Since The House Is On Fire Let Us Warm Ourselves

If you haven't gotten yourself fired from a big law firm lately, what are you waiting for? In the last month or so, I've:

• Stumbled on the next great diet craze, the Getting Fired Diet™. Unbeatable formula for ridding oneself of the 10 or so pounds everyone's always trying to shed. Dr. Atkins, look out. (oh. yeah.)


• Been pleasantly surprised at all the great leads for new legal business that have been forthcoming (and am mostly just wondering what to do with them).


• Learned that after the initial gut-check, it's emotionally more comfortable to get fired than to quit. Unlike several years ago when I left a small firm at my own instigation, here there's no lingering sensation of remorse about abandoning something (and many someones).


• Learned too that it's harder to talk about getting fired in person than it is to do so on a blog, mostly because it's awkward for the other party to the conversation. Most people treat it like news of a death in the family — downcast eyes, some well-intended mumbling, and (as soon as seems decently possible), a subject change. I've enjoyed those who've offered a grin, high five, or some other form of less lugubrious response.


• Appreciated the time to finally make the "new" home office (which we built in order to make room for Tyler, but which I've never had time to pay attention to since he came along) livable and workable.


• Likewise appreciated the chance to do things like get the TiVos talking to each other and talking to the computer, reconnect the backup/firewire drive, think about putting Google reader on my phone (at this rate the only things I'll use my phone's browser for are Gmail and GReader), and the rest of the kinds of stuff you've been meaning to do if only you had a little extra time.


• Gotten down on my knees in thanks for and worship of Gmail.


• Been mostly thrilled to be free of the too frequently mind-numbing office email noise (but a little surprised to miss it a little, too).


• But above all: been grateful that in a little over a month's time, "Where Mommy go?!?" has been ousted by "Where we gonna go today, Mommy?"

photo by WadeB under Creative Commons