New Kids on the Block

While I've been cleaning out the Sweat Shop the last couple weeks and not thinking about very much else, life has continued to happen all around me. At work, I have two new bosses.

A few years back, you may remember me occasionally mentioning Girl Boss and Boy Boss. And then Girl Boss 2. I guess that means these bosses are Girl Boss 3 and Boy Boss 2. If you're keeping track.

I may have mentioned Girl Boss 3 before because she started with the firm in December. She's the same age as the Wild Child and played competitive soccer at the same time, so I'm sure they played against one another. Kind of an odd coincidence, don't you think?

She's smart, self-possessed, and has a great personality. She fits into the office really well and everyone likes her. And, most importantly from my perspective, she's easy to work with.

Boy Boss 2 started last week. He's from England and initially practiced law there. His wife is a medical scientist, and she was offered a temporary position at a large medical university here a couple years ago, so they came over to the US. When that position became permanent, Boy Boss 2 studied for, took, and passed the California bar exam, so now he's a practicing attorney.

Boy Boss 2 is the same age as Soccer Son. And, since he's from England, it's no surprise he has a great deal of experience with soccer too. Another odd coincidence. Soccer Son came in to have lunch with me the other day and I introduced the two--they talked soccer for quite a bit. Of course, I only understood half of what they were talking about.

Boy Boss 2 is a nice guy and seems easy to work with so far. And I knew he was pretty okay when I saw some of the artwork he brought in to put up on his walls. Two pieces were drawings of Liverpool landmarks and the "fill" (for instance, the designs of the buildings that make up the skyline) was patchwork. How cool is that?

Working for two new attorneys isn't easy in the field we work in, and in the way our firm is set up. There are always rush jobs to be done at the last minute, and the pressure can be high. I hope I can keep up and not let myself get too stressed out. At least these two seem like a good pair to work for.

Part of what the firm expects of me when they pair me up with new attorneys is to teach them the practical aspects of practicing law in our field, at our firm. Since I've been in the field for a gazillion years and with this firm in particular for nearly 20 years, presumably I know a couple things I can impart to them. I really knew I'd slipped into teaching mode when I had a dream the other night in which I turned to a new attorney and said, as two people walked into the office lobby, "and these are plaintiffs." For those of you who aren't in the legal field, it's a little like explaining to someone "and these are cats." In the dream, I quickly realized I had absolutely nothing to add to that statement and I felt like an idiot. I guess I need to remember that not everything in life is a teachable moment. Sometimes you just need to sit back and let life happen.