Ask Someone Who Has Been There Before

“If you cannot see where you are going,

ask someone who has been there before.”

~ J Loren Norris

As I've mentioned a time or two before, I'm not a big Facebook fan.  I don't like being tethered to technology that can track my every move.  Besides, it's a time hog.  And it's just as well.  I can't log on at work -- we're blocked.  And my phone is too small (or my eyesight is to poor?) to comfortably read posts (even if I was really dying to) without squinting and straining, and it drives me crazy waiting for it to refresh itself -- please don't waste more of my time!

I usually will log on to Facebook first thing in the morning to 1) send birthday wishes to friends; and 2) scan to see if I've missed anything worthy of a Like or a Comment.  But now and then I'm compelled to access Facebook on my cell phone for one reason or another, and a couple of days ago when I did so, I saw that I had a message waiting.  But because I refused to download to my phone the required Facebook App for messaging (far too intrusive, thank you very much, but no thanks), I was not able to access the message until I could get to my laptop and log on.

The message was from a colleague at our local business college asking if I'd be willing to mentor a student in the courtroom.  She had successfully made it to the point where hours for internship were now required, and she was would need 40 hours of courtroom time.

I accepted happily.  I contacted this young woman, first by text, and then by a phone call.  We've arranged to have her come to our courtroom first thing Monday morning.  We're starting a civil trial next week and it will be great courtroom experience for her.  We'll get her set up with her machine just behind the bar in the front row of the gallery closest to the jury box.  I'll show her around our offices and introduce her to everyone, try to make her feel as welcome and as comfortable as possible.  I've suggested that she start a list of questions that we can discuss over the lunch break.

I remember 30+ years ago -- Lord, has it really been that long? -- when I had to do my courtroom internship, and how intimidated and frightened I was.  Wide-eyed and afraid to breathe, I sat quietly in awe as I watched the official reporter taking down the record of a criminal trial in progress, trying my best to keep up on my own steno machine as I sat in the gallery.  Worried that people were staring at me.  Wondering what they were thinking.  Questioning whether I'd ever be able to pull this whole court reporter thing off.   Wondering if I'd made a huge mistake quitting my secretarial job with the Board of Education Administrative Offices to go to school to become a court reporter.  Can I do this?

And I did.

And she will.

And it will be privilege to help her realize her dream.  

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember,

involve me and I learn.” 

~ Benjamin Franklin