As some of you might know, in January I decided to leave my job as an in-house lawyer with Winn-Dixie after five years. Instead of rushing back to work, I decided to take some time and ponder what my new career path would be. As some of you might also know, the good folks at Akerman, Senterfitt have recently been kind enough to provide me with gainful employment. I have been with the firm for over two weeks now. I sense that the honeymoon period is nearing the end. Instead of stopping by my office to ask if I need anything, people now come by to ask me when I am going to turn in my time.
Many people have asked me what I did during my time off. One of my friends referred to my time off as my “sabbatical.” A sabbatical is when a professor takes a semester off to do something silly like teach abroad or write a book. My time away from work was much more productive than that. In case you ever find yourself with a couple of months of spare time on your hands and don’t know what to do with it, here is how I spent my time:
Service to the JBA
Yes, I was nearly the first full-time president of The Jacksonville Bar Association. I do not know whether that is because I am the only person with the dedication to truly devote himself to the job, or because all of the previous JBA presidents were married to that tired old notion that a monthly paycheck is something really important. I do know that I was able to conclusively prove the law of diminishing returns. If Diane Gill had not managed to keep me out of the office on a regular basis, it could have been the end of the Association.
Daytime television
I have known for a long time that no man is alone as long as there is ESPN Classic and Fox News Channel. I was not fully aware, however, of the amazing variety of daytime viewing options. I just don’t get “Oprah” and “Jerry Springer” quite frankly frightens me, but “The Young and the Restless” is riveting television drama. Even though I am back among the working, whenever I face really difficult circumstances, I still ask myself “How would Victor Newman handle this situation?”
Time with my friends
Not working means that when somebody calls you up on a Wednesday and tells you about a great new barbecue place up at Amelia Island, you can say, ‘Let’s go there for lunch today.’ When you are not working and are not involved in your usual work-related activities, sometimes it takes some additional effort to stay in touch with your friends. The rewards for doing so, however, are great. After lunch with the guys, when everybody is getting up to rush back to the office, you get to say, ‘Anybody up for some PlayStation? I’ve got Madden 2003.’
Time with my family
This was the best part of my time away from work. I drove my youngest son, to school in the morning and picked him up most afternoons (provided I was not still in my pajamas). I went to my oldest son’s lacrosse practices. I had lunch with my wife. We all took a long trip together over spring break, and I never worried about what might be happening at the office. I was my dog’s best friend. I did not make up for all the times in the past that I couldn’t be with them, but I certainly made some memories that we can keep forever.
If you ever have a chance to spend an extended period of time away from work, I hope that your time is as relaxing and enjoyable as mine was.