This Friday is my one year anniversary as an Assistant DA in the City of Brotherly Love.  Time flies.  I’ve handled about sixty cases this year and argued three times in front of the Superior Court.  

Other interesting duties included monitoring the 2004 general election, supervising lineups in prison, and getting to learn about the criminal mind in general.  A tough city that has made my heart stronger and softer. 

This past weekend I went on a bus tour of the city as part of my job.  A very different kind of tour.  Instead of seeing historic Philadelphia, we went to drug-infested and depressed areas of the city.  It was an eye-opening and insightful experience. 

Strangely, I did not feel too badly at seeing the various negative elements that seem to prevail in many parts of our city.  I think that was mainly due to meeting totally awesome people who fight back against drugs, violence, and despair.  An important lesson I learned this weekend was that happiness is not limited to socioeconomic conditions.  It was inspiring to meet good people in difficult situations that still believe in change and actually do something towards accomplishing that change. 

First we met a church group that works with recovering drug addicts.  We also got to meet a band of citizens with hard hats that clears out drug houses and dealers.  I asked one of them where he got hope from and he replied that hope came from winning single victories rather than looking at the problem as a whole.  In one part of North Philadelphia’s East Division, known as the Badlands, we got to see a garden run by nuns that used to be an abandoned lot.  

Another thing that impressed my mind was watching flowers grow on a street known for its shootings.  I guess these examples showed me that it’s hard to keep goodness from being resilient. I do not know how long I will be in this position past my commitment, but I know that this is where God wants me to be for now.  I felt proud looking at my brother and sister DAs as well as our police force – a diverse group of individuals who are brought together by a singular goal.  

I can tell my kids one day that once I was part of something bigger than myself.  That I made a little difference in this world. I also felt blessed to have the life I’ve lived.