Judge Judy

The following is an excerpt from part two:

I am not a big fan of television. Occasionally I enjoy Judge Judy. She is such a wonderfully sensible and animated character. Saturday Night Live pales in wit. The highlight of each show is to observe Judy get worked up and then watch the litigants become aggravated. It amazes me how people can be so persistently single-minded when it comes to getting their way. That theme is consistent on all the “judge” shows.

I can appreciate devoted commitment to a cause. Determination to defend a position is admirable. The antics on Judge Judy, however, are nothing short of laughable. Regard for the law or consideration of common sense frequently have no influence on the litigants’ reasoning ability. All that matters is I want my way.

The opponents become like slot players mesmerized and held captive by their machine. The reality for both gambler and litigant is that they do not hold all the cards. Unwavering purpose will not override the law of averages or the laws of the state.

We were fortunate to rent an apartment from a friend. If not for Helen, we may well have been homeless after our discharge from prison. That is the circumstance for many convicted sex offenders who are released and forced into a hostile society. We have known Helen for ten years. She and I worked at the same upscale nursing home, on different shifts. Our relationship developed outside of work mostly as camping friends.