I sent my client a very forceful email stating that she must comply with the order regarding visitation, or her ex can drag us into court and we would not have a leg to stand on. It definitely worked because I got an email this morning indicating that there had been a "misunderstanding" and that the child would visit with his dad this weekend.
It's funny how email can be powerful. Was it the tone in my message that made her comply? I used some strong language in order to emphasize the seriousness of the issue.
Husband told me that he got his ass handed to him yesterday by his boss for not following protocol on a particular aspect of a project. (In Husband's defense, there was no other way to solve the particular problem but to do what he did). Husband said that he could "hear" his boss's voice as he read the message. He said that he would rather had his boss chew him out in person, rather than through email.
Is the written word really that powerful? At least when someone is chewing you out in person, you can try to mentally escape or pull a Homer Simpson and just blink like you have no clue. But, you may still hear that voice in your head after your ass has been handed to you.
Then again, how is it that we can "hear" the person's voice when we read a message and "know" that that person is angry?
I don't know. But at least I got the result I wanted.
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
4 comments:
I do think seeing stuff in black and white is more powerful than hearing it. It seems to me that the memory of hearing something fades faster, while the words and phrases sometimes feel like they're burned into your brain.
I hope you can drop her soon. I assume that, even if they have custody issues in the future, she can't drag you back. So, I hope you can finally give her the boot for good, now. Because, it seems like it's not just a case of inconvenience or loose ends, anymore, but a source of real aggravation. And it's a shame you have to deal with that when you are trying to leave it all behind.
It's way easier to reread many times and agonize over every word with email. Usually verbal out-chewings are just blurry badness with only a few phrases standing out.
Lately my supervisor has been using emails to 'reprimand' me. In this particular situation I think she's not quite brave enough to say it to my face (I hear I can be a little intimidating because I'm likely to say exactly how I feel at the moment) so the emails annoy me and are therefore ignored. My guess is your client knew she was misbehaving and straightened up before she had to hear it from you directly.
Mightier than the sword, baby, mightier than the sword.
Post a Comment