Where Essential Oils Come From SOURCING THE SWEET-SMELLING STUFF Call it a pseudoscientific fad or a medical revolution; either way, essential oils are more popular today than they have ever been. Though research on the efficacy of lavender, ginger, and the dozens of other sweet-smelling oils is conflicting at best, people are using them at an astonishing rate. In fact, according to Stratistics MRC, essential oils were a $5.91 billion industry in 2016 and are expected to reach $12.85 billion by 2023. Whether you’re an essential oil acolyte or fly into a rage at the faintest hint of bergamot, your mind is probably already made up about aromatherapy. The question remains, though: Where does all this delicious-smelling stuff come from? Most essential oils are derived from a process called steam distillation . Soon after harvest, the plants are placed on a mesh inside a sealed still, into which steam is injected. As the steam rises and envelops the plant, it breaks it down and lifts its constituent components up through a tube and into a condenser. The condenser cools the resulting vapor and collects it in liquid form
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I briefly lost sight of this goal while attending college. While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I had a sudden opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. A friend in my dorm had mentioned that his mother — who was a lawyer at a firm representing the big banks — was in immediate need of a file clerk. Working for a firm that represents the financial industry was a departure from the kind of legal work I had envisioned myself doing, but at age 19, I was going to take any chance I could get to improve my odds of going to law school and get my foot in the door somewhere. Time and again, I watched the firm I worked for protect some of the biggest banks in the country from people they had wronged. I vividly remember a case involving an elderly couple who had been wrongfully foreclosed upon. It was clear as day that the bank had made an accounting error, one that caused these retirees to lose all the equity in their home. While the fault of the bank was obvious, the elderly couple hired an inexperienced lawyer to represent them. The firm quickly found and exploited the procedural holes in the couple’s case, essentially getting it thrown out on a technicality. I was a part of that “win” for our firm, but it didn’t feel like a victory. This wasn’t like winning a debate tournament; a bank made a mistake, and an innocent couple paid the price. And it was all because one side had better lawyers. I felt disturbed, nauseous even. I’d played a part in the kind of injustice my friend’s father had warned me about. I defended the powerful from the rights of the weak. I didn’t give up on law, though — far from it. That clerking job didn’t just teach me the harm a good lawyer working for the wrong client can do; it taught me that a bad lawyer defending the right people can be just as dangerous. I threw myself into my legal studies, determined to be the kind of lawyer with the compassion and the expertise to stand up for everyday folks who have been wronged. And here I am today, doing the work my friend’s father first inspired me to do back in high school. Along the way, I met Chelsea, an extremely intelligent lawyer who shared my conviction for fighting for the underdog. We married, then we founded Dickerson Oxton Law Firm over eight years ago. Now we’re working to protect the rights of everyday folks who have been harmed by wrongdoers big and small. Along with the joys of raising our young daughter and son, we find satisfaction in knowing we are using our knowledge and expertise to do real good in the world. And it all began with a rebellious kid being sent to debate class.
When a friend is injured in a car crash, it’s easy to feel powerless to help them. Knowing what to say or do for someone who has just faced a potentially traumatic event is incredibly difficult. But the truth is there are simple but effective steps you can take to support your friend’s recovery and make their day-to-day life easier. 3 WAYS TO SUPPORT A FRIEND AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
PRACTICAL SUPPORT
Many everyday activities can become difficult or impossible after an accident. Just getting from place to place can be a challenge; your
friend may be left without a car, or they may
even find the act of driving to be nerve- wracking. Volunteering
Who says nothing good comes from arguing with your parents?
Tom Dickerson
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