I was talking to a videographer yesterday.  We've worked together for over a decade and are good friends.  We just started talking and he told me he has seen at least ten reporters cry in the middle of a deposition. 

I was shocked.  I couldn't believe a reporter would do that.  I have cried one time that I know of in the last ten years; it was a German scientist with a broken accent and I struggled all day.  I went into the bathroom once and had a "pitty party" for myself.  I never did it in the conference room in front of anyone.

Don't get me wrong, there has been many times where I felt overwhelmed with an accent along with the terminology.  I've always been able to keep it together and be professional and just deal with it except that one time I went to the bathroom.

I was just a bit surprised that these reporters don't have the wherewithall to know to take it privately if you can't keep it together.  Very unprofessional.

I'm not talking about sad events on jobs and you cry because it is "sad."  That can happen to any of us.  I'm talking about the terminology being too difficult and crying.

 

Anyone want to weigh in on this issue?

 

 

 

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Most of my jobs are dry and technical.  Never had a reason to cry.  

I also think some people misinterpreted my post.  I wasn't talking about sad events on jobs and you cry because that can happen to any of us.  I'm talking about the terminology being too difficult and crying.  There is a huge difference.

Except really, crying because of the subject matter is just as bad, if not worse, because we are supposed to be unbiased, and crying could be perceived as otherwise, especially if it is in front of a jury.  

Could be cause for a mistrial.  Cause be cause for a professional complaint to any state board that certifies court reporters.

I don't do court work, so I'm off the hook there.  Thank goodness.  We're all human.

I've been reporting for over 35 years, in courtroom and in deposition.  I have gotten up and left the courtroom stating "I need a break,"  I have done the same in a deposition, but I have never started crying openly in either place!

Although recently, my husband called me and told me that my dog drown in the pool in the middle of a depo, and I did cry throughout the remainder of the depo on and off, but everyone there knew the situation and my client was also a long time client and friend!!

I cannot believe that this videographer has seen 10 reporters cry!  That is amazing to me too!!  We learned in school that you don't show any emotion!!!

That sort of situation almost happened to me where I cried.  I had a 1 1/2 year old kitten "Stella"  that got a disease called FIP and it is terminal; it kills kittens between the age of one and three. 

Anyways, at 4:00 p.m. on this one day I knew my husband was taking my beloved Stella to be put to sleep.  At 4:00 in my depo, it was all I could do to keep it together.  I didn't cry in the depo but on a break I went to the bathroom and shed a few tears.  Then when I got to my car, it was a waterfall.  This was about two years ago.  That was tough to concentrate at all that day.  So sad. 

There are always going to be those situations I'm sure.

Now, THAT would make me cry.  I would just not work that whole week.  :(

Your stories remind me.  About 19 years ago I called the office on a break during a depo, and I could tell by the receptionist voice something was wrong.  I pressed her, and she said the beloved owner of the firm had suddenly died (he was 57) of a massive heart attack.   I told the attorney what I had heard (because this reporter reported in town for 30 years and they might have known him). and they said oh too bad and went back on the record, while I shed a few tears for a few minutes while the depo was proceeding.   Eventually I shook it off.

Another time during a break I returned a call from my doctor, and they told me I had breast cancer.  I didn't cry but better believe my mind was reeling. 

Moral is don't even call your doctor on a break!

They tell you that type of news over the telephone?  I don't know if I could continue--I guess you just go into shock mode, Martha.  Yes, never will I call my doctor on a break!!

When I was reporting, I had the good fortune (said dripping with sarcasm) of taking a Japane physicist's speech.  I'm in Colorado Springs, and the firm I worked for received the contract to do the NASA convention speakers.  We all took our turns.  Mine was this man who not only didn't speak English very well, he was using words that I had not clue what he was saying.  Hey, I was an English major, not a science major!  I calmly sat there and got what I could.  It was being taped and I knew I could get that.  I also knew I could et a copy of his report when he was finished.  When he finally ended, I ran up to the stage to get a copy of his report, which he gladly gave to me.  IT WAS IN JAPANESE!!!  So I get the tapes, and I still couldn't get what he was saying.  I can remember trying to put some kind of transcript together.  That was the ONLY time I cried, and it was at home at 2:00 a.m.  The next morning, I took the tapes and the speech into my boss.  She listened to the tapes, called whomever we had the contract from, and told them that this speech would not be put into a transcript.  It wasn't a problem, but I can remember finally breaking down that night.  But to cry during a job, in my opinion, is so unprofessional.  I know we're human and there are extremely sad stories, but even then, I think that's when you kind of go on auto pilot and get through it.  There were times when I bawled all the way home due to the horrifying stories I heard, but kept control until I was in the privacy of my car...

OMG.  I was really put to the test about ten years ago.  It was a death case - civil side.  The mom lost her only son in a drunk driving accident.  It was The. Saddest.Depo I ever had.  I mean, she and her son were so close.  Everyone in the room was watching me.  It was all I could do not to cry with her.  When I was editing later -- I didn't want to but didn't use scopists back then -- I cried the whole time.

 

Also back when I first started reporting, I was totally unprepared for life as a reporter.  I had the hardest time.  One time I was really stressing and I excused myself  - I had broken out into a cold sweat  and went to the bathroom and laid on the floor.  I learned later that I had an anxiety attack.  

 

 

 

 

I've had anxiety attacks before.  It's usually with 10 or more attorneys in the room.  I just realized you need to breathe and just relax and it goes away.  I've only had it on one particular case I was on and the tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.  Never experienced it before but when I had it, I knew exactly what it was.

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