People's Intimate Lives

As you all know I recently started a new job. I've only been at it a few days so have really actually done a little more than general office work. I'm a superior court clerk in the family law division. It's something else let me tell you. There's about a bajillion things I'm gonna have to learn at some point. It's a serious job. Serious and important. Much more than any job I've ever had. Damn, I'm gonna have to be serious and all adult-like. WTF?

In family law we handle all of the filing, signing, judgments, declarations, petitions and orders regarding cases like divorces, domestic violence, adoptions, parental rights and forfeiture of rights. Generally speaking, it's a sad business. Aside from adoptions people don't come to my department when it's a good thing.

Each day me and my co-workers become privy to many people's private lives. We hear and read about their most intimate, sensitive, painful and heartbreaking details. We learn things that maybe even the people closest to them don't know. And all this time we are not allowed to show any form of personal involvement or opinion, nor can we offer any advice of any sort. I hope this is for obvious reasons I don't need to list.

The problem is that I am more interested in criminal law. Truth is, there's just too much pain in family law. A different kind of pain. I know now that as soon as I can I'll be leaving family law department and transferring. I'm sure that will not be any time soon, but as soon as I can.

But for all the sadness, there's joy too. Adoptions are a happy time. Balloons and flowers and celebrations. Sometimes even the divorces are a happy thing. Rarely are restraining orders, domestic violence, child abuse or elder abuse happy. These are miserable and I hate it.

My desire is to be part of the system that works to prevent the ugliness. All that said, however, I think I'm going to be happier at this job than I was at the bank, in spite of. I miss the girls. That's about it. And my merchants. But it feels good to use the education I'm paying thousands of dollars for.

There are just times when I'm getting more information than I feel the right to have. But I'll work on finding a balance.

Sissy