My Memorable Jobs

As I sat at work, staring at the painting of the nude lady, I thought of how many different places my job has taken me to. I am a court reporter and take down the testimony of witnesses while they're being questioned by attorneys, so I have heard and seen some crazy, funny, and some sad things I wish I could forget.

One of my jobs last week was at a doctor's home. He was too ill to travel, so the attorneys and I drove to his home to take his deposition. His home was amazing. It was huge and gorgeous and had furniture I only dream about. We all sat at the biggest dining room table I've ever seen. It looked more like the board room tables I see in law offices rather than a place a family sits down to eat. I sat facing the witness. Right above his head was a painting of a nude lady. I had lots of time to think about this painting, like who bought it -- the doctor or his wife? How do you suggest buying such a painting to your spouse? "Honey, I think this would look great above the table where we eat."

Some jobs I do are forgettable, but that one I will remember because of that painting.

Another job I'll never forget about was one I had to do at a prison when I was in California. I was told to dress bland, no bright colors, no jewelry, minimal makeup. As I walked in the visiting area, the visitors that walked in with me went to their inmate they were visiting. And let's just say you could tell they had been apart for awhile. It was not a fun place, but a job I'll always remember.

Some of the other jobs that stand out are the tragic ones. When I first started working, I worked in court and did trials. My first murder trial was very emotional. It was an eye opener for me to see how evil people can be -- two youth randomly killing an older couple. Listening to the testimony of the son who found his parents is something I won't forget.

One job I had when I was pregnant and my emotions were already crazy, was a case involving a couple whose daughter was killed in a head-on collision driving home from college. They could barely get through their testimony as they talked about her. That was the first job I couldn't stop myself from crying.

Not all of the jobs are depressing though. I've had some interesting witnesses, like a pro soccer player. After he left the room, the female attorney who had been questioning him said to me, "I was all flustered talking to him." Apparently she noticed he was a tad bit good looking. He also had an accent, which made him even more attractive.

I also took the testimony of one of David Koresh's wives. She wasn't a happy lady.

After one lady was done testifying and had left the room, the attorney said to me, "Did you know that was a man?" Um, no! I thought she was big boned, but I never thought she was a man.

Since these depositions are happening because a lawsuit has been filed, sometimes people aren't in the best of moods. It's funny when the witness will scream at the lawyer, use profanity, then politely turn to me and say, "I'm sorry."

But I prefer that to when they just yell at each other and forget I'm there. My job is to take down every word that's spoken, but I can only take one person talking at a time, so when the arguing starts and they're talking over each other, then I have to act like a mom and break up the fight.

Some of the more uncomfortable jobs involve divorces. It's no fun sitting next to a man as his wife describes how he was constantly hitting on her friends; or have one man testify how he slept with another man's wife when both men are in the room. Listening to explicit love letters being read from an employer to his secretary and what went on after hours, can also cause an uncomfortable atmosphere.

I'm sure these people never imagined their actions would be told to a room full of people and transcribed for their reading pleasure some day, but that's my job.

I love the flexibility I have with this career, so I can be at home or at activities with my kids when they need me. I love that every job is different, sometimes exciting, sometimes stressful and frustrating, but totally worth it.