Who ties your shoelaces in the morning?

I have not infrequently wondered about the shelf life of my unchosen career - what with computer-savvy new generation lawyers not needing my basic computer skills to fix elementary mistakes, or their extreme dislike of dictaphones - preferring instead to type their own letters - how long will it be until the secretarial pool is decimated from lack of demand?

And then come days like yesterday when I realise that legal secretaries will never become obsolete no matter how much technology tries to force us into obscurity.

First off, I spent about half an hour this morning booking a rest room for lunch for one of the junior solicitors. She was feeling unwell, see, and rather than ring the room bookings service extension which is on a phone list in front of her on the desk, she emails me asking to 'research it' and to book for midday.

I am then accosted by another junior solicitor, this time asking that I collate and file 3 copies of witness statements and exhibits into lever arch files. Oh, and could I also number by hand each page as I do so. Sure. No, don't worry that you didn't think to number the pages before the files were copied twice and so instead of hand numbering the contents of just one folder, I have to then hand number the other two copies.

My wrist aches at your searing lack of foresight.

And to the partner, who sits in an office OPPOSITE MY DESK - even though I am not your regular secretary, who is off sick, you don't need to email another lawyer on secondment to ask her to ask me to print off an email that you have in your inbox - but if you do, then don't put on a 'what a surprise what on earth are you doing in my office' act when I walk into your office to hand you the printout.