Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Why does everyone ask me?

I do paralegal work, I have done it for years, got my certification years ago. I sometimes think if I knew how many people would ask me legal questions (instead of forking over the cost of a lawyer consult) I might have changed my mind. I do freelance work for several attorneys and am in the process of adding a few things where I can do more homebased work. Anyway, because I do have some legal knowledge it apparently makes me free target. That added with the fact that I have an my inability to say no to people (my hubby says I don't have a problem saying no to him so I should work on it with other people...hahaha).

This week is one of those weeks, a friend of mine who has a daughter in a wheelchair got sued for a medical bill, well it was not a justified lawsuit and I know they can't afford a lawyer so I did a few letters and took care of it. I was not even done with doing that and the neighbor across the street, whom I just think the world of is having a problem....so I spend about 5 hours this week trying to help them. Friends ask me to do things but actually this week helping both with such big issues is rare.

Family on the other hand drives me insane. Without going into too much detail my brother has been in and out of trouble since he was 15. Big trouble at times little trouble at most others. My parents constantly bail him out (figuratively and literally). It is a spot of contention for me. Last night I get a call he has lost his drivers license again. He probably doesn't need one anyway since he has had two wrecks in a week in my dad's new truck (which dad should no better than to loan him, but hey I am just the daughter what do I know). But low and behold my mom the queen of guilt calls and wants me to appeal the license suspension. UGH...if I do it I feel like I am bailing my brother out which I don't think he needs, if I don't do it then I guilt the mom supreme guilt trip.

I told hubby last night I don't want to be a paralegal anymore, give me a part time job where no one has any interest in what I do that I can still do from home, and in no way can what I do be of service to them. Does that sound selfish? I am really not a selfish person but I feel that Matt and I have so much going on with Braden's health and Brittney, school, PTA, just making our own ends meet, getting our own time together, so and on and so forth that all this "help" people are asking for is pulling me in too many directions. I know I should just say no, but if you knew me you would know that is probably the hardest thing in the world for me. I hate to disappoint, I hate to let down, I hate not to help.

So I guess I will do like I did this morning get up at 4:30 am to add some more time to the day. Of course I probably could have done some of my to do list in the time that I have blogged but as I commented in another blog this morning, it is much more fun to blog.

2 comments:

manababies said...

Hehe, I hear ya with the blogging! I should do what you do and wake up early. I bet it's nice to start the day like that, though, with it so peaceful and noone up and running around.

But that must be so frustrating to have people constantly ask you for help! I'd be the same way though... maybe that's just a "mom" thing, to always want to help people out, even if we don't think we should? Well I hope you get that figured out. I can't believe how some people would abuse your "services" like that :(.

kel said...

My hubby gives me that look when someone is asking me something and they are like are you sure its not a problem. And really I know it is going to be a pain but instead I say "oh no problem" and Matt just rolls his eyes...he knows how I am..LOL.