It was my very first day as a judge. I was ready. I had been a lawyer for a long time. I knew what I was doing. I was prepared. In fact, I had reviewed each of my files twice that morning before calling my calendar.
Never mind that my first judicial assignment was presiding over criminal cases and that my background was primarily in civil law. I had been reading, studying, and training in criminal law for the past several months and had even observed criminal judges calling their calendars for the past week.
So, I confidently took the bench, greeted the lawyers, and called my first case. The prosecution and the defense lawyer both stated their appearances, and before I could utter another word, the defense lawyer said, “Your Honor, I would like to make an Arbuckle Waiver.”
A what? I had never even heard of an Arbuckle Waiver. (An Arbuckle Waiver, as I subsequently learned, is essentially a request by the defendant to be sentenced by a different judge when the original judge who took the plea is unavailable.) I was mentally knocked down with the first punch. But outwardly, I needed to keep my composure, so I calmly said, “You may proceed.” After hearing from both sides, I asked counsel to approach at sidebar. I sincerely confessed my ignorance about Arbuckle Waivers. Fortunately, both the prosecutor and the defense lawyer were seasoned. They both were very respectful and appreciative of my candor. This gave both lawyers an opportunity to educate the judge.
It was an immediate and eye-opening experience right off the bat to realize judges don’t know everything, nor should they. Most judges certainly know a fair amount, but typically the lawyers know more about their case than the judge, at least initially.
So, yes, I got knocked off my feet as a judge in my very first case. It certainly wasn’t the first or last time I faced setbacks, challenges, and failures. Likewise, for many of you, you may have a professional or personal goal and know what needs to be done but get tripped up or sidetracked. For others, you don’t yet have a goal but are just trying to get through the day or not feel perpetually lost. In either situation and vital to achieving The Happiness Revolution is understanding that every problem is an opportunity. The word opportunity means “a good chance for advancement or progress.” And when I think of challenges as opportunities, I think of the common saying, “I don’t win or lose. I win or learn.” Learning is progress. When you learn, you get better and smarter, and you grow.