Have you noticed that folks are a little cranky? I'm sure it has something to do with the five straight days of gloomy, rainy weather in our part of the state -- but I think there may be more to this -- and it's part of a bigger picture.
The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner. Depending upon your situation -- you may be looking forward to the event or you might be feeling anxious or apprehensive -- particularly when you think about all those preconceived notions about how the holidays "should" be.
For some, it's just wonderful to have relatives and friends visit. Everyone gets along, there's lots of good food around, there's those great football games to watch, etc. But, from the other side of the coin, you may be the one who has the house to clean, the menu to figure out, the food to buy, the food to prepare -- and then, afterwards -- the dishes to do, the kitchen to clean, and the house to straighten up again. If you're the one who plays the role of "Martha Stewart In Charge" -- that's a lot of work and you can get cranky pretty quick.
Another piece of the big picture is the state of the economy. It's in the tank. Yeah, I read all the stuff on-line and in the newspapers that declare the economy is improving. Uh huh. Yeah. Right. I don't think so.
Now you may know more people who have lost their jobs, more people who have made more dramatic changes to their life-styles in order to cope, and more people who are barely getting by. I don't know anyone who hasn't been affected by this shaky economy. You may be doing okay -- but look around. What about your friends, your co-workers, the small business people you deal with, and the everyday people in your community? How's your attorney doing? If you're the attorney who's reading this, how are you doing? Many attorneys are having a tough time. Some are losing their jobs. Some are having a very difficult time finding work. How's your community doing? How's the state of Missouri doing? If you've been reading -- the answer to that is -- not so hot. Some folks are one unforeseen event away from financial ruin. No wonder people are cranky.
From my corner of the working world, I can hear it in the voices of the people who are calling for a referral to an attorney to assist them. I've always had calls from folks, once in a while, who sound like and are -- desperate; but my intuition tells me there are more callers who, from their stories, feel like they're up against a brick wall and it's a wall they've never hit before.
More people are calling who are trying to figure out how to get more money in their pockets. They're looking for attorneys to help, but they don't have the money to pay for the lawyer's services.
The other day I had a call from a woman who wanted to hire an attorney. I asked her what she was looking for the attorney to do for her. After she described her situation, I realized she was being unrealistic in her expectations. She wanted to sue someone for a perceived wrong that happened to a family member ten years ago. She told me she was in a financial bind and was trying to figure out how she could get more money. Her request was absurd and her thinking was distorted by her needs. Those calls used to be an "every-once-in-a-while" kind of call -- now, they're becoming more common.
In the last few weeks, I've been giving out more resource information to folks who are not sure who to call when they don't need legal advice. I've also been giving out the crisis hotline number more often so folks can speak with a mental health professional. That's part of the bigger picture too. People seem to be more unsettled.
If you're working the phones or handling customer service for your company, your law firm -- whatever your situation -- you may have noticed that the folks who are calling you are sounding a little edgier than usual. If so, maybe it's a good time to think about becoming more in-tune with what's happening. You might try using a kinder, gentler tone on the phone. Spending just a little more time with someone, if they sound cranky, might be helpful.
So, is it the weather, the upcoming holidays, or the economy? Yep. I believe it is. It's all of the above. I'm sure you can think of a dozen more reasons that factor in on The Crankiness Scale -- but the numbers -- are goin' up.
