Legal Vacations

    NALS…the association for legal professionals

    Tulsa, Oklahoma

One of the attorneys I work for left town earlier this week for a family vacation and it has occurred to me that it’s almost like he never left the office!  Initially, you’d think there would be less work for me to do, but because we live in a high-tech world it is unlikely that things will ever slow down.  The days of removing yourself from the daily work grind instead to take a relaxing vacation are definitely in the past.

Do any of you remember the days when we could speak on the telephone with a person who would take a handwritten message or send a package to a destination in the regular mail and actually wait for that person to respond in a similar fashion?  I remember times in the past when my boss would never call me while he was vacationing and, if he did, it was only because he wanted to brag about the wonderful time he was having while I competently handled any situation in the office. 

Sometimes I reminisce about the “good old days,” but on the other hand I seriously doubt that I could give up some of the new technologies that make things more convenient (at least that’s what my rational side is trying to tell me).  My boss has been sending me a constant string of emails each day that require various amounts of time to complete the tasks assigned.  At the end of one of his emails he says, “Thanks for doing all of this.  I know it’s really busy for you when I’m gone.”  I simply write back, “And how is that different than any other day when you’re here?!” 

The immediate feeling and realization is that this is extremely sad -- a vacation seems to be no different than any other ordinary day in the office because we are still sending emails, drafting documents, listening to voice mail messages, and managing the constant flow of information that just never stops.  I guess there is a certain amount of security in knowing that important matters can be handled in such an expeditious fashion, especially when you have a competent legal assistant, and that your livelihood will not fall apart because of the constant care and concern.  But I also believe we need more time to sit back and relax (and certainly when we take a vacation).  The phrase, “Take time to stop and smell the roses” is so antiquated nowadays…we speed by the roses so fast that we don’t even see them, let along smell them!

So, this Legal Gal’s Friday begins by flying to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend a meeting this weekend with the NALS Think Tank.  It’s a group of legal professionals who will be brainstorming about the industry and how to take NALS…the association for legal professionals into the future.  And, because I am taking a personal day off work, I guess you might consider it a mini-vacation, but guess what I’m taking along with me!?  My laptop computer, smartphone, and my Kindle-- so that I can take notes at the meeting and have all my important documents/references with me, check my work email, make and receive any phone calls, and maybe read my books on my Kindle for pleasure.  Can anyone tell me where the roses are in Tulsa so that I don’t fly by them without first taking a moment to smell them?  Happy Friday! J