Pro tip: extra court clothes in the office
Posted on August 17th, 2012
You know how you have the dream where it’s the end of the semester and you realize you’ve been taking a math class that you haven’t attended since the beginning of school and now it’s time for the final and holy crap, what are you going to do?
That’s my version of it, anyway. It always annoys me that it was a math class, because how stereotypical could I get? Also, I’m way too OCD to not go to class, and forget about a class? Right. Even in ye olde college days, I had a paper planner that outlined every class every day. And a Newton. There would be no forgetting.
When I started practicing law? Voilà, a new unprepared dream. This is the court appearance I didn’t know about and I’m at the courthouse but don’t have the file and the case could be dismissed if I don’t do a great job…at the hearing I had no idea about. Sometimes I don’t even know the facts of the case.
Sadly? This one happens. Unless you have really great 1) staff, 2) case management software, and 3) a boss who remembers to tell staff or put dates on the calendar? Yeah. Just like I have to send my kid to school with a set of spare clothes with her name written on the tags?
Always keep a court suit at the office for those unexpected court appearances.
Dude! I have that dream about Math class still! Although I have actually been told, “Oh, we’re having an eligibility in two hours. Did you not get the paperwork last week? I put it in your box on Thursday!” (I was only at the site on Wednesday afternoons) Fastest eligibility I’ve ever done.
Good times.
Also handy for stains, rips, or other clothing problems.
And let’s not forget, any time we have women’s clothing involved, wardrobe malfunctions can happen. Just yesterday I realized that my faux-wrap dress did not have the under-layer tacked to the top layer. HELLO, THIGH! (And I already had neckline fabric binder-clipped to my bra…) Whatever, I was only on camera. Sigh.
And underwear! Husband laughs at me but this has saved me on several occasions, such as last time I knocked my coffee in my lap and soaked everything. Had I only had the extra work clothes, I would have been rocking it commando style all day. No thanks!
Underwear — also a good idea!
But I should have mentioned the corollary. “Oh, gosh, boss! I don’t have a suit here — and since you do, I guess you’d better cover that hearing.” (That’s saved me a couple of times.)
I still have the math class dream, and I used to have the dream when I showed up for trial in sweatpants, but I’ve solved the issue by moving into an apartment that’s a 2 minute walk from the courthouse. Like I need more anxiety at work??
Wow. I thought my math class dream was unique. Usually, in my version, the “forgetting to go” is part forgetting and part rebelling; a rebellion I regret come finals time.
I have the court dream, too. My new office’s dress code requires suits most days, so it’s unlikely to actually happen, although we have casual Fridays, so it’s not inconceivable.
I talked about the anxiety dream with my therapist today. Apparently hers went away for good when she finished her doctorate. Seriously, how lucky is that?!