Yesterday I came home from running my Mind Calm Meditation workshop to go straight into a 24 hour period of being on call for my job in the criminal justice system. It’s a question of being ready to jump into the car at any moment, day or night, to deal with anything from the most minor matter to something very serious.
It’s always difficult to apply myself to anything much while waiting for the phone to ring, but I did get some ironing done this morning as well as some reading that I had promised to do.
As it was such a sunny day, I was also able to spend some time with Alfie in the garden as you can see. After so many months of staying inside to keep warm or needing to walk briskly when outside, it was lovely to loiter a little.
As things turned out, there were no calls for the whole 24 hour period. Years ago we used to be paid a fee to wait but Ministry of Justice cuts have meant that those of us still working in criminal defence are paid less and less each year. That is a whole other subject and there are many bloggers writing about it with much more authority and precision than I am able. So I will simply say that the reason I do my professional job is because I really love it and I like to feel that I am doing something worthwhile – certainly not because of the remuneration! In my corner of the profession we are thin cats, not fat cats!
So, a day spent mainly waiting. But lawyers do learn to wait, often for many hours at court. It’s not a bad skill to learn. I am never bored, for example in hospital waiting rooms or in traffic jams, because I have learned to choose my thoughts and I can always practice Mind Calm when I find myself at a loose end!
Rather than suggesting you sign up for Tranquil News, today I’d like to ask you something different. As you can see, Alfie is a very handsome boy and he is also one of my best teachers. He has his own Facebook page which I set up partly to ensure I don’t fill my own profile with pictures of him. If you would like some lovely golden wisdom from him every now and then please do visit his page and click like if you do!
