It's over...

My four year working experiment in the law firm of procrastination is finished. It actually kind of went out with a whimper, as opposed to the bang I had expected. There were no unwanted [and unwarranted] pop ins by exes, no very last minute, "Do this! Do it right now!" orders, and no cake. There was only momentary sadness when one attorney told me that I could call her collect from Tokyo if I needed anything at all and when one of the partners hugged me and told me that he loved me... [However, this was the same partner of legendary drunken Christmas party fame, so the sentiment must be taken for what it's worth.]

When I left the building I didn't have the overwhelming feeling that a chapter of my life was over, or that I was moving into the future--hurray! There wasn't any maniacal laughter or surges of emotion in any direction. I just walked out. Just like it was another day. The only difference being this: Today was the last day I'll have to drag my ass out of bed to drive to a place that I don't want to be, to try very hard to act like I really care about the work that's being done, to smile and nod when orders are barked at me, and to have to fight the impulse to run from the building screaming my fool head off. Today was the last day. Tomorrow I will wake up and not have to worry about whether that pleading was filed, or that brief has the right page numbers on it, or that phone conference has been scheduled. Tomorrow I can wake up and begin to clear my head of all that bullshit.

Still, though... It amazes me the frequency with which these life changing events [such as the final day of gainful employment] occur without any acknowledgment or fanfare. You wake up, do what needs to be done, and go home without any movie-type realizations or celebrations. Seems a fitting end for a place where the employees are openly compared to the slaves in Gone With The Wind. [And I only wish I was kidding.]