The Atlanta Lawyer December 2017/January 2018 | Page 12

FROM THE BENCH
WWJD: What Would Jimmy Do?
Hon. Diane Bessen
Chief Judge, State Court of Fulton County
Each week Jimmy Fallon amuses
us with his witty and topical thank
you notes. He pulls out a nice note
card and pen, and ponders about
precisely what words will best
convey his humorous thoughts.
Unfortunately, the art of the note
seems to be going the way of the
love letter. Once the only way to
communicate with a sweetheart,
the note has now been replaced
with texts, emails, ecards, and
smart phones that come close to
accomplishing the same thing,
but lack sentiment and a genuine
personal touch.
I recently sent someone a very
nice engagement gift and much
to my disbelief, received a thank
you text. I was actually stunned.
It wasn’t even an email! I have
no doubt some of this is genera-
tional; however, I can’t emphasize
enough how heartwarming it is to
receive a handwritten note and
frankly think it should never be
replaced by an electronic version.
When I became Chief Judge last
year, I received many congratu-
latory notes, surprisingly, many
from perhaps the most influen-
tial, busiest attorneys in the metro
area. They, like all of us, are trying
to squeeze in every last moment
of the working day. Yet they found
the time to take two minutes to
jot down just a few words on their
personal stationary to acknowl-
edge my new position.
People underestimate how sat-
isfying the feeling from this the
smallest of gestures. The idea that
someone took the time to sit down
and write a personal note with pen
and paper, as opposed to resorting
to the certainly more expedient
e-version not only makes one feel
special, but it says so much about
one’s character.
“People underestimate how
satisfying the feeling from this the
smallest of gestures.”
It says you listened to your parents
the countless times they hounded
you about the importance of ac-
knowledging a gift or achievement
in this way. Additionally, because it
actually takes more time to write,
address and mail a note, it means
the sender does so having dedi-
cated time to the process and thus
it was important to them. Finally,
you always have the note as a re-
minder. Even though the email
might last forever in cyberspace,
good luck finding it six months
from now if you’re not a tech whiz.
Perhaps the handwritten note is
on its way of being permanently
replaced by a video message or
tweet, but Ms. Manners and Amy
Vanderbilt consider a handwritten
note an essential part of the art of
communicating, something I am
afraid that is dying in our digital,
electronic age. So even though I
am fearful I might now receive
buckets of handwritten notes from
every attorney and litigant who
appear before me this year, I still
encourage you, that when you re-
ceive a gift, someone you know
gets a promotion or loses a loved
one, that you sit yourself down
and take a few moments to hand
write a short note. I promise the
gesture will be greatly appreciated
and remembered in ways you can-
not imagine.
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December 2017 / January 2018