Journal #1 Chapters 1-3 Persective: Atticus

Today was among the many long days at work. I didn't have a trial but I was in the office doing tons of paper work. It's funny to think about when I first wanted to become a lawyer, I thought all it was was going to court, arguing someones case, and having a sort of debate with the attorney of the opposite side when it is really so much more. All I could see was the fun part of being a lawyer I looked right past all the work, stress, and time this profession takes. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job, but oh how I wish I could have more time to spend with my children. I feel like they are growing up so fast and I am missing out on a big chunk of their life. Their mom died and their dad is always away at work, thank God for Calpurnia if it wasn't for her, they would have little to no one in their life to raise them right. I know I should stop all my complaining because things could be way worse for us and they aren't. At least we are able to have a good meal every night unlike poor little Walter Cunningham. Scout was telling me about how the teacher was checking to make sure everyone had lunch and he had none. The kind teacher tried to hand him a quarter but of course he refused because the Cunninghams never take anything they can't pay back. I'm a little surprised that he came to our house for dinner but I am happy. It makes me sad to sit and think about all of the people that are rarely able to eat a good meal while I sit at the table and eat until I am full. I am very grateful that I am able to have a stable job and my kids don't have to starve. Oh yeah back to how dinner went with Little Walter Cunningham. It was good I wish that he would have taken a plate home but he was already dis obeying his father by being here. He was so excited to have some molasses that he drowned all of his food in it. Even his green vegetables and I think he wouldn't have stopped until the bucket was empty but Scout opened her big mouth. She probably made the boy feel bad which made me very mad he hadn't eaten in days and he was just taking advantage of the good meal that he was able to eat. I was thinking about what I should do about what Scout said but before I could do anything Calpurnia called her into the kitchen and scolded her. I think that my kids take the fact that they are able to have food every night for granted and they really don't appreciate it. I think one day I will show them what it is like not to have food that way they will really be able to appreciate it. Scout had her first day of school today and from what I was told, it wasn't the best experience for her. She instantly got in trouble because of the fact that she knew how to read and I thought that might be a problem when she went to school because of course the teachers want to feel like they have something to teach and also the fact that the teacher has quite eccentric teaching methods. Then that whole thing with Walter Cunningham went on and Scout, not taking into consideration that the teacher was indigenous to the town, tried to explain why he wouldn't take it. All Scout said was that he was he was a Cunningham and yeah that would have been enough information for people that live in this town but to the teacher, it meant nothing. Everyone in our town knows each other and the living conditions of them. The Cunninghams are a very poor family and everyone knows that so all the kids of course knew that was the reason he had no lunch and wouldn't accept the quarter but the teacher didn't. Because of all this, Scout did not want to go back to school and thought it would be acceptable for her to only go the first day like Berris Ewell, a student in her in her class. I would never let her do that because that boy and his family are looked down upon by the whole town and I would not want her doing anything like him. People don't like them because they have a sort of malevolent attitude . I want my kids to get a good education unlike most of the kids in this town that rarely ever even pass the first grade. Scout and I ended up compromising, she would go to school every day, and her and I would continue to read together every night. Overall, this has been a long, tiring day. I think I should be heading to bed now seeing that I have a long day of work ahead of me. I hope that tomorrow will be a better day for Scout than today but I think she will do just fine. Her bold and outspokenness takes a little time to get used to and can tend to irk people but I'm sure the teacher will grow accunstomed to it.