World Because Of You`, although it was over. This was the program which showed lives of people who are like salt and light of the world, and people who live hard and justly although they are ordinary people. The program was about stories of people who live with warm heart without giving up their dreams and who love their neighbors, although they are not the people who have prestigious jobs. They were the people who made me think that the world is worth living because of people like them, and that the world is good because of these people.

Last year, I quit my job at a big law firm. I opened a small law firm with likeminded people. Of course, my main clients are companies. I do not spend much time for needy people.

However, my colleagues and I promised to devote ourselves to activities for public good that have nothing to do with making money for more than 50 hours a year. We plan to increase activities for the social progress and public good. We plan to make an example of a new law firm that makes efforts for the activities for public good.

I recall the life that I dreamed of when I was young. And I dream a beautiful world because of you. Everybody had a dream. What did you dream of? What kind of people did you want to become? Is this world beautiful and worth living because you are here?

This is not something grandiose. You who are doing your best with what you do and are humbly sharing what you have with others are really beautiful.