Day 15: Well, Good Luck

And after finishing the Trusts tutorial, I said one last goodbye to Professor Haley. We were in his hangar -- home of his treasured plane and his office -- for a final lesson. We discussed his life; we discussed the next few weeks of mine. It was interesting to stand there in a building decorated with planes - an indicator of how life sometimes flies you to places you never thought you'd be. Here I was, less than three weeks from my 28th birthday. Here he was, the flipside of 28, remembering his 82 years. 'Remember that the thing about this test your about to take. Remember that you're not the only one who has done it. Others have been able to do it and many of them aren't as smart as you. Stay focused.' 'Thank you," I responded. 'I am hopeful about this journey.'

As I drove off this dream called Drummond and boarded the ferry for the mainland, I couldn't help but think I was 17 agai three weeks after 9-11 with my aunt at Ground Zero in New York. Nearly 11 years prior, we traveled to see the aftermath and while we stood at what was the Twin Towers, a police officer said 'Keep moving. Keep Moving. You have to keep moving. You can't stop. Keep Moving.' I thought then that her words were also an omen for moments in life. "I don't need to tell them who I am. That's why I've always told people to call me Clif," he said. "There is no need for Mr. Haley." We hugged; I shook his hand and said, "I look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you Clif."

Next stop was to meet my Aunt in Brimley, just a short 70-mile ride through the country roads of the Eastern U.P. and to the gateway to Lake Superior. A little over an hour was just enough time to recap my Workmens' Comp/No Fault insurance lecture that I didn't get quite right the first time around.

I arrived to Bay Mills Resort and Casino and thought - 'how the hell am I am going to study with people. How the hell am I am going to study while having a bed for the 3rd straight night? How the hell am I going to study when I don't need to hold my cell phone up in the air as if I'm ET phoning home?' Oh well, I'll make do. I did 33 MBE Questions on the Ipad and before finishing two additional exams on Wills and Trusts.

I went down to the casino that evening to people-watch, which let me to the perfect solution for anyone my age feeling upset about getting older - go to a casino in the middle of the week, there isn't anyone here younger than 60. Not that there is anything wrong with them being here. I just know I felt pretty young. I kept thinking there's a generation here bitching about how my era does nothing for the future or professes on how they earned everything without facebook or blogging. Meanwhile they also are in a casino spending those earnings and almost barking at me because I'm the one typing an e-mail on a blackberry.

Oh well, I thought. I guess I'll sit at a video poker machine, They did give me $15 to sign up for a card. Sitting next to me is Jim. He's a native of Iron Mountain, but now lives in Ann Arbor after retiring as a music teacher from the University of Michigan. "What's you're talent Jim?" I asked. "What?" the Korean War Veteran responded. "What instrument did you play?" I said. "My voice," he said. "I focused on opera." "Well, good luck," I responded, asking him if he knew of any good dives in Iron Mountain.