Changing Lanes?

See the problem here?

       Well, friends,  it seems I am at a crossroads. I have reached the point in my Court Reporting courses in which speed building is beginning. It requires that I write dictations at increasing speeds, lengths and difficulties, and then transcribe my steno notes,


( you remember; these things-->)
 
















      It is something that is consuming my life. When I am not actually doing it, I am thinking about it, often in stressful ways. Doing the speed tests really freaks me out; my mind turns to scrambled eggs, my fingers turn to popsicle sticks, I write a bunch of garbage,  and then I have one hour to go and transcribe that garbage into a perfect legal document. Well, first I have to puzzle out what I just wrote. That part, even though it is hard, I kind of enjoy. I do like puzzles. So, while praying a Rosary this morning (all my clearest thinking happens then), I wondered if I should switch my focus over to becoming a proofreader and scopist?

Just for laughs, let me show you what I wrote on my last speed test. This one was only 50 words per minute. Granted, it was only the second one I ever completed. I started another one that I bailed out on because I began to have a nervous breakdown.

Kelly Seppy 50  Test Number 4  May 14,2012

Dear Mr. /STPHAEUPLs, /TKOUPBTless you are familiar with the /ED con tamer company.  If you are, your know it as a /KUSful /ARPB that is /TPHAEUBGing fine /WAEUPLer.  Your /TPHAOEPB it as a company that is doing a business of more than ten physical dollars a year.  That organization was not always /SA suggestion /UGS /‑PT.  Infact /HRAS than ten /KRAOERGS it was /HR‑PLS red to got out of business.  Its /ERPings were low and its sets were /STEL /HRE de/KRESing.  Ina/TKEULGS the /PHER /HRAL of people /KHOE /WOERBGed for it left much to be de/SAEURed.  One /TKAL the /PWOERD of /TKEUR tars talled us in to see whether we could put the business back on a /TAEUing bases.  Besent in our staff of management ex/PEBTs who quickly /TUT their bun /TPER on the /THUBL.  They fount that the sails de/PABT /PH‑PBT was not reaching the fourth of the position /PHARGT of /PRAUGTs.  /PHAUR fount that /KHAOEUL the sails staff was large for an organization of that size yet it /TKEUT not /TKO*FR its imagine ore marketings.  The sails staff watt calling on the small calls for a conclusion /PHERing and /TPHE /TPHREBGTing if /PWEUS ones.  It was not long after the cushion of our staff were put into /EF educate that the /ED son /PAEUPLer company was once agone /TPHAEUBGing none /‑FPL if your organization is not /TPHAEUBGing if /PREPLTs that the you have every right to expect /‑RBGSZ why not let us some in and fake a survey of your business?  There is /TPHE charge of any kind for that service.  Yours very truly,

    All those words in caps with slashes are the ones I wrote so wrong they didn't translate to anything. Some others were still wrong, but translated to words anyway. Such as, "more than ten physical dollars a year," and "let us some in and fake a survey of your business." Or my personal favorite, "our staff of management (experts) who quickly (put) their bun" ...on something.

The REALLY crazy part is that I was able to take the raw steno notes (see above) of that mess and get 92% of it transcribed correctly. So--yeah my BRILLIANT mind, together with the help of the Blessed Mother said--hey! You could just do THAT part of the job, still get paid and have a career, not <-----have to bludgeon yourself to death hunched over a steno machine 3+ hours every stinkin day! Well, the Blessed Mother didn't say it exactly that way, but that was the gist.




So, dear friends, please say a prayer for me as I look into this. I am hoping it will be a good path, one on which I can retain what little bits of sanity I have left while simultaneously HAVING A LIFE.

God Bless you! +JMJ+

Peace, 

Kelly

steno is my life

Yes, Folks, right now this little guy and I are best buds, joined at the hip, constant companions, you name it. I hope to blog once a week-ish, but by the time I sit down to write something, my mind is numb, eyes swimming, back is stiff, etc. A steno education is so intensive, it approaches marriage- like commitment. I certainly spend more time with it than I do Bob. (FYI-he is not jealous, because; 1. Steno writer is stubby and boxy and really not my type (get it?) and 2., Steno writer may one day become the source of a respectable income for our family. Seems like I ought to name it..

All (okay,most) kidding aside, I am doing this for our family. I hope this career will be as lucrative and flexible as it's reputation touts. Also-it's not totally torture, I do like it. It's just that the process of making new pathways in my already mid life ravaged brain is painful, in a smoke-coming-out of-the-ears kind of way. The little victories are sweet, though.



I do have an intention that I ask all who read this to pray for. It's pretty serious. Thank you!

Hope you have a nice weekend. I will be holed up with, uh, (Insert name here).

Peace, 

Kelly

+JMJ+