Sleeping With A Stolen Stenograph Machine
I began in the court reporting field in 1991. I worked in the mail room of a court reporting agency. It would take me six years to become licensed as a CSR in California and 12 years to own my own agency. I guess you could say that I have had a long-term passion for this stuff.
I personally count my experiences in school as some of my most prized personal memories like these:
- The birth of my daughter
- The day my dog Charlie learned NOT to pee on the rug
- My last tax refund
During those days (back in court reporting school), I ate and drank steno. (Steno, for those new to this, is the colloquial word for stenography which is the language that court reporters use to type on those funny little machines.) At night I dreamt of my steno outlines: P-A-T and S-A-L like they were my two buddies. Not in a funny way. And as I've gone around in the past few years to various court reporting colleges, I do speak a lot about passion for this industry. Yes, being a court reporter pays well. Yes, it's a distinguished career right up there with any astronaut, doctor, or pop star. Okay, maybe not a pop star. (Maybe Bono qualifies.)
Still, to get through the program and to succeed in this field one must have passion. That's why the following news clipping caught my eye. This is from The Times Leader (Wilkes Barre, PA) (August 15, 2008)
Two men accused of trespassing into a residence were arrested Wednesday, August 13, 2008 after police say they found the pair sleeping in a bed with a stolen stenograph machine between them.Jerome Allen Windley, 24, and Joshua Louis Caldwell, 19, face charges of criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, according to a criminal complaint. They did not have current addresses. Both of the males were found sleeping under the bed covers of an upstairs room at 134 Main St., police said. Story continued>
My thoughts about this little sleep over:
- Fine for trespassing: $500
- Fine for possession of stolen property: $500
- Fine for sleeping with a stolen stenograph machine: priceless!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
