What I learned from backpacking
I just got back from a weeklong backpacking trip with my son and his scout troop(which also is one of the reasons I haven't posted in awhile) . You have a lot of time think when out in the wilderness, especially when you are hiking 6-8 miles a day. Among other things, I had a chance to think about how backpacking in the mountains is similar to criminal defense.
PREPARATION AND PLANNING: Just like a trial, a week long trip requires a tremendous amount of planning and preparation. You have to anticipate what might happen during your trip, and prepare for it. For instance, rain is always a possiblity. You don't want you or your equipment to get wet - if it does, you are going to be miserable for few days.
When you go on a trip like this you need to take everything with you - you can't run to the store if you forget an extra pair of socks. Planning takes time; you need to start well in advance, and constantly check and update your equipment. You can't possibly anticipate everything in one setting, just like you can't properly prepare for trial the night before.
Preparation and planning also requires education. You have to know where you are going, and what kind of terrain you will encounter. You also need basic knowledge about wilderness survival; if you don't know how to purify water you are in trouble. In the mountains, you also need to know how to prevent bears from joining you in camp. In trial, you have to know the basics, such as the rules of evidence. You also have to know the law that may be specific to your case.
PERSISTENCE: In the woods, failure is not an option. I learned this the hard way, when we ended up at the wrong camp site after hiking all day - one without water. We had to determine where we were, and how to get to a site with water since everyone was running low, or out all together. That required hiking several more miles - well past the point of exhaustion. There wasn't the option of quitting or stopping, or calling for help. In trials, things often have a way of taking a wrong turn. You can't quit; instead, you have to devise a strategy to overcome the situation.
USING WHAT YOU HAVE: In the woods, you have to use the resources you have. It's amazing how creative you can become when you have to. In trial - especially criminal trials - you have to work with what you have. Usually that isn't much. If you are lucky enough to have witnesses they may not be the brighest. The facts are almost always bad. You have to take what's there, and find a way to use it for your benefit.
I'm sure there are some other similarities that may come to me later. I also learned a few other things. For one, we don't realize how much we really have. We take running water, electricity, grocery stores, and bathrooms for granted. Many people do not have those most basic necessities. I voluntarily dealt with it, but many in the world don't have the choice. It gave me a different perspective - one I'm glad I had the chance to experience.
I can relate to this statement: "We take running water, electricity, grocery stores, and bathrooms for granted." I was kinda' at the opposite end when I was younger, meaning that I didn't think that there could be a better way. My grandparent's "toilet" is a wooden ...thing in the back yard. Running water comes from a pipe in the front yard. But I had a very fun time hanging out there as a kid.