Reply #24: I had a GREAT time doing a week's worth of jury duty! [View All]

[calimary]

Back when you had to put in a whole week. Now you don't. But a number of years ago, I put in my week's worth. I was still working at the time, and it proved to be a delightful, if a little unorthodox, vacation!

It was back before 9/11 and I took my polymer clay and my clay-slicing tools and hole-poking tools and my other supplies in with me and I spread out in a part of the room where I wouldn't be in the way, and I made beads all day. It was back during a time when I was starting to sell polymer clay jewelry and it really helped me get ahead on my bead-making. And it was SOOOOOO fun and relaxing! To have all day to just sit and do that. I got called up a couple of times and did not get on a jury, so back up to the jury room I went, and back to work making more beads. People would come up and sit with me and ask what I was doing and we'd talk, and I'd give little tutorials and everyone who stopped was friendly and seemed genuinely interested (maybe I turned one or two of the women onto polymer clay work?).

And there was one moment when this big, tall, beefy, ferocious-looking guy with tattoos approached me. I got a little scared. And he leaned in and said "I bin watchin' you." I was getting nervous. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a neck chain and suddenly turned into this little boy with big eyes and said "do you think you could fix this?" It had a jump ring at one end that was pulled open so the clasp wouldn't catch hold. The whole dynamic between us suddenly changed COMPLETELY. He handed it to me and I took a look at it and realized it was so simple that I could almost fix it with my thumbnail - and fixed it in a flash. Literally took three seconds. And when I handed it back to him, he acted like the little boy had just found a pony under his Christmas tree. The whole exchange lasted just a moment! I FREAKIN' LOVED IT!!!! And he went back to his seat and sat down and that was that. But it was just the neatest little encounter!

I learned to love jury duty that week. You are FORCED to get out of your routine and take a break! AND I ran into a high school friend I'd lost track of, who was working in that same courthouse as an English/Spanish translator. It was a FABULOUS week!