Last year when the pandemic hit, people around the world were literally gobsmacked about the situation with which we were faced and had to take stock and scrutinize how to move forward in our “new normal.” A year has passed since that fateful historic time and we have learned how to cope and deal with it, for the most part. Lots of articles have been written by myself and others on how to deal with Zoom gloom, remote proceedings, exhibit marking, Zoom lighting, lessons learned from the pandemic, and much more.
So last spring, whilst figuring out how to shift and pivot in my professional life, I endeavored to find joy in the “little things” and examined and took stock of what was most important to me. Of course I did mini Zoom demoes and the like with my clients to get them up to speed with the new platform, teaching them the ins and outs of security features and screen-sharing. But, again, I tried to concentrate on the “little” things. One of my joys is knitting and crocheting, so I picked up my needles and hooks and started creating in between the tutoring sessions!
There are many benefits, of course, to knitting and crocheting — and that’s keeping the hands busy and active at the same time. Health benefits, for sure, for these aging hands. I was determined to keep that arthritis at bay!
Crocheting consumes vast amounts of time to create that final project, which translates into listening to the silence. I’m now an empty-nester, so no kids running around the house. My little Corgi, Ruby Rey, usually has much to say to all the walkers that stroll by the home but was totally bored with me. So to combat the deafening stillness, I gravitated to the small screen and binge-watching my favorite television shows. Once the treasured shows ran out, I then added some shiny new series to my repertoire. The ultimate factor considered to add them to my catalog was that the series must have at least two seasons — so I could binge-watch, of course!
One of the hottest recommendations that I spied all over Insta was Schitt’s Creek. I conjectured that “It must be awesome” because how could all those followers be wrong?! The accolades and nominations were many for this Canadian series dating back to 2016. The series continued its winning streak for excellence this year (2021) by picking up the statuette for the Best TV Comedy series at the Golden Globes ceremony.
After the introductory episode, I was obsessed and devoted to the Rose family! The storyline of the series details the trials and tribulations, the mundane facets of life, and the triumphs of the Roses: Johnny Rose (uber rich video store magnate), his soap opera wife Moira, the hipster son David, and the socialite daughter Alexis. They are abruptly faced with bankruptcy and forced to shift and relocate to Schitt’s Creek, a small and depressing town they once considered as beneath their level of aristocracy.
The series is full of comedy while at the same time captivating because of its charm. The family has so many raw and human emotions that they experience through the series. As an audience member, I was totally invested in their journey and path to their “new normal.”
As I’ve done with other inspirational pieces of film and cinema, I found myself pondering the lessons court reporters can learn from this comedy series. Here are just a few:
Dress for success.
Fashion is an intrinsic representation in the show. David and Moira are most definitely the stars when it comes to fashion — from David’s gothic style to Moira’s wigs and couture! They both utilize their sense of flair and the dramatic with their outfits, all the while distinguishing themselves as individuals who care about who they are.
For court reporters, our professional appearance should be top of mind too. Dressing for success builds confidence, composure, and self-respect. It’s vital to communicating who you are, as you’re a valuable participant in the judicial process. Additionally, you only get one first impression. More often than not when I arrive at a law firm, the receptionist will assume that I’m an attorney – a great thing! After all, we are respected partners and equals in the deposition and judicial arena, working side by side with the attorneys on their important cases. It’s also important for those remote proceedings to wear that blazer on top!
Listen and look for signs to improve.
Johnny Rose, the epitome of the business executive, diligently listened and searched for signs in Schitt’s Creek of ways he could get back to work, his passion. With all the pitfalls of a rundown motel — leaking ceilings and faucets — Johnny set down the path of working to improve the motel which led to an amazing opportunity in the end! (No spoilers here.)
Change is intimidating for court reporters sometimes as well. There are so many technological advancements in our profession each day, and it seems such a daunting task to keep up with it all. It should be noted that there are some fantastic tools available to assist court reporters to be more productive, efficient, and valuable to attorney clients and legal professionals. Court reporters should keep in mind that in order to be effective and stay relevant, we must keep abreast of technology, embrace it, and never be skeptical of the newest innovations.
Teamwork.
Schitt’s Creek is populated with other lovable characters: Stevie Budd, Twyla Sands, Ronnie Lee, and Jocelyn and Roland Schitt. These characters are integral to the Rose family’s journey to find the family’s “new normal.” A memorable episode reflecting how friends can impact our lives in a dramatic way is when Stevie encourages David to open his new business even though he is petrified to do so.
As a freelance court reporter, it is sometimes easy to forget about the importance of teamwork — especially in today’s ever-changing technology-driven environment. Our profession has become (and viewed by many) a cottage industry to a certain extent. Sure, we go to the job and do our magic on that “little machine” but rarely interact much with the participants. Because of my volunteer work for my state and national associations, I’ve made many lifelong friendships with some quite amazing court reporters. I know and trust that I can enlist their help with any situation that may arise during or after that difficult assignment to work out the best approach going forward.
Go ahead, get realtime-proficient! Reach out to your friends and colleagues to set you on your path of being more productive and efficient. I’m reminded of two colleagues in Memphis who were study buddies and earned that RDR certification, the Ph.D. of court reporting. What an amazing experience and sense of accomplishment for them both! Do what’s scary knowing you have your “team” of friends helping and guiding you along the way and never doubt your ability to soar.
Gain experience.
David and Alexis hadn’t the need nor the inclination to hold down a meaningful job prior to the Rose bankruptcy. Through the evolution of their personal transformation, both siblings sought job opportunities in order to help with the family’s finances. Alexis even made the decision to finish her educational training!
David started at The Blouse Barn, a very uninspiring job for him. However, he learned a lot from that job by seeking to become more proficient with this customer service and managerial skills. The lessons learned by David at The Blouse Barn gave him that boost of confidence in his competency to take the next step in his career.
One of my greatest accomplishments has been to become a court reporter. I have been a court reporter for many, many years and I’ve gained experience that I happily share with my friends and colleagues. I am deeply humbled and honored when a colleague comes to me with questions about our profession and/or technology.
We court reporters need to keep up with so much technological knowledge, and we need the courage to look within ourselves and know that we can conquer any of our fears; whether it be remote depositions, realtime, or marking exhibits electronically. It just takes a lot of practice and time to get up to speed with the latest resources and tools available to us. Take the plunge and learn that new feature in your CAT software, offer realtime to a valued and trusted client, and learn the many features of that remote deposition platform. Knowledge is power and you’ll definitely be the better professional by honing your skills. You’ve got this!
Hone your vocabulary prowess.
Moira Rose is perhaps the best family member, in my humble opinion, on Schitt’s Creek. Her lexicon knowledge is “out of this world” splendiferous! Her delivery of her commentary with an unknown accent is boisterously merry!
As I was binge-watching this series, I caught myself laughing out loud whenever Moira was in a scene. Had I not been crocheting, I would have made a list of each and every word that came out of her mouth. She definitely has a unique way of articulating her utterances regarding her family’s shenanigans.
When I was Googling to find some of the unfamiliar words that didn’t make it to my list (because I was crocheting), I came across this video of Moira Rose’s Vocabulary 50+ Words. It’s worth a listen, for sure. Her accent is to die for!
The benefits for court reporters to building your vocabulary are:
- Become more knowledgeable.
- Become realtime-proficient and don’t struggle or hesitate with an unfamiliar word when writing during the assignment.
- Building a bigger and stronger dictionary makes editing time a breeze.
- A vast vocabulary helps you earn that next level of NCRA certification for the written test.
- Building a strong vocabulary will help you earn more money for when you’re on Jeopardy!
Here’s a list of just a few morsels of Moira’s vocabulary words. Which ones are in your CAT software dictionary?
- Duplicitous—treacherous
- Capricious – given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
- Cloying—disgust or sicken (someone) with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment.
- Pique – to arouse anger or resentment in.
- Patrician—an aristocrat or nobleman
- Bailiwick—one’s sphere of operations or particular area of interest
- Odious—extremely unpleasant, repulsive
- Visage—a person’s face, with reference to the form or proportions of the features
- Assuage—make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
- Winsome—attractive or appealing in appearance or character
- Bolus—(in medicine) a single dose of a drug or other medicinal preparation given all at once
- Confabulate—engage in conversation; talk
- Reticence—not revealing one’s thoughts or feeling readily
- Bedeviled —to torment or harass
- Blouson — a garment (such as a dress) having a close waistband with blousing of material over it
- Chrysalis — a hardened, protective covering
- Churlish — lacking civility or graciousness
- Encumber — to weigh down or burden
- Irksome — annoying or tedious
- Oxidize — to dehydrogenate especially by the action of oxygen
- Pablum —bland, intellectual sustenance
Then, here are some words that are way out there! I’m not quite sure you would ever view them within the pages of a transcript.
- bombilating—buzz, or hum
- Pettifogging—placing undue emphasis on petty details.
- Frippet—a pretty frivolous young woman
- Spanandry—extreme scarcity of males in a biological population
- Balatron — jester or buffoon
- Callipygian — shapely buttocks
- Peregrination — a long and meandering journey
I’d love to hear from my readers if you’re a super fan of Schitt’s Creek too! If so, what lessons and takeaways did you come away with? Forge ahead in your professional journey, court reporters, and strive to be the best version of yourself.
Leaving you with this quote from Alexis: “I don’t skate through life. I walk through life… in really nice shoes.” ~ Alexis
