Serving time.

Got my jury summons in the mail. It suggested Business Casual Dress", so yesterday I reported for Jury duty in my one business casual outfit...shouldn't have worried about it , it is California after all.

On the white board propped up against the wall at the front of the jury room was this information.

November 15, 115 cases scheduled. 115 cases requesting a jury trial.

We had the usual orientation by staff, here are the restrooms , here is the cafeteria, wear your badge at all times.

A judge came in to address us, thanks us for our time. Told us how important it was that we are there. He said some of us may never see the inside of a court room today, but to know just our presence in the jury room got things done. People get scared and decide to settle.

We all settled in and started to visit with out neighbors.  The lady on my right was from Cambodia, the lady on my left, sitting in a half lotus position, her empty sandals side by side on the floor in front of her chair, was reading Sanskrit, she was from India.

The man and the woman behind me , after some conversation discovered that he was her families paper boy when they were growing up.

 At morning break I met two wonderful ladies, one  immigrated from Switzerland , the other  immigrated form England.

A young man from The Red Cross came in and gave a nice talk and slide show about disaster preparedness. Wildfires, earthquakes, tsunami, floods,we can get them all here. Sobering.

When we returned form lunch the whiteboard at the front now read:

115 cases scheduled  37 cases requesting a jury trial. 

At 3:30 we were released, out duty fulfilled for one year. Like, with most things, it wasn't that bad after it was over.