Ordinary Beauty

Today is the day I get to do some civic duty. Here I sit, where I’ve sat for 2 hours and 19 minutes so far this morning, awaiting my name to be called so that I can be assigned a number so that I can be served a summons so that I can be pulled onto a panel of jurors. And then, and then, and then, the panel gets called into a courtroom and screened. But more on that later, if I make it that far.

The morning started out with an actually inspiring introduction by one of the Superior Court Judges. I forget his name, but I mean to ask, because he strikes me as having qualities to be a good judge, someone to take note of. His presentation subtly addressed some of the common misgivings about this jury duty chore, and he re-packaged them into something more palatable.

I mean, granted, the sunrise this morning was beautiful, and choice to absorb, and I saw a view of Mt. Rainier that I don’t know that I’ve ever had, all ethereal white somehow. However, I was out of bed by 5 a.m., not my favorite sport. That would be about six hours of sleep, only, not my best condition.

Anyway, after the Judge’s inspiring speech, there was a video on the tv monitors, about how there will be plaintiffs and defendants and evidence and so on. It encouraged impartiality, with many references to the founding fathers and the importance of decision by juror (rather than by some king somewhere I suppose).

It would have been nice if they’d given us a little more information in advance, of how this is going to go. All the sitting and waiting. I mean, I brought stuff to read, and obviously I’ve a laptop–but some advance suggestions about such things would have been kind. I do hope that a stretching and exercise video doesn’t come on the monitor, like it does on those long trans-atlantic flights … they’re silly.

More, later. After “something” actually “happens”.